Revived in Christ, with faith, with perserance.

I have been reading the new testament lately, and documenting what I find. Today I decided I would re-read through Acts. I thought I would share this.

Acts 3 and 4- It tells of Peter and John, when they heal the crippled beggar outside the temple gate. The priests and the Sadducees arrested them because they were too afraid that people would come to know Christ, so they resulted to persecuting Peter and John. Even though they were imprisoned, it says "but many who heard the message believed, and their number grew to about 5,000." They could not stop the will of God.
They put them in prison thinking that if they put them away the spreading of the gospel would stop. It says that they couldn't deny that what Peter and John were saying was the truth, so they tried to silence them. But the two refused to keep quiet. They only replied to them, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Basically, told them do you really think we could be that stupid? Listen to earthly men over the God of the Universe? But sadly people do it everyday.
The apostles in the bible, prayed about everything. So did Jesus, they devoted hours, even whole nights to prayer. I don't think we pray as often as we should, I don't think we trust God as much as we should. Peter and John had so much faith, though they were threatened and persecuted, they kept their faith strong lifting their voices up to God in prayer and worship.

While in prison, Peter, filled with the spirit, said to the rulers and elders,

Acts 4: 10a-12 "It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is the stone your builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

It says Jesus was rejected. It is funny how everyone sees him as one who was holy and miraculously above everyone, although he was indeed holy, he put him self at the lowest point so he could know us and save us.

Jesus calls the rejected, constantly in the Gospels and altrough out the NT, he reaches out his hand to those who we would never think to give the time of day. Saul for instance, God transformed him from this evil god-hating murderer, into a devoted follower of Christ. The apostles, were "rejects" of the law.
In Jewish customs, boys were to have the whole old testament memorized by the age of 15, when they were to seek a Rabbi to instruct them and guide them further in their study. But they were fisherman, so clearly they had been rejected. But Jesus sought them out to follow him, and immediately they followed, no questions asked. He dined with sinners and tax collectors, gave time to the most "unclean" people, healing their sins. (Luke 8: 43-48)

He is calling us. He knows our hearts, knows we have messed up and continue to mess up. We have been rejected. Rejected by the world, by our friends who think we are strange to want to follow and "give in" to the christian beliefs. But he has not rejected us, and never will. He knows what it feels like to be rejected. He went through the ultimate rejection, humiliation. He was spat on, beaten, laughed at, cursed, misunderstood to the extreme.

It is such a comfort for me personally to know that my saviour is a saviour of love and forgiveness. One who has been there, and is not just telling me to follow something without a cause. In nothing else can I get eternal salvation, hope, joy, love, peace. In nothing else can I find such life and an everlasting, unwavering foundation.

"Since we have confidence to enter the most holy place by the blood of Jesus...let us draw near to God with a full assurance of faith, having our bodies sprinkled to clean our guilty conscience, let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10: 19-23

" Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set out before him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of God." Hebrews 12: 1-2

People like Peter and John, encourage me so much. I see what they went through, and the situations they faced daily. I see the faith they had in God, that he would show them what to say and how. It makes me feel so guilty of the excuses I make about not sharing Jesus with those around me more than I do. In today's world, I probably will get laughed at, its a good chance, but I doubt I will get flogged and definitely not thrown in jail. It's sad that I can't share with people because I'm afraid of getting laughed at. I'm sure Jesus got laughed at a lot, probably about everyday. But it didn't stop him, or his followers from sharing the Gospel.

He commands me to share my faith, he doesn't ask or beg. I shouldn't feel I have to make excuses to get out of it. I pray to God that I can learn how to share more easily to those around me, even though I may be persecuted for it. I want to take up my cross for him. My only hope is in God, and I want to embrace him with all I have.

Old art that I found

I did most of this stuff in the 8th and 9th grade, some is good, some a little strange. :) and I know they are side-ways, but it would take allot of work to get them straight, so I will do that later....sorry! :)