The Lord Receives Praise from His Name being Proclaimed

Photo by Karen

Scripture: Acts 9:42-43

It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.  And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

Insights: Back in verse thirty-five and in this verse of forty-two we see people coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  I titled this final point in my sermon as The Lord Receives Praise from His Name being Proclaimed.  I think it is a pretty fair assessment to say that once a person comes to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior that they are going to praise Him.  Both the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Tabitha from the dead got people in the area talking.  They were amazed and astonished.  They desired to know the details of the situation.  Once they heard the healing and the raising happened because of Jesus, these people desired to be in a relationship with Him.  This truth takes me back to yesterday’s blog post.  I think part of our problem in the modern church is we are doing nothing to get a lost world talking about Jesus.  We have not followed Him faithfully, and as a result, we do not experience His power.  Because we are not experiencing His power, our lives are not profoundly and supernaturally changed.  This statement does not mean God Himself is not powerful enough to change us.  Nor does it imply God does not have the power to work today as He did in the time of the Bible.  Beloved, I dream for the day in which the church stops all of its bureaucracy and truly does become dependent on the Holy Spirit’s power in them.  In that day, I think we will see more authentic and genuine praise of our Lord God.  I encourage you to start today praising God.  Just praise Him for who He is and then thank Him for what He has done.  Move your praise to other aspects of your life like family and work.  Let your entire focus this day be on the Lord and I would image by the end of the day you will have felt more of the Lord’s power in your life.

Questions:

1. Have you spent time praising the Lord today?

2. Who has the Lord called you to share the gospel with at this moment?

Prayer: Father, I pray You will grant me boldness and opportunity to share Jesus with the person You have laid on my heart.  I praise You for saving me and ask You save this person as well.  Amen.

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