DLCM DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL
CONTINUING THE UNFINISHED TASK
25TH , AUGUST 2022
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Nahum 1 - 3
TEXT: Acts 5:12-42
12 And through the hands of
the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were
all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
13 Yet none of the rest dared
join them, but the people esteemed them highly.
14 And believers were
increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
15 so that they brought the
sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the
shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.
16 Also a multitude gathered
from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who
were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
17 Then the high priest rose
up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and
they were filled with [a]indignation,
18 and laid their hands on the
apostles and put them in the common prison.
19 But at night an angel of
the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,
20 “Go, stand in the temple
and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
21 And when they heard that,
they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest
and those with him came and called the [b]council together, with all the
[c]elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them
brought.
22 But when the officers came
and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported,
23 saying, “Indeed we found
the prison shut securely, and the guards standing [d]outside before the doors;
but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”
24 Now when [e]the high
priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things,
they wondered what the outcome would be.
25 So one came and told them,
[f]saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and
teaching the people!”
26 Then the captain went with
the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people,
lest they should be stoned.
27 And when they had brought
them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,
28 saying, “Did we not
strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled
Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
29 But Peter and the other
apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers
raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.
31 Him God has exalted to His
right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and
forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are His witnesses to
these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who
obey Him.”
33 When they heard this, they
were furious[g] and plotted to kill them.
34 Then one in the council
stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by
all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little
while.
35 And he said to them: “Men
of Israel, [h]take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these
men.
36 For some time ago Theudas
rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred,
[i]joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to
nothing.
37 After this man, Judas of
Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him.
He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.
38 And now I say to you, keep
away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of
men, it will come to nothing;
39 but if it is of God, you
cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”
40 And they agreed with him,
and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that
they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 So they departed from the
presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer
shame for [j]His name.
42 And
daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and
preaching Jesus as the Christ.
KEY VERSE:
“But the angel of the Lord by night opened the
prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go , stand and speak in the
temple to the people all the words of this life.” - Acts 5:19,20
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Don’t let the unfinished task stop or die with you.
THE MESSAGE:
In his book “Fire on the mountains”,
Raymond Davies tells the story of three missionaries in the early 1940s, who
went to Wallamo province in South West Ethiopia. Having spent about three years
to learn the local language, they were able to translate the gospel of John to
it. After they were forced to flee by the Italians, five years later, one of
them was permitted to return. He found that there was a huge Christian movement
in Wallamo Province. Those Christians who read that gospel of John believed it
and went about preaching the gospel with great signs and wonders following.
The disciples of Jesus Christ had been
faithfully carrying out the mandate of the great commission with its attendant
miracles, signs and wonders, that even the shadow of Peter was healing people
and multitudes of believers were added to the church. The Jews, moved with
envy, arrested and imprisoned the apostles. But the angel of the Lord went and
opened the prison, and told them to go to the temple and continue the work of
the gospel. They were finally brought from the temple and questioned why they
continued preaching despite the warning not to do so. To this, they replied
that they would rather obey God than man. They were beaten before they were
allowed to go. Yet, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ, in the
temple and in every house (verse 42).
Like the saints of old, present-day
believers, despite persecutions, should diligently continue the unfinished task
of turning men from their sins to the Saviour.
DO HAVE A BLESSED DAY
|
©2022 DAILY
MANNA IS a daily devotional by PASTOR W.F KUMUYI (General Overseer, DEEPER
LIFE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY ) |
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