Message from Pastor Leo

June 15, 2008

      Neither the religious leaders nor the common people of Jesus' day recognized that He was the fulfillment of the very Scriptures they had been reading for a thousand years. Some how, some way, as they were reading the Scriptures, they missed the connection, they just didn’t get it. Their religion had become a ritual instead of a personal relationship with God.

      And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. Acts 3:7-10

      In this situation, God has just used Peter to heal the lame beggar at the temple gate called Beautiful. Everyone in Jerusalem knows this is the guy who sat at the gate for years, begging for money. Now he’s up and walking, and the people are baffled.

      You can almost hear the surprise in Peter’s voice when he asks, “Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” Acts 3:12 God had done so many miracles throughout the history of Israel. All the way back to Abraham, story after story, miracle after miracle, the parting the Red Sea, the plagues that came upon Egypt, raising people from the dead through Elijah and Elisha, destroying Israel’s enemies, and yet they are amazed at this healing.

      And what about those who had seen the miracles of Jesus? He’d performed thousands of miracles in just the last three years, and yet the people and the religious leaders were still amazed. It's like they had never heard about God or seen a miracle! They just didn’t get it.

      However, the book of Acts also records that most of the followers of Jesus got it. They understood that Jesus was God and they were devoted to the Lord daily. “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:46-47

      This is the norm according to God. Worship and praise Him every day. Share with and be gracious to others every day. God doesn’t want to just save people on Sunday. He wants to save them every day of the week.

      And because of their daily walk with God, we see the believers growing in their personal relationships with Him - they studied the scriptures every day, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” Acts 5:42 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11 Christians are supposed to grow daily, not just once a week.

      So read your Bible. Read it every day. Go deep into the Word and grow closer to Jesus. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

      Read your Bible.

May the Lord Jesus Christ Be Magnified!

Pastor Leo A. Giovinetti