Tag Archives: acts

Dailies On The Vine

Radical Obedience

If we are expecting to return to the radical Church birthed in Acts, we must return to radical obedience.

The Lord is calling us to fear Him and keep His commandments. Fear of man was not even a choice with the original Apostles, because they had been with the resurrected Christ and were empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Many are pursuing and crying out for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit, especially as we approach Pentecost Sunday this week June 5th. My exhortation for the Body is what would you do with this empowerment? Are you prepared to obey His leading and commands – are you prepared to lay down your will and your ‘power’ of choice?

“Then Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice].”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭5:29‬ ‭AMP‬‬

When we as believers move in the authentic power of God, it is because one has given the Lord his own ‘power’ in exchange for His. The Apostles had the revelation that the power moving through them was Christ in them the hope of glory. “And now, Lord, observe their threats [take them into account] and grant that Your bond-servants may declare Your message [of salvation] with great confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders (attesting miracles) take place through the name [and the authority and power] of Your holy Servant and Son Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were meeting together was shaken [a sign of God’s presence]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness and courage.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:29-31‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“For the [true] love of God is this: that we habitually keep His commandments and remain focused on His precepts. And His commandments and His precepts are not difficult [to obey].”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:3‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Fire falls on sacrifice ❤️‍🔥🕊

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Dailies On The Vine

PRAY AGAIN 🕊🔥

When you give yourself over to prayer, supernatural answers manifest. Many have ‘prayed’, but it’s time to pray again!

In reading James today, the Holy Spirit highlighted this scripture passage. ‬“Elijah was a man with human frailties, just like all of us, but he prayed and received supernatural answers. He actually shut the heavens over the land so there would be no rain for three and a half years! Then he prayed again and the skies opened up over the land so that the rain came again and produced the harvest.”
‭‭James (Jacob)‬ ‭5:17-18‬ ‭TPT‬ ‬

The Lord is saying it’s time to pray again, that the heavens would be opened up over our land for the later rain to produce the GREAT HARVEST!

Keep your hopes high and be patient, for the presence of the Lord is drawing closer! (vs 8 TPT)

“So wait patiently, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits [expectantly] for the precious harvest from the land, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. You too, be patient; strengthen your hearts [keep them energized and firmly committed to God], because the coming of the Lord is near.”
‭‭James‬ ‭5:7-8‬ ‭AMP‬‬

This is the later, or “late” rain we are to pray in, the outpouring written of in Joel 2 and Acts 2.
As we pray, “So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] Lord [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him]. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn, And He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.” Hosea 6:3

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Dailies On The Vine

APOSTOLIC BOLDNESS 🕊🔥

As you many of you may know I have been writing & speaking about boldness and power for awhile now. Today I discovered something new in the word boldness in the book of Acts that can mean “freedom of speech”. I love word studies, they are so illuminating and help reveal Scriptures deep inner meaning! I believe this is very timely and what the Lord desires for all His followers. Ironically, I have been praying some new ‘dangerous’ prayers; ‘Lord make me like an original apostle, help me to understand You like they understood and knew You…’ I pray this passage below encourages and empowers you today!

“So now, Lord, listen to their threats to harm us. Empower us, as your servants, to speak the word of God freely and courageously. Stretch out your hand of power through us to heal, and to move in signs and wonders by the name of your holy Son, Jesus!” As they prayed the earth shook beneath them, causing the building they were in to tremble. Each one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they proclaimed the word of God with unrestrained boldness.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:29-31‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Brian Simmons writes in the footnote for the word boldness – t 4:31b “The Greek word is parresia. This involves more than confidence; it was a free-flowing, unrestrained boldness. It can also mean “freedom of speech.” Parresia carries nuances that are not easily brought over into English. The person who speaks with parresia will say everything that is on his mind with no restraint, flowing out of his heart with confidence. It involves being frank and honest, hiding nothing and speaking directly to the heart. Most often it is a word used for public speaking. It refers to speech that is not tailored to make everyone happy but to speak the truth, in spite of what that may cost. It is the courage to speak truth into the ears of others. This was reserved for only the highest rank of Greek citizens, not people of other lands or slaves. The right to speak freely was an essential aspect of Athenian democracy. Although it is sometimes associated with negative speech, in this context parresia refers to an unrestrained boldness. There was a Greek idiom that said essentially, “If you tell me the truth no matter what that truth turns out to be, I will not punish you.” This was known as the Parresiastic Contract. See M. Foucault, “Discourse and Truth: The Problematization of Parresia,” six lectures given at the University of California at Berkeley, 1983, ed. by Joseph Pearson in 1985. Parresia is found also in Mark 8:32; John 7:4, 13, 26; 10:24; 11:14, 54; 2 Cor. 3:12; 7:4; Eph. 3:12; 6:19; Phil. 1:20; and numerous other places.”

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