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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 )

Isaiah, Paul of the Old Testament (10 of 10)

Focus Text: Isaiah 66.10-14

A profile of Isaiah would not be complete without mentioning Isaiah’s love for God and for country. Although it is not stated in just so many words, only a deep and abiding love could have motivated such tenacity in the prophet; his endurance of persecutions, taunts, and ridicule came from a heart fully devoted to the cause of righteousness. Actually the love which Isaiah had was but a reciprocal love which he had seen first in Jehovah. We will examine God’s love and the joy that that love…  ( Click for more )

The Malady of Loneliness (2 of 4)

Focus Text: Galatians 6.1-3

Who needs help? The plain fact is: We all do! That was the principle behind God’s creation of woman, i.e. to be a helper suitable for man. As much as we might like to believe and/or have others believe to the contrary, no one is entirely sufficient in and of him or herself. The strongest man and the strongest woman – both need help from time to time.

The principle of fellowship involves helping; it involves more but certainly helping one another is included. The New Testament is replete with examples…  ( Click for more )

Isaiah, Paul of the Old Testament (9 of 10)

Focus Text: Isaiah 53.10-12

Isaiah’s real hope for Israel was his hope for the Messiah. Like Paul of the New Testament, Isaiah knew that “the hope of Israel” (Acts 28.20) rested entirely upon the coming of Messiah. Isaiah drew word pictures of The Christ, pictures which revealed somewhat of His character, His ministry, and His effect upon man’s fallen state. Study with me as we focus on a few of these word pictures in today’s devotional.

“He [Messiah] will feed His flock like a shepherd; He…  ( Click for more )

Isaiah, Paul of the Old Testament (8 of 10)

Focus Text: Isaiah 7.14

Isaiah was a prophet with sustaining hope. He had hope for himself, hope for Israel, hope for other nations, and most importantly, he had hope for the coming Messiah. Isaiah’s work contains faint images as well as explicit descriptions of the Coming One throughout his book. To state it succinctly, Isaiah was a prophet who had great Messianic hope and he expressed that hope to any and all who would listen to his words. Today and tomorrow’s message will briefly survey a couple of Isaiah’s…  ( Click for more )

Isaiah, Paul of the Old Testament (7 of 10)

Focus Text: Isaiah 1.2-7

Personal integrity cannot exist without a great spirit of conscientiousness; Isaiah possessed both of these qualities in great abundance. His desire to see men come to the LORD and be obedient to Him was not an artificial desire parroted by a mime; it was a heartfelt message rooted in his love for God and love for his fellowman. What else would prompt a man to speak with such candor, fervor, and with such perpetual hope and freshness? We will briefly note Isaiah’s integrity and his conscientious spirit…  ( Click for more )

Isaiah, Paul of the Old Testament (6 of 10)

Focus Text: Isaiah 38.1-3

How could one think, study, speak, or write about Isaiah without considering his extraordinary courage? His courage is implied by the length of time he persevered in delivering God’s word to his countrymen as well as in specific deeds during his ministry. Today’s message will look at the courage of Isaiah as it related to a specific act done during his ministry.

In our western culture, we find it hard to recognize the ruthless power that the kings of old wielded. Their ungodly and cold-blooded…  ( Click for more )

The Malady of Loneliness

Focus Text: Genesis 2.18-25

This article is written with the full recognition that there is a vast difference between being alone and being lonely. However, there was a reason that God recognized from the beginning that it was not good for man to be alone (see Genesis 2.18). There are a number or reason for that recognition, but among them was the desire to prevent loneliness as a way of life for man. With these brief observations at hand, we now begin a Monday series that looks at loneliness, its cause(s), and its cure(s).

Man is destined to…  ( Click for more )