The physician Luke wrote how Peter and John were arrested for speaking to the people in the temple about the resurrection of the dead. They answered the “religious leaders” and were released after being threatened not to speak or teach in Jesus' name. Afterward, they began to pray by referring to words spoken by King David of Israel and saying, “Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto your servants, that with all boldness they may speak your word, by stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus”, and in chapter four and verse thirty-one of the book of Acts Luke shared how, “the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost” where we read:
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together;
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
The verse begins, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together;” Luke began with the words, “and when they had prayed” which means “and at the time and moment they, Peter, John and their own company, completed their asking, begging and making supplications”, “the place was shaken” which means “the space marked off and location where Peter, John and their own company were gather was agitated, caused to totter, put in motion and disturbed” “where they were assembled together” or “in which they, Peter, John and their own company, were gathered together, drawn to one another and collected by convoking”. Luke shared how the “place” in which Peter, John and their own company were gathered began to “move and shake” after they finished “praying”.
The verse goes on to say, “and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Luke continued with the words, “and they were all filled” which means “and they, Peter, John and their own company, were each, every, the whole and everyone of them imbued, supplied and furnished” “with the Holy Ghost” or “with the sacred, pure, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, who is coequal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son”, “and they spoke” which means “and they, Peter, John and their own company uttered, declared and proclaimed” “the word of God” which refers to “the voice, conception, speech and ideas belonging to the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “with boldness” or “with freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech, openly, frankly and without concealment”. Luke shared how everyone was “supplied and furnish” with God's “Holy Spirit” in the location where Peter, John and their own company were, and it caused them to proclaim “God's word” with “freedom in speaking and unreserved speech”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how God the Heavenly Father responded to the prayer of Peter, John and their own company. He “filled” them with His “Holy Spirit” again as He did on the day of “Pentecost” (See Acts 2), and power was given to them enabled them to “speak” His “word” with “boldness” even as they requested. God desires for every person to know about His plan of “salvation from the penalty of sins - death” through His Son Jesus. Anyone who believes and trusts in Jesus as their personal “Lord and Savior” will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God. Otherwise, they live in a “condemned” state that will separate them from God the Heavenly Father for all eternity. (See John 3:16-18) God loves people, and those who are wise will hear the “boldly spoken” ideas of the Almighty Creator God and submit themselves to His Son Jesus so they may be “freed” to “boldly” share in His Kingdom and proclaim Him to others.
Next time Luke shares how,“the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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