Encouragement
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE As A Member OR Visitor
Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article
How often in life have we been really cut to the heart by some news that is too agonising to bear? It maybe something that we missed knowing or in our ignorance joined in the opinion of others and on the truth or actual facts being later revealed, it hurt us to the core.
The Acts of the Apostles gives us a detailed recount on the valiant mission of the apostles after the Resurrection of Jesus in revealing the truth about Jesus to the people who had condemned him to death and laying the foundation of the early church. Where once they cowered in fear behind locked doors, the presence of the Risen Lord made them bold to step out for the Lord, endure persecution, torments and finally martyrdom for Christ.
We look at some of the important and significant changes that took place and led to the establishment of the early Christian Church and the seeds sown then on the blood of many martyrs that has now grown into the full fledged one apostolic Church of Jesus.
1. The Baptism of the early believers - Peter stood on the day of the Pentecost and preached about how the people had put to death, Jesus the Messiah whom God had chosen, how they had him crucified and killed but he had risen from the dead and was seen by as many as thousand witnesses, he had walked and moved among them for forty days until his ascension into Heaven.
He reminded them about the words of David who had predicted, "He was not abandoned to the world of the dead; his body did not rot in the grave."
When the crowd heard this, they were cut to the heart that they had killed the Son of God. They asked Peter as to what should be done. Peter clearly told them that they have to repent of their sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that their sins may be forgiven and they would receive God's gift of the Holy Spirit which they themselves had received on the Pentecost.
On that day, three thousand people were baptised and added to the group of the apostles where they spent their time learning from them and taking part in the fellowship meals and prayers.
2. The Stoning of Stephen - Paul then known as the murderous Saul had Stephen stoned to death and any who preached in the name of Jesus was tortured. Stephen just before he closed his eyes saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand side of God. His final prayer to God was not to hold the sins of his murderers upon them. He forgave them all just as Jesus did his persecutors. He is the first to be martyred after Jesus ascended to his Father.
3. The Ministry of Paul -After his conversion, St. Paul stood rock firm in his faith, went through shipwreck, scourging, wrote epistles, preached to the people in Corinth, Greece, Ephesus, Galatia, Rome, Colossae, Philippi and Thessalonica, thus founding the churches in Europe and parts of Asia. He established Churches in many provinces. It was in Antioch that the believers were first called, 'Christians.'
He had a near death experience at Lystra where the people stoned him, dragged him out of the city and thought that he was dead. As he lay there, the disciples came and stood around him in a circle, Paul immediately got up and went back to Lystra to preach the gospel, the same place where he was stoned earlier.
In another incident, Paul when in prison, was singing hymns aloud in his cell along with other fellow believers. A great earthquake shook the prison wall, the doors opened but Paul and his companions did not escape. Seeing this, many prison guards came to believe in Christ and was baptized, they and their household.
Paul preached extensively to the Gentiles as he felt that both the Jews and Gentiles had to be put right with God. He was jailed several times and put under house arrest. Paul, a Roman was beheaded outside the city of Rome during the persecution of Christians in Rome by Emperor Nero. in 64 A.D.
4. The Leadership of Peter- Peter who was imprisoned by King Herod, but was led out of the prison on the night before his trial by an angel even though he was bound by chains in between two prison guards, as the chains fell off by themselves, the angel left him outside the gates of the city. All the believers were praying for him at this time. After being supernaturally released from prison, Peter returned back to the synagogue fearlessly to preach about Jesus along with John and was not afraid of the council. They were no longer frightened men but ready to take on the Romans and Jews.
Also, wherever Peter and Paul passed by in the temple, people lined the streets hoping that their shadow would fall on them and they would be healed. Paul had to reprimand the people that it was by the power of Jesus that they were being healed and not because of any credit on their part.
Peter was crucified upside down in A.D. 60 as he felt he was not worthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus. Because Jesus had come to put the world right and save them, hence he was crucified right side up. But Peter requested for an inversion on the cross in keeping with the sins of humanity.
To Peter was given by Jesus, the keys to the netherworld and the authority to absolve sins in the name of Jesus.
5. The Martyrdom of the other Apostles- All the other apostles played a crucial and major role, braving the worst to be a witness to the Risen Lord so that the Kingdom of God prevailed on earth.
a. St. James - He was killed by a sword when Herod led a violet attack on those who belonged to the Church in the year 44 A.D.
b. St. Jude Thaddeus - He was crucified in Edessa in A.D.72.
c. St. Andrew - He was crucified on an X cross in A.D.60.
d. St. Bartholomew along with St. Jude Thaddeus brought Christianity to the Armenian church.
St. Bartholomew is believed to have been beaten unconscious with rods, scourged and beheaded by King Astyages in Armedia. He faced ruthless persecution because of his tireless work for the Gospel.
e. St. Thomas -He was stabbed to death by spears in India where he converted many people to Christ.
f. St. James of Alphaeus - He was beaten, stoned and clubbed to death.
g. St. Philip - He was scourged, imprisoned and crucified in A.D. 54.
h. St. Matthew- He was slain by a spear in Ethiopia in A.D.60
I. Simon the Zealot - He was crucified in A.D.74 and preached the gospel in Africa, Britain and Mauritania.
j. St. Mathias who was chosen to replace Judas the Iscariot who betrayed Jesus, preached the gospel in Judea and Colchis where he was crucified.
6. St. John - The only apostle who was not martyred and the one who stood rock fast by the Cross of Jesus and witnessed his death and burial. He spent years on Patmos Island where revelations of the coming age was given unto him to be recorded down in History. He died of old age on this same island.
Today are we cut to the heart when we relive the crucifixion of Jesus? We should be because his death applies to each and everyone of us. He died for us. One day we shall return back to him. In acknowledging his death and resurrection as the one living God and believing in the baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins, then only can we all be saved on that final day.
Maria Franco
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR
This article has been read 26 times < Previous | Next >
Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.