Prayer Journal

Friday, July 19, 2002

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13

Wouldn't it be great if people saw us and said, "I know him. He's not been educated in a seminary, neither does he hang around the intellectually religious crowd, but he speaks as one having the authority of God. His confidence must be the result of the close relationship he enjoys with Jesus."

Everyone knew Peter and John as fishermen who led simple lives. Their town was but a small village and probably not unlike a small town we might visit in our day. In small town USA, everyone knows everything about everybody, and if they don't know it, it's not worth knowing.

Now, catching the most fish ever recorded or nabbing the largest fish ever seen would have made either man a legend in his own time. But in each case, it could have been explained easily as super human effort or just plain luck. Walking down the street, people would look up and say to their neighbor about either man, "Here comes one of the best fishermen ever seen in these parts."

In Acts, the problem that people had with Peter and John is that they could not imagine where the two men gained their knowledge and confidence about matters here before reserved for intellectual religious minds. The two men were enigmas. There was no way to explain the source of their confidence, nor the presence of a new found courage. Even more curious was the evidence of crippled and blind men made whole that were testimony of the effective healing power flowing through the men.

You may not be seminary educated, nor the son or daughter of a preacher, but when you spend time with Jesus, at least two things happen: 1) the evidence of your faith will follow you and 2) people will want to know more about Jesus.

Signs and wonders followed the apostles and Jesus said that all those who follow him would do the same thing. Unfortunately, too many people, in and out of the Gospel ministry, are too much like Simon the Magician. They don't want to spend time with Jesus; they just want the miracles.

Think about your life now and contemplate what people say about you. Are you a fisher of men? Do they see Jesus in you and note that you spend substantive time with him? Or, are you waiting for that "big" fish to come along that will make YOU a legend?

Just Thinkin'... WebServant

Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

Copyright © 1998,2002 James R. Green and Prayertower Ministries - All Rights Reserved

Prayertower
Index
PrayerRm

I'll pray today for...
* My spouse
* My children
* Their friends
* My friends
* My employer
* My city
* My country
* Civic leaders
* Schools
* Teachers

* The sick
* The lost
* Those in despair
* The hospitalized
* The grieving
* Widows
* Orphans

* My church
* My pastor
* Church leaders
* Other churches
* Persecuted church
* Missionaries
* Myself