Acts 5-6; Psalms 121 - Prayer Tents

Acts 5

Ananias and Sapphira

5But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property.G1161G5100G435G3686G367G4862G4551G846G1135G4453G29332He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife's consent, he kept the rest.G2532G3557G575G5092G846G1135G2532G4894G2532G5342G5100G3313G5087G3844G652G42283Then Peter said, "Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.G1161G4074G2036G367G1302G4567G4137G4675G2588G4571G5574G40G4151G2532G3557G575G5092G55644The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us but to God!"G3306G3780G4671G3306G2532G4097G5225G1722G4674G1849G5101G3754G5087G5124G4229G1722G4675G2588G5574G3756G5574G444G235G23165As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.G1161G367G191G5128G3056G4098G1634G2532G3173G5401G1096G1909G3956G191G50236Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.G1161G3501G450G4958G846G4958G2532G1627G22907About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.G1161G1096G5613G1292G5140G5610G1292G2532G846G1135G3361G1492G1096G15258Peter asked her, "Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?" "Yes," she replied, "that was the price."G1161G4074G611G846G2036G3427G1487G591G5564G5118G1161G2036G3483G51189And Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too."G1161G4074G2036G4314G846G5101G3754G5213G4856G3985G4151G2962G2400G4228G2290G4675G435G1909G2374G2532G1627G4571G162710Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.G1161G4098G3916G3844G846G4228G2532G1634G1161G3495G1525G2147G846G3498G2532G1627G2290G4314G846G43511Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.G2532G3173G5401G1096G1909G3650G1577G2532G1909G3956G191G5023

The Apostles Heal Many

12The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon's Colonnade.G1161G1223G5495G652G1096G4183G4592G2532G5059G1096G1096G1722G2992G2532G2258G537G3661G1722G4672G474513But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them.G1161G3062G5111G3762G2853G846G235G2992G3170G84614Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women.G1161G4100G4369G3123G4369G2962G4128G5037G435G2532G113515As a result of the apostles' work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter's shadow might fall across some of them as he went by.G5620G1627G772G2596G4113G2532G5087G1909G2825G2532G2895G2443G2579G4639G4074G2064G1982G5100G84616Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.G1161G4905G2532G4128G4172G4038G1519G2419G5342G772G2532G3791G5259G169G4151G3748G2323G537

The Apostles Meet Opposition

17The high priest and his officials, who were Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.G1161G749G450G2532G3956G4862G846G3588G5607G139G4523G4130G220518They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.G2532G1911G846G5495G1909G652G2532G5087G846G1722G1219G508419But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them,G1161G32G2962G1223G3571G455G5438G2374G5037G1806G846G1806G203620"Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!"G4198G2476G2532G2980G1722G2411G2992G3956G4487G5026G222221So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial.G1161G191G1525G1519G2411G5259G3722G2532G1321G1161G749G3854G2532G4862G846G4779G4892G4779G2532G3956G1087G5207G2474G2532G649G1519G1201G71G846G7122But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported,G1161G5257G3854G2147G846G3756G1722G5438G390G1161G51823"The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!"G3004G3754G1201G3303G2147G2808G1722G3956G803G2532G5441G2476G1854G4253G2374G1161G455G2147G3762G208024When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering where it would all end.G1161G5613G5037G2409G2532G4755G2411G2532G749G191G5128G3056G1280G4012G846G5101G302G5124G109625Then someone arrived with startling news: "The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple, teaching the people!"G3854G5100G1161G518G846G3004G3754G2400G435G3739G5087G1722G5438G1526G2476G1722G2411G2532G1321G299226The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested the apostles, but without violence, for they were afraid the people would stone them.G5119G565G4755G4862G5257G71G846G3756G3326G970G1063G5399G2992G3363G303427Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them.G1161G71G846G2476G1722G4892G2532G749G1905G84628"Didn't we tell you never again to teach in this man's name?" he demanded. "Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!"G3004G3853G3756G3852G3853G5213G1321G3361G1321G1909G5129G3686G2532G2400G4137G2419G5216G1322G2532G1014G1863G5127G444G129G1909G224829But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than any human authority.G1161G4074G2532G652G611G2036G1163G3980G2316G3123G2228G44430The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by hanging him on a cross.G2316G2257G3962G1453G2424G3739G5210G1315G2910G1909G358631Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.G5126G2316G5312G846G1188G747G2532G4990G1325G3341G2474G2532G859G26632We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him."G2532G2249G2070G846G3144G5130G4487G2532G1161G40G4151G3739G2316G1325G3980G84633When they heard this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them.G1161G191G1282G2532G1011G337G84634But one member, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert in religious law and respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be sent outside the council chamber for a while.G1161G450G5100G1722G4892G5330G3686G1059G3547G5093G3956G2992G2753G4160G652G1854G5100G102435Then he said to his colleagues, "Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to these men!G5037G2036G4314G846G435G2475G4337G1438G5101G3195G4238G1909G5125G44436Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About 400 others joined him, but he was killed, and all his followers went their various ways. The whole movement came to nothing.G1063G4253G5130G2250G450G2333G3004G1438G1511G5100G3739G706G435G5616G5071G4347G3739G337G2532G3956G3745G3982G846G1262G2532G1096G1519G376237After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got people to follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.G3326G5126G450G2455G1057G1722G2250G582G2532G868G2425G2992G3694G846G2548G622G2532G3956G3745G3982G846G128738"So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.G2532G3569G3004G5213G868G575G5130G444G2532G1439G846G1439G3754G1437G3778G1012G2228G5124G2041G5600G1537G444G264739But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!"G1161G1487G2076G1537G2316G3756G1410G2647G846G3379G2147G2532G231440The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.G1161G846G3982G2532G4341G652G1194G3853G2980G3361G2980G1909G3686G2424G2532G630G846G63041The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.G3767G4198G3303G575G4383G4892G5463G3754G2661G818G5228G846G368642And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: "Jesus is the Messiah."G5037G2250G3956G1722G2411G2532G2596G3624G3973G3756G1321G2532G2097G2424G5547

Acts 6

Seven Men Chosen to Serve

6But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.G1161G1722G5025G2250G4129G3101G4129G1096G1112G1675G4314G1445G3754G846G5503G3865G1722G2522G1248 2So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, "We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.G1161G1427G4341G4128G3101G2036G2076G3756G701G2248G2641G3056G2316G1247G5132 3And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.G3767G80G1980G1537G5216G2033G435G3140G4134G40G4151G2532G4678G3739G2525G1909G5026G5532 4Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word."G1161G2249G4342G4335G2532G1248G3056 5Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).G2532G3056G700G1799G3956G4128G2532G1586G4736G435G4134G4102G2532G40G4151G2532G5376G2532G4402G2532G3527G2532G5096G2532G3937G2532G3532G4339G491 6These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.G3739G2476G1799G652G2532G4336G2007G5495G2007G846 7So God's message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.G2532G3056G2316G837G2532G706G3101G4129G1722G2419G4970G5037G4183G3793G2409G5219G4102

Stephen Is Arrested

8Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.G1161G4736G4134G4102G2532G1411G4160G3173G5059G2532G4592G1722G2992 9But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia.G1161G450G5100G1537G4864G3588G3004G3032G2532G2956G2532G221G2532G575G2791G2532G773G4802G4736 10None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.G2532G2480G3756G2480G436G4678G2532G4151G3739G2980 11So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, "We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God."G5119G5260G435G3004G3754G191G846G2980G989G4487G1519G3475G2532G2316 12This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.G5037G4787G2992G2532G4245G2532G1122G2532G2186G4884G846G2532G71G1519G4892 13The lying witnesses said, "This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses.G5037G2476G5571G3144G3004G5127G444G3973G3756G2980G989G4487G2596G3778G40G5117G2532G3551 14We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us."G1063G191G846G3004G3754G5126G2424G3480G2647G3778G5117G2532G236G1485G3739G3475G3860G2254 15At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel's.G2532G537G2516G1722G4892G816G1519G846G1492G846G4383G5616G4383G32

Psalms 121

121[A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.] I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there?H7892H4609H5375H5869H2022H370H935H58282My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!H5828H3068H6213H8064H7763He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.H5414H7272H4132H8104H51234Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.H8104H3478H5123H34625The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.H3068H8104H3068H6738H3225H30276The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.H8121H5221H3119H3394H39157The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.H3068H8104H7451H8104H53158The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.H3068H8104H3318H935H5704H5769