This Past Sunday I filled our pulpit at our church once again,   and I preached in the book of Acts on how God gave us a great church almost 2000 years ago.

And in this great church, he gave us great power. This power was used to preach the gospel and it was not only given to the Apostles, but to every christian since that time if we choose to use it.

Many people have misused this power by saying it was given to do miracles and healings.   But the only ones who could do miracles  and healings (outside of Christ)  was the Apostles. But even Paul at the end of his life couldn,t perform miraclesor heal anyone anymore as those gifts were being done away with as the bible was being completed.

Today miracles and healing does take place but only through prayer and Christ himself who chooses those whom he will heal. There has never been a person with these gifts since the time of the Apostles, theres been alot of fakers, but thats all they’ve been.

Others say that power was given to be able to speak in tongues, but again, tongues was given for only one reason, and that was to preach the gospel to another person in their native language by someone who couldn’t speak their language.

But again, as the scripture was completed and people learned how to interpret languages, the gift of tongues also died out. Todays use of tongues is an abuse of scripture and  leading people into a false belief.  It also appeals to the flesh and does not glorify God.

The power that was given in the book of acts was for one specific reason, and that was to preach the gospel to sinners to win them to salvation.

Second of all, God gave the church great grace. This grace was the ability to minister to each other as Christians. The word grace itself brings a calming effect on you when its said and thats exactly what grace does in your life it brings a calming effect because your being ministered to.

The early church cared for their own, and todays church needs to care for our own also, and care for the unsaved by bringing them to Christ and then minister to them and meet their needs.

You cannot minister to the unsaved until they are in the family of God.

And then there was Great Fear

The early church had a healthy fear of God, they understood he held the keys to life and death, heaven and hell and they understood their position in Christ. They were his children, God was their father and wanted to be obedient and serve their father who loved them.

They also understood that he would correct wayward children and his correction isn’t pleasant. But today there is little if any fear of God.

This is evidence by how immoral, sinful and hateful this world has become toward God.

Just listen to what people say or write about God and those who are his children, their hate has increased a hundred fold, and very boldly.

But scripture says that very soon, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Every person who hates the name of Jesus will stand in judgment before him, they will fall before him and confess that he is God, before he passes judgment on them and cast them to hell.

And then, there will be great persecution on the church. Those who hate the name of Jesus live everyday in guilt. The Bible says everyday Gods spirit convicts the world of their sin and the need of a Savior.

So everyday they wrench up their hatred trying to block out Gods calling them to repentance, since its God who they hate, their hatred is taken out on Christians.

So they remove prayer, bibles, ten commandments, nativity scenes, and now crosses, anything that might remind them of who it is they hate.

They infiltrate the church in order to change its message so they can try to stop their guilt. But even if every single Christian and symbol was to be removed, they would still not be able to stop the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.

And lastly, the Great Church was given great Joy!

Even in the mist of great persecution, there was great Joy.

No matter how much hatred the unsaved throws at us believers, no matter if they shut down our churches and remove every sign of Christianity, they can’t remove our joy.

That Joy is knowing that at our death, we will be in heaven for eternity enjoying Gods greatness for ever!

That is something this world will never be able to touch. And its something that they too could enjoy, if only they would stop blocking Gods call and accept him as their savior.

Don’t fear about tomorrow, hold onto Jesus, who has a place for you in heaven.

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