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J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Vernon McGee - Peter and John have been released and have returned to the church, and they give their report. Here we have recorded a great meeting of the early church. I do not believe the spiritual condition of the church has ever again been on such a high level. We find the key to this in their prayer. It is more than a prayer; it is a song of praise. “Lord, Thou art God. Lord, You are the Creator.” Friend, I am afraid the church is not sure of that today. The Lord is God. Are you sure that the Lord Jesus is God? Are you? That is most important. The church is not sure today. The church is fumbling; it has lost its power. The church is always talking of methods, always trying this gimmick and that gimmick to attract people. The church in suburbia and the church in downtown are little more than religious clubs. The church is not a powerhouse anymore. (Thru the Bible) The phrase MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM is in all caps signifying it is a direct quotation from the Old Testament. Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Psalm 146:6 ("The LORD his God" - Ps 146:5) Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever; Isa 37:16 “O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Neh 9:6 You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them
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Vernon McGee - I am moved by this. This was a great prayer and praise service. They all were in one accord. Probably they did not all pray at one time, but they were certainly “amen”ing the one who led in prayer. Notice that they did not pray for the persecution to cease. They prayed for the courage to endure it! They asked for power and for boldness to speak. That early church was something different, friend, from the church of our day. (Thru the Bible) Acts 4:30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the Name of Your holy servant Jesus." KJV Acts 4:30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. while You extend Your hand to heal Ex 6:6; Dt 4:34; Jer 15:15; 20:11,12; Luke 9:54-56; 22:49-51 signs and wonders take place Acts 2:22,43; 5:12,15,16; 6:8; 9:34,35,40-42 Name of Your holy servant Jesus Acts 4:10,27; 3:6,16 Acts 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DIVINE CONFIRMATION HEALING, SIGNS, WONDERS We have already discussed the controversial topic of miraculous healing in the comments on Acts 3, so we will not repeat that discussion. That said, I found the following comment on Acts 4:30 by John Phillips to be very wise and balanced The apostolic gift included the gift of healing and the gift of miracles. Those sign gifts were especially relevant when the church was still in its infancy, when its testimony was primarily to the Jews, and when it needed such special accrediting from on high. So in the very early days the sign gifts were much in evidence. As time wore on, even in the apostolic age, they became much less prominent. By the end of the apostolic age, with the witness of the church fully established and with the New Testament Scriptures complete, the sign gifts seem to have disappeared. That does not mean, of course, that God no longer heals in answer to prayer or that God no longer works miracles when His people seek His face. Such an assertion would be foolish, for God is "the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Heb. 13:8). His ear is not heavy that it cannot hear, nor is His arm shortened that it cannot save. It is not that healing and miracles have ceased; it is that the gift of healing and the gift of performing miracles has ceased; the sign gifts have ceased. Miracles and healings continue, though now, for the most part, they are of a spiritual rather than of a physical nature. (Exploring Acts) John Stott - As Alexander pointed out, ‘their demand is not now for miracles of vengeance or destruction, such as fire from heaven (Lk 9:54), but for miracles of mercy’, Moreover, the word and the signs would go together, the signs and wonders confirming the word proclaimed with boldness. While You extend Your hand to heal - This is an anthropomorphism figuratively describing Jehovah Rapha's: healing touch, even as Jesus demonstrated during His time on earth (Mt 8:3 = leprosy cleansed, Mt 8:15 = fever left; Mt 9:29, 20:34 = blind eyes opened; Mt 17:6 = touch and fear departs; etc). The amazing truth is that in Acts 4:28 God's hand was extended to crucify His Son, but here His hand is extended to heal the sick (not just physically sick but spiritually sick). Jesus' death over death and hell opened wide the gates of spiritual healing from heaven. (See Multiple resources on the Hand of the Lord) Extend (stretch) (1614) (ekteino from ek = out + teino = to stretch) means stretch out literally, as a gesture with one's hand stretched out. Jesus' stretched His hands out "toward His disciples" (Mt 12:49), to Peter drowning (Mt 14:31), to the leper (Mk 1:41, Mt 8:3, Lk 5:13).