Daily Devotions With Greg Laurie ~ ”Solemn Witnesses” ~ Tuesday, 22 October 2013
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men."(Acts 5:29)
When there is an accident, police officers will try and locate witnesses to ask them what they saw and heard. A witness's objective is not to make up something or to try and make the story better than it actually was. No, a witness is simply to state what he or she saw—plainly. Just the facts, ma'am.
That is what believers are to do. We are to give testimony to what we know is true. The apostle John wrote in his epistle, "That which we have seen and heard we declare to you" (1 John 1:3).
If you walk in fellowship with God, He will be working in your life. He will be showing you things from His Word that will help you to grow spiritually. You will find that these things will overflow, sort of like wringing out a sponge. When we are full of the things of God, it comes out because we are sharing what we know is true.
There is also a seriousness to it, however. The word testify means to solemnly give witness. As we tell others about Christ, there is a gravity to it. Yes, we want to talk about how God loves us and will forgive us and come into a relationship with us. But the heavy part is the fact that there is a judgment, and there is a hell for the person who rejects God's offer of forgiveness. We are to share this truth with all seriousness.
Yet in a lot of evangelistic presentations today, there is no message of hell or judgment. We sort of edit out that part because we are afraid we might offend someone. But my concern is that if I don't include it, then I will offend God. And I would rather offend a person than God.
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TODAY’S BIBLE READINGS:
Job 5:1 “Call now; is there any who will answer you?
To which of the holy ones will you turn?
2 For resentment kills the foolish man,
and jealousy kills the simple.
3 I have seen the foolish taking root,
but suddenly I cursed his habitation.
4 His children are far from safety.
They are crushed in the gate.
Neither is there any to deliver them,
5 whose harvest the hungry eats up,
and take it even out of the thorns.
The snare gapes for their substance.
6 For affliction doesn’t come out of the dust,
neither does trouble spring out of the ground;
7 but man is born to trouble,
as the sparks fly upward.
8 “But as for me, I would seek God.
I would commit my cause to God,
9 who does great things that can’t be fathomed,
marvelous things without number;
10 who gives rain on the earth,
and sends waters on the fields;
11 so that he sets up on high those who are low,
those who mourn are exalted to safety.
12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty,
So that their hands can’t perform their enterprise.
13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness;
the counsel of the cunning is carried headlong.
14 They meet with darkness in the day time,
and grope at noonday as in the night.
15 But he saves from the sword of their mouth,
even the needy from the hand of the mighty.
16 So the poor has hope,
and injustice shuts her mouth.
17 “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects.
Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.
18 For he wounds, and binds up.
He injures, and his hands make whole.
19 He will deliver you in six troubles;
yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.
20 In famine he will redeem you from death;
in war, from the power of the sword.
21 You shall be hidden from the scourge of the tongue,
neither shall you be afraid of destruction when it comes.
22 At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
neither shall you be afraid of the animals of the earth.
23 For you shall be allied with the stones of the field.
The animals of the field shall be at peace with you.
24 You shall know that your tent is in peace.
You shall visit your fold, and shall miss nothing.
25 You shall know also that your offspring* shall be great,
Your offspring as the grass of the earth.
26 You shall come to your grave in a full age,
like a shock of grain comes in its season.
27 Look this, we have searched it, so it is.
Hear it, and know it for your good.”(Messianic WEB)
Psalm 108:A Song. A Psalm by David.
1 My heart is steadfast, God.
I will sing and I will make music with my soul.
2 Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
3 I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations.
I will sing praises to you among the peoples.
4 For your loving kindness is great above the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth.
6 That your beloved may be delivered,
save with your right hand, and answer us.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph,
I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine.
Ephraim also is my helmet.
Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my wash pot.
I will toss my sandal on Edom.
I will shout over Philistia.”
10 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who has led me to Edom?
11 Haven’t you rejected us, God?
You don’t go out, God, with our armies.
12 Give us help against the enemy,
for the help of man is vain.
13 Through God, we will do valiantly.
For it is he who will tread down our enemies.(Messianic WEB)
Acts 10:1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God. 3 At about the ninth hour of the day,* he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
4 He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, “What is it, Lord?”
He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is also called Peter. 6 He lodges with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the seaside. †
7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually. 8 Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. 9 Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon. 10 He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, 12 in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. 13 A voice came to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat!”
14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”
15 A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” 16 This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven. 17 Now while Peter was very perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood before the gate, 18 and called and asked whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was lodging there. 19 While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three ‡ men seek you. 20 But arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”
21 Peter went down to the men, and said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?”
22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say.” 23 So he called them in and provided a place to stay. On the next day Peter arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 On the next day they entered into Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and his near friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. 26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up! I myself am also a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together. 28 He said to them, “You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I shouldn’t call any man unholy or unclean. 29 Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?”
30 Cornelius said, “Four days ago, I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour,§ I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your gifts to the needy are remembered in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is also called Peter. He lodges in the house of a tanner named Simon, by the seaside. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ 33 Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God.”
34 Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism; 35 but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. 36 The word which he sent to the children of Israel, proclaiming good news of peace by Yeshua the Messiah—he is Lord of all— 37 you yourselves know what happened, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the immersion which Yochanan preached; 38 even Yeshua of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses of everything he did both in the countryside of Judea, and in Jerusalem; whom they also** killed, hanging him on a tree. 40 God raised him up the third day, and gave him to be revealed, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to proclaim to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word. 45 They of the circumcision who believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in other languages and magnifying God.
Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid these people from being immersed with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just like us.” 48 He commanded them to be immersed in the name of Yeshua the Messiah. Then they asked him to stay some days.
11:1 Now the emissaries and the brothers* who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!”
4 But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me. 6 When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky. 7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter, kill and eat!’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.’ 9 But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, ‘What God has cleansed, don’t you call unclean.’ 10 This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, ‘Send to Joppa, and get Simon, who is called Peter, 14 who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.’ 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning. 16 I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘Yochanan indeed immersed in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who was I, that I could withstand God?”
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”
19 They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists,† proclaiming the Lord Yeshua. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. 22 The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch, 23 who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.
25 Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Messianic in Antioch.
27 Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius. 29 As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea; 30 which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.(Messianic WEB)
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Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
P.O. Box 4000
Riverside, CA 92514-4000 United States
Phone: 1-800-821-3300
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