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June 11,2007 - The World’s Most Potent Poison

Focus Text: Acts 14.1-3

NOTE: PLEASE PRAY FOR CARA, A VERY SPECIAL YOUNG LADY AND FRIEND OF MY FAMILY. ALSO, PRAY FOR OTHERS WHO WERE HURT IN ANY WAY BY THE SERIOUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT LAST WEEKEND. PLEASE, DO IT NOW!

Do you think you know the world’s most deadly poison? Well, I’ll admit right up front that this is sort of a trick question. You see, the world’s most deadly poison is not one which affects the central nervous system, or the cardio-pulmonary system, or the digestive system, or the liver,…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (9 of 15)

Focus Text: 2 Corinthians 5.18-20

Paul wrote, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5.18-20).

The…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (8 of 15)

Focus Text: Philippians 1.27-30

Among other self-applied descriptions, Paul was an unrelenting contestant. We will take a look at some of the passages where he used this imagery to describe his own work as well as the expectations he had of other believers.

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict [note the word conflict] which you saw in me and now hear is in me.” (Philippians 1.29-30). The word translated conflict…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (8 of 15)

Focus Text: Philippians 1.27-30

Among other self-applied descriptions, Paul was an unrelenting contestant. We will take a look at some of the passages where he used this imagery to describe his own work as well as the expectations he had of other believers.

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict [note the word conflict] which you saw in me and now hear is in me.” (Philippians 1.29-30). The word translated conflict…  ( Click for more )

IS HE PRINCE OF YOUR LIFE?

The Prince of Life (Acts 3:15) describes Jesus Christ. In addition to all the reasons previously given for this descriptive phrase, today’s final installment on this subject will offer one last reason for using this term. Might I suggest that He is called the Prince of Life because that, i.e. life, was and is His grand design for all humanity?

Of His mission on earth, John wrote “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but…  ( Click for more )

JUDGE OR FATHER? WHICH WILL IT BE?

The Father of the victim sits in the judge’s seat. The victim himself is acting as the defense attorney for the accused. What chance is there that justice will be served in such a situation? Don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions! Chances are you’d be wrong!

Having read previous devotionals, you recognize this to be the scenario in which the killers of Jesus found themselves. Peter spoke plainly when he charged that they had killed the Prince of Life (Acts 3:15), the one whom God had resurrected to His own right hand.…  ( Click for more )

Who Would YOU Want as the Judge?

In one of the most controversial elections ever, the brother of George Bush recused himself from serving in any way connected with the vote recounts in Florida. He did this to avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest. This was certainly advisable since it is highly unlikely that he could render impartial judgments in such a case. I’m sure of one thing. If I were ever before the bar of human justice, I would not want any biases against my case; neither would I want biases on the side of those opposing me! However, consider the following…  ( Click for more )

FROM WORST TO FIRST - AND THEN SOME

“You denied Him. God glorified Him. You killed Him. God raised Him from the dead.” These words summarize Peter’s opening words to the bewildered crowd gathered on Solomon’s Porch immediately after the healing of the lame man in Acts 3. These two sets of contrasting statements represent the greatest miscarriage of justice that has ever occurred in human history. But, they also tell of the greatest remedy for human injustice. Consider the role of the Prince of Life in this remedy.

His first role was the role of the…  ( Click for more )

God Approves; Man Disapproves

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.” (Acts 3:14). Simplifying the sentence structure, this verse reads, “God glorified Jesus; you delivered Him up and denied (Him).” Let’s examine this statement.

“God glorified Jesus!” This statement is the zenith of all approvals. Men glorify other men. Sometimes men are glorified undeservedly. Sometimes they are glorified…  ( Click for more )

A STARK CONTRAST

The miracle was undeniable. There the man stood! In stark contrast, someone had carried him there a little while earlier. Now he stood and leaped and walked! Now he ascribed glory to God as he clung tenaciously to the ones who had a part in his healing (Acts 3:1-9). This unexpected happening had ignited the curiosity of the crowds coming into and going out of the temple and “all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed.” (Acts 3:11b). The unrestrained joy of the man could not be suppressed and his attraction…  ( Click for more )

A SUMMARY VIEW

Peter and only Peter referred to Jesus as the Prince of Life. He stated, “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” (Acts 3:14,15). Why call Him the Prince of Life? Consider this summary.

o As the Divine Agent of creation, He was the original giver of the Breath of Life (John 1:3 & Genesis 2:7).

o Through His Divine Will and in keeping with His desire for man to have life, man was granted access…  ( Click for more )

THE WATER OF LIFE

Before resuming our thoughts on the Prince of Life (Acts 3:15), we will examine one more “of life” expressions from the scriptures. This final phrase, the “Water of Life,” is used 3 times in the scriptures and all three references are from the book of Revelation.

First, consider the reality of the Water of Life. John affirmed that an angel “showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1). Jesus told the Samaritan woman during His earthly ministry…  ( Click for more )

The Book of Life

Peter was the only inspired writer to use the expression “Prince of Life.” He used this phrase to convince a group of fellow-Hebrews at the temple that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament (Acts 3:15). We are examining other “of life” expressions in the scriptures. The phrase under consideration today is the “book of life.” This expression is found 8 times in the New Testament; it appears in the books of Philippians and Revelation, Paul and John being the only writers to use it.

“And I urge you…  ( Click for more )

In quest of an understanding of the phrase “the Prince of Life” as used by Peter at Acts 3:15, we looked at other “of life” expressions. These phrases included breath of life (Genesis 2:7), tree of life (Genesis 2:9), word of life (1 John 1:1-2), and bread of life (John 6:35). We now resume this review.

Human history as recorded in the Old Testament is bitter-sweet. Created in perfection, man fell through transgression. His struggles became struggles of hope. The only real source of hope lay in the promises of a Messiah revealed by the Old Testament…  ( Click for more )

Life through the Promised Messiah

The expression “Prince of Life” used by Peter (Acts 3:15) is both unique and important. To appreciate its significance, let’s look at some of the other “of life” phrases in the Bible. In doing this, we will be able to better comprehend the expression “The Prince of Life!”

The first “of life” phrase is Genesis 2:7. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” The breath of life is the…  ( Click for more )

The phrase “Prince of Life” appears only once in the scriptures. This devotional will look at this solitary occurrence and at the implications of this expression.

Several weeks had passed since the crucifixion of Jesus. More recently Peter had publicly preached the first gospel sermon. About 3000 attendees at the feast of Pentecost responded favorably to God’s terms of pardon by being baptized (Acts 2:41). The disciples, through their devotion to God and to one another, were viewed favorably to the general citizenry of Jerusalem (Acts 2:46,47). The success of…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (7 of 15)

Focus Text: 1 Thessalonians 2.7-12

Tenacity, veracity, and capacity – these are three words which describe to some degree the apostle Paul. The two previous installments looked at tenacity and veracity; today’s devotional looks at Paul and the word capacity as it applies to some of his admirable traits.

First, Paul had a great capacity for love. While Paul penned some very strong passages, some of his writings are also full of affection and tenderness. He had little tolerance for error, but he loved those…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (6 of 15)

Focus Text: Galatians 1.10-20

Sometimes rhymes are nice; sometimes they are spice. Sometimes they speak volumes; sometimes their volumes speak. But, when it comes to Paul, a man of great tenacity; It is also needful that we see him as a man of veracity. Corny? Maybe, but at least you get the point!

Veracity can be most simply be defined as the characteristic of being unwilling to tell a lie. Paul was that! Not only was he unwilling to tell a lie, he was unwilling to live a lie. In other words, Paul was a man of great integrity,…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (5 of 15)

Focus Text: 2 Corinthians 4.8-18

Tenacity originally referred to the tendency of one or more substances to adhere or “stick together.” From that root meaning of the word, language has evolved such that the word tenacious now is commonly used to refer to traits of an individual; it still carries the idea of adhering but more specifically, the tendency of an individual to stick to his position and not give up. Tenacity in an individual is an admirable trait, that is, as long as the person is right in his position.…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (4 of 15)

Focus Text: Acts 13.44-47

“But when they [Paul and Barnabas] departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” (Acts 13.15-16).

Prior to the thirteenth chapter of Acts it had been Barnabas and Saul; now it is Paul and Barnabas, Paul coming to the forefront through the…  ( Click for more )

The Malady of Loneliness (3 of 4)

Focus Text: Acts 20.33-35

Did you hear the one about the little boy who heard the preacher cite Acts 20.35, the verse where Paul quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”? On the way home the little boy brought the matter up and declared, “Giving might be better, but receiving is good enough for me!” We chuckle, but sometimes we are like the little boy. Even though Paul clearly revealed the fact that “…God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9.7), we settle for…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (3 of 15)

Focus Text: 1 Corinthians 9.19-23

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (2 of 15)

Focus Text: Acts 9.1-18

Saul was a man of faith and he also was a man who demanded convincing evidence; these two are not in opposition to one another as some suppose. Saul was a logician of sorts and he acted in harmony with the laws of right thinking. Perhaps he had never truly examined the evidence supporting the case for Jesus as Messiah; whatever the reason, he certainly was not a believer; in fact, Saul was convinced that Jesus was an impostor!

However, Saul was not destined to a life of unbelief. God apparently knew…  ( Click for more )

Paul, Peerless Apostle and Prophet (1 of 15)

Focus Text: Isaiah 66.10-14

His name was Saul, Saul of Tarsus. He loved his work and his love was evidenced by the passion that he poured into it; every ounce of his strength was thrown into doing what he deemed was right. Apathy and lukewarmness were not in his vocabulary. In addition to his passion for action, Saul also was absolutely and positively committed to maintaining a clear conscience; he not only had a “sense of ought,” he was totally given over to practicing what he preached.” Perhaps these two traits…  ( Click for more )