YOU ARE BOLD… OR SILENT…  But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,  and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.  —Acts 3:14-15  And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number…

EMPOWERED WITNESS FOR JESUS!  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. —Acts 1:8             God’s Holy Spirit gives us power.  He gives us power to be His witnesses.  So the questions I have are— “When was the last time you saw His power?  When was the last time you bore witness of Jesus?”  According to this verse above that is who we are to be— witnesses that are empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.             So today, who will you bear witness to?  How…

FALSE ACCUSATIONS HINDER NOT GOD’S PLAN  Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” —Luke 23:4  I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.” —Luke 23:14-16  A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him. —Luke 23:22  Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with…

BE MORE OF A SERVANT LIKE JESUS!  A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. —Luke 22:24-27              Jesus, the Word that became flesh, the…

HE TEACHES THROUGH AFFLICTION—- LEARN!  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word. You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. The insolent smear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep your precepts; their heart is unfeeling like fat, but I delight in your law. It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes… I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. —Psalm 119:67-71, 75              When those who follow our Lord stray our Lord may afflict them as an encouragement to draw them back to keep His Word…

WE WILL GIVE ACCOUNT TO OUR LORD  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. —Luke 19:10  He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had…

PRAYER AND FAITH  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will…

YOUR HEART IS WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS   Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones,…

PROCLAIM, REJOICE, EXTEND MERCY AND GATHER WITH JESUS  The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me. —Luke 10:16  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. —Luke 10:19-20  And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”  But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who…

A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” —Luke 9:36 (MAKE SURE WE ARE LISTENING TO THE RIGHT VOICE!)  THE RESULT OF A NATION THAT DOES NOT RETAIN THE TRUTH OF GOD As followers of Jesus we are commanded to pray for our government and for all people.  That does not mean we need to agree with them.  But… let us pray and as followers of Jesus let us not be distracted from what He has called us to be and do.  Let us keep to His plans and purposes.  They have not changed and do not change regardless of…