May 17th
The disciples pray
23: And being let go, they went to their own
company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24: And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one
accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and
the sea, and all that in them is: 25: Who by the mouth of thy servant David
hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26:
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against
the Lord, and against his Christ. 27: For of a truth against thy holy child
Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles,
and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28: For to do whatsoever thy
hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29: And now, Lord, behold
their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they
may speak thy word, 30: By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs
and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31: And when they
had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they
were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with
boldness.
The disciples share their
goods
32: And the multitude of them that believed
were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the
things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33: And
with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34: Neither was there any among them
that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35: And laid them down at the
apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had
need. 36: And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is,
being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of
Cyprus, 37: Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the
apostles' feet.
The Apostles return to the Church
victoriously. They reported all that had happened and the whole Church prayed
together. (presumably one person spoke but they were all united in the prayer. They
addressed God as the creator of heaven and earth and sea and all the creatures
in them. They quoted the Psalm of David when he spoke of the raging of the
kings of the earth who stood up against the Lord and his Christ. This Psalm was
fulfilled in the rejection of Christ and was still being fulfilled in the
rejection of Christ in the Apostolic ministry. It will be fulfilled again in
the Tribulation and the early part of the Kingdom. They acknowledged the
rejection of The Lords ‘holy child Jesus’ by Herod, Pilate and the Gentiles and
by the people of Israel. They were all gathered together against Christ. Yet
they only did what the hand of God and the councel of God determined beforehand
to do. The rejkection of Christ was no mistake it was all in the councels of
God. Then they tell the Lord to see all their threatening and they pray not
that the threatneings would be taken away but that the Apostles might have
greater boldness to preach the message of God. And that the Lord would heal to
authenticate their message and thsat signs and wonders might be demonstrated to
Israel in the name of thy ‘holy child Jesus’. When they had prayed the earth
shock the building where they were gathered. Even the earth itself responded to
their prayer. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they went out
and preached the message of the Kingdom with great boldness. WOW. We see that
the filling of the spirit was to enable the believers to minister in boldness. The
believers were totally united. They were one in heart and soul. None of them
said this is mine, they all shared everything as if everything they had
belonged to everyone. The preaching of the apostles to the resurrection was
very powerful indeed and great Grace was on them all. Nobody was hungary - everbody
shared everything. Those that had lands or houses sold them and brought the
money to the apostles and a distribution of the funds was made according to the
needs of the believers. There was one notable man Joses Barnabas (The son of
consolation) He was a levite from Cyprus. He sold land and brought the money.
This was a man would could bring comfort and encouragement.
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