fire fighters
"He went into the temple with them — walking, jumping about, and praising God...They were struck with astonishment — utterly stupefied at what had happened to him." —Acts 3:8, 10
Many Christians give lip-service to Jesus' resurrection, yet deny it by a minimalist, mediocre Christian life. Consequently, most of the world does not believe in the resurrection in a practical, life-changing way. By witnessing to the resurrection with power (Acts 4:33), we must break through these barriers which have been perpetrated by lukewarm Christianity. We need a spark that will light in us the fire of God's power and result in an evangelism explosion. Peter and John sparked evangelization by pulling up the lame man from his stretcher, and five thousand men believed in the risen Christ in one day (Acts 3:7; 4:4).
Sparks are made by striking together two pieces of flint. Flint is known for its hardness. We must respond to the Lord's "hard" callings. For example, Peter and John "went to the temple area together every day, while in their homes they broke bread" (Acts 2:46). This was a demanding commitment to prayer and community. They also even sold "their property and goods, dividing everything on the basis of each one's need" (Acts 2:45). Those hard things came together in a great act of faith and the man lame from birth was dramatically healed. The spark was ignited and the resurrection message was believed by thousands.
Prayer: Risen Jesus, give me faith to obey Your hard words and thereby light a fire on the earth (Lk 12:49).
Promise: "Were not our hearts burning inside us as He talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?" —Lk 24:32
Praise: Alleluia! Praise the Risen Jesus, Who is "the Way, and the Truth, and the Life"! (Jn 14:6)
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Apathy on audio AV 61-3 or video V-61.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 16, 2006
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