Have You Been With Jesus?

Acts 4:1-13

Message No. 0544 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

Several years ago, I noticed that one of my formal colleagues used to speak in the King James (Bible) language. For instance, rather than use the word ‘concerning’ or ‘regarding,’ she would use ‘as touching.’ Remember Matthew 18:19 (Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven). I was already a Christian at this time so I knew that the lady was not trying to be funny, it just showed to me how she had spent quality time reading the Bible and, even at work, she unconsciously spoke as though she was in the church. I remember that I used to train colleagues in those days, and, during training, I would occasionally say ‘praise the Lord,’ without knowing it.

If you listen to pastors on radio or television, you may have noticed that some pastors preach in the exact fashion as their own pastors (their senior pastors). Some ‘mimic’ their senior pastors and some punctuate as their spiritual leaders do. Last year I watched a pastor on television, and, from his tone and charisma, I immediately noticed that the pastor spoke exactly as a popular pastor that I know, so I suspected that he may have served under the pastor. To confirm, I checked, and my suspicion was correct.

It is not difficult for those who pay attention to discover which camp you belong to. In Acts chapters 3 and 4, the lame man at the beautiful gate had just been healed using the name of Jesus. With this miracle, people who didn’t know exactly what happened began to follow Peter and John, and before knowing it, thousands of people gathered. In the midst of this, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, arrested them and put them in custody until the next day when they were arraigned before a quickly brought together team of the Sanhedrin, who questioned by what power or by what name the lame man was healed. Peter seized the opportunity to remind this ‘high and mighty’ group that Jesus came to their midst but instead of accepting Him, they crucified Him. The Sanhedrin were amazed at the way Peter spoke. In Acts 4:13, the Bible says:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

You may have heard lawyers and prosecutors use the phrase ‘a pattern of behavior.’ We may not have paid much attention to this, but our behaviors give us away. Even without seeing an individual, behavioral profilers are able to look at the series of actions taken by such individual and conclude the kind of person he or she is. When the people of Antioch observed the behavior of Paul and Barnabas over time, they decided to call them Christians (this was the origin of the word). Knowing people by their actions was something Jesus taught His disciples. In Matthew 7:16-20, the Bible says:

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.

Here’s the big question; Have you been with Jesus? If yes, does the world know it? Does your family know it? Do your colleagues know it? As good as con men are, they are eventually caught and prosecuted. We cannot hide who we really are, for a long time. The boldness with which Peter and John spoke gave them away before the Sanhedrin. The behavior of Paul and Barnabas gave them away in Antioch. If we have really been with Jesus, our actions will be in line with scriptures and the world around us will sense our citizenship of the New Jerusalem. We cannot hide!

If you feel that you have lost it or that you have departed or derailed from the path of righteousness, it is not too late. Our God is a God of second chance, if not so, Jesus would not have given us the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. Please come back to God in confession of your sins and ask for forgiveness in the name of Jesus. In His infinite love and mercies, our God will forgive you and you will regain your status in His Kingdom. If you have never given your life to Christ, please read Romans 10:9-11 and do it now. It is necessary to do this without further delays because, as the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2:

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

As you go out this week, and going forward, may you go out with the light of Christ shining all over you and may people surrender their lives to Christ by reason of your attitude and actions. May people around you observe without a doubt, that you have been with Jesus. Have a blessed and fruitful week!

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 PLEASE ACT NOW:
 If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
 Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!