Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Christianity's Great Offense" by Duane Brush for Wednesday, 27 July 2016 with Scripture: Acts 4:1-12

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Christianity's Great Offense" by Duane Brush for Wednesday, 27 July 2016 with Scripture: Acts 4:1-12
-------
"Christianity's Great Offense" by Duane Brush
Scripture: Acts 4:1 Kefa and Yochanan were still speaking to the people when the cohanim, the captain in charge of the Temple police, and the Tz’dukim came upon them, 2 very annoyed that they were teaching the people the doctrine of resurrection from the dead and offering Yeshua as proof. 3 The Temple police arrested them; and since it was already evening, they put them in custody overnight. 4 However, many of those who heard the message trusted; the number of men alone was about five thousand.
5 The next day, the people’s rulers, elders and Torah-teachers assembled in Yerushalayim, 6 along with ‘Anan the cohen hagadol, Kayafa, Yochanan, Alexander and the other men from the family of the cohen hagadol. 7 They had the emissaries stand before them and asked, “By what power or in what name did you do this?”
8 Then Kefa, filled with the Ruach HaKodesh, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done for a disabled person, if you want to know how he was restored to health, 10 then let it be known to you and to all the people of Isra’el that it is in the name of the Messiah, Yeshua from Natzeret, whom you had executed on a stake as a criminal but whom God has raised from the dead, that this man stands before you perfectly healed.
11 “This Yeshua is the stone rejected by you builders which has become the cornerstone.[Acts 4:11 Psalm 118:22] 12 There is salvation in no one else! For there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by whom we must be saved!”
-------
Here is the offense of the Christian faith in the eyes of the world: the claim that, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” than that of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The exclusive nature of this declaration grates against the mind of a world enamored with diversity and individual expression. Yet the Bible is adamant: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people” (1 Timothy 2:5-6a).
For a moment let’s imagine those who scoff at Christianity’s claim are correct. What would faith mean? A feeling, an individual expression, without agreed standard for either individual or corporate ethical conduct? The object of such faith would have to be sufficiently broad to encompass all varieties of interpretation and understanding. As such it would have no power to either commend or condemn,it could neither reform nor redeem.

Though we are many, mankind has a singular problem, sin. Because of sin we all stand condemned in the presence of our holy God. That problem has but one solution: the Cross.
-------
Hymn for Today: "That Beautiful Name" by Jean Perry
1. I know of a name, 
A beautiful name,
That angels bro't down to earth;
They whispered it low 
One night long ago,
To a maiden of lowly birth.
Refrain:
That beautiful name, 
That beautiful name,
From sin has power to free us!
That beautiful name, 
That wonderful name,
That matchless name is Jesus!
2. I know of a name, 
A beautiful name,
That unto a Babe was given;
The stars glittered bright 
Thro'out that glad night,
And angels praised God in heav’n.
Refrain:
That beautiful name, 
That beautiful name,
From sin has power to free us!
That beautiful name, 
That wonderful name,
That matchless name is Jesus!
3. The One of that name, 
My Savior became,
My Savior of Calvary;
My sins nailed Him there, 
My burdens He bare.
He suffered all this for me.
Refrain:
That beautiful name, 
That beautiful name,
From sin has power to free us!
That beautiful name, 
That wonderful name,
That matchless name is Jesus!
4. I love that blest name, 
That wonderful name,
Made higher than all in heaven;
’Twas whispered, I know, 
In my heart long ago,

To Jesus my life I’ve given.
Refrain:
That beautiful name, 
That beautiful name,
From sin has power to free us!
That beautiful name, 
That wonderful name,
That matchless name is Jesus!
-------
-------
Thought of the Day: Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.”
-------
Please Pray: That many people in Reunion will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
---------------------