WITNESS OF THE DISCIPLES

“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42 NKJV).

Our verse describes the worth of the disciples’ witness in the days of the early church. They preached the Lord Jesus Christ consistently, courageously, and correctly.

Consistently - The consistency of the disciples preaching is seen in at least three ways in our verse. First, “daily.” The disciples preached the Lord Jesus Christ every day. Thus they were faithful day after day. They were not once-a-week wonders, but witnessed for the Lord Jesus every day. This is the consistency we need to have in our faith and service. Second, “did not cease.” The disciples did not quit when the going got tough. They kept preaching the Lord Jesus Christ and living for Him regardless of difficulties. Few folks are faithful like that in our churches today. Third, “every house.” No matter whose house the disciples were in, they talked about the Lord Jesus. They were consistent in lip and life for the Lord Jesus. This is the only kind of ministry that has true value.

Courageously – “In the Temple.” The Temple was the place where the disciples were experiencing much hostility and opposition. They were even been arrested several times in the Temple for preaching about the Lord Jesus. Yet, they still preached the Lord Jesus there. There are many who will preach the Lord Jesus in favorable situations; however, few will do it when there is great opposition. But the disciples were fearless in their faith; they declared Christ courageously even when opposition and danger was great.

Correctly – “Jesus as the Christ.” In the original, the Scripture literally says, “Jesus the Christ.” So, not only did the disciples declare the Lord Jesus as Savior from our sins, but they also proclaimed that the Lord Jesus was “The Christ.” The word “Christ” means Messiah. The Jews had rejected the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, but the disciples had their theology correct and proclaimed that the Lord Jesus was indeed the Messiah. Our ministry will be worthless if we do not have the correct message. Doctrine is vital to a good ministry. Zeal is not enough; we must also know the truth to be a good witness.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Successful witnessing is taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God!”

William R. “Bill” Bright (1921 - 2003)

American Evangelist, Author of The Four Spiritual Laws, and Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ 

Word Study

Faultless / blameless

In Phil. 2:15 we read, “That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (NKJV).

“Faultless / blameless” is the Greek word ámemptos (ἄμεμπτος = am'-emp-tos). It is made up of two words: “a” the negative particle, and “mémphomai” which means to find fault. Thus the word means irreproachable, faultless, without defect or blemish. It speaks of not being able to find fault in someone or something (cf. Heb. 8:7). The idea here is that the person is such that he or she is without the possibility of rightful charge being brought against them. In context, the apostle Paul’s desire for the Philippian saints is that there be no legitimate ground for the leveling of an accusation when the Lord returns to judge. The Christian must not only be pure, but the purity of his life must be seen by all.

Did You Know…

The soldiers casting lots for the Lord Jesus’ garments is a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Psalms 22:18: “They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

Bible Quiz

On what charge did the Jewish court sentence the Lord Jesus to death?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

Those who stood by the cross heard the Lord Jesus cry, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.” What did they mistakenly think? They thought that He was calling for Elijah (Matt. 27:46-47).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

A Lamb without blemish (Ex. 12:5; Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19)

"Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats” (Ex. 12:5 NJKV).

In context, the lamb chosen was to have no imperfections, no disease, and no deficiency. In fact, according to Deut. 17:1, God said that a blemished animal used for a sacrifice was an abomination to Him. Israel needed a perfect substitute, a perfect sacrifice. Not only that, but the Passover lamb was to be a male of the first year. He was not to be too old or too young. The lamb was not to be a female, but a male. It was to be sacrificed in its full strength. The Lord Jesus, our Lamb, died in the fullness of His strength, not in His old age, not in His childhood, but in the fullness of His manhood. Further, Scripture tell us that the Lord Jesus “knew no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21), “committed no sin” (1 Peter 2:22), and “in Him there was no sin” (1 John 3:5). There is no question that the Lord Jesus met all the requirements to be our Lamb, for God the Father declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). He is the perfect Lamb of God.

Did You Know – Christian History

St. Raymond was born in 1175 in Penafort, Catalonia, Spain. He was a prominent Spanish Dominican friar known for his significant contributions to canon law and his efforts in religious conversion during a tumultuous period in medieval Spain.

Born into a noble family in Catalonia, Raymond was a gifted student. He studied both secular and Church law in Bologna, Italy, eventually receiving doctoral degrees in both canon law and civil law. He also taught philosophy at the university. After his studies, Raymond returned to Barcelona in 1222, where he joined the newly established Dominican Order and became deeply involved in church affairs and community service.

Raymond’s works include the Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae, a handbook for confessors. But he is probably best known for bringing together in one volume, for the first time, the various laws and decrees of the Popes and the Church Councils. He compiled the Decretals of Gregory IX, a collection of canon laws. For this work, Raymond is known as the Father of Canon Law. He also promoted the study of Hebrew and Arabic so that the Dominicans of Spain could preach the gospel to Jews and Muslims. He encouraged Thomas Aquinas to write an explanation of the faith that would help missionaries in their work. And along with St. Peter Nolasco and King James of Aragon, Raymond established the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, which ransomed captives during the Crusades.    

In 1238, Raymond became the Master General of the Dominicans. After reviewing the Order’ Rule to ensure everything was legally correct with Church law, he resigned his position in 1240 to dedicate himself to parish work. He also declined the offer to become archbishop to focus on the parish work he loved in Spain. His compassion helped many people return to God through Reconciliation - the Sacrament of Confession. Raymond started a school to teach missionaries the language and culture of the non-Christians needing to be evangelized in Northern Africa and Spain. Along with Thomas Aquinas, he wrote a booklet to explain the truths of faith in a way nonbelievers could easily understand.

Raymond died on January 6, 1275, in Spain of natural causes. He was canonized in 1601, and is the patron saint of lawyers, especially canon lawyers. lawyers.73.373.disappointments.rs.

A Little Humor

Bert and Ernie are two Christians who have lived very good and healthy lives. They die and arrived in heaven. Walking along one of the golden streets and marveling at all the paradise around them, Ernie turns to Burt and says, “Wow. I never knew heaven was going to be as good as this.” “Yeah,” says Burt. “And just think, if we hadn’t eaten all that oat bran, we could have gotten here ten years earlier.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“God’s grace: The original unlimited data plan!”