27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
01 Acts 05 01-11 THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH 12 Acts 05 05-06 The urgent task of His church
📖 Acts 05:01-11
12 – 28Mar2023 – *The urgent task of His church* - _Acts 05:01-11_ - THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH - Bible reading: _Luke 19:41-44_
“Lord Jesus, help us that we will not be troubled by the persecution against Your church but we will determine to share You with our world, till our last breath. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
*_Acts 5:5-6 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. (6) And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him._*
When we live by His word, we will have holy indignation because the wicked forsake the law of God. *_Psalms 119:53 Indignation has taken hold of me Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law._*
This was what was taking place with Peter. He saw the wickedness and he responded as the Lord moved in his spirit.
Jeremiah and all the other prophets responded in a similar manner. They saw the evil and the violence and they were not able to keep quiet. *_Jeremiah 20:8 For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, "Violence and plunder!" Because the word of the LORD was made to me A reproach and a derision daily._*
Jeremiah thought within himself that he would keep quiet and not speak against the evil that was taking place but he could not remain unaffected. *_Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name." But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not._*
How is it with us in His church today? Does the evil taking place around us, affect us? Have we chosen to develop an insulated layer over ourselves against the evil in the land? *We must ask the Lord to give us His heart to feel the pain that God feels over the wickedness in our world.* *_Psalms 119:136 Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law._*
Apostle Paul was deeply troubled over those in His church, who had become enemies of the cross of Christ. *_Philippians 3:18-19 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: (19) whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things_*
We must ask the Lord to give us His holy disturbance so that the evil that is taking place in His church and in our world will affect us deeply and we will respond in the manner that the Lord would want us to respond.
The Lord is looking for such who sigh and weep over the evil that is taking place in His church and in our world. *_Ezekiel 9:4 and the LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it."_*
Our Lord wept over the city and people of Jerusalem. _Luke 19:41-44 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, (42) saying, *"If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. (43) For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, (44) and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.*"_
The things that make for the peace of Jerusalem were available to her and her people but it was hidden from their eyes. This is why our task is to open people’s eyes so that they may see their pitiable condition, repent, return, and be restored to God.
*_Matthew 23:37-39 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (38) See! Your house is left to you desolate; (39) for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'BLESSED is HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!' "_*
The Lord foretold that the people of Israel will see Him no more till they say, 'BLESSED is HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'. Yet, they did not repent, wholeheartedly. This will be at the time of His second coming and at that time it will be too late for the people to repent. Even today the Jews are not repenting and turning to Christ.
All over the world, we see the same phenomenon. Nations, including Israel and the western world, have turned against Christ and His ways. When the children of God confront the world of their sin, they become angry and violent and turn against His church. We ought not to be surprised but we must determine that we will plead with people to repent and return to God.
```This is the reason why we as His church have an urgent and important task at hand to save those who will perish in the second death if they do not repent and return to the Master.```
*_Revelation 20:15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire._*