Hosanna Restoration Church

It just may be that our world situation is more like that of the time of the Apostles than we realize. Then as now, God was a pretty hot topic. Some were holding fast to the God of the Old Testament, not wanting to acknowledge His New Testament son. Others were looking to every sort of false gods. The same is true today. People are searching. Some are worshipping satan straight out and others think they are beyond God. In between there are lots of lies and one truth, Jesus Christ. All that is not God the father of the Lord Jesus Christ is false. Does that sound a bit narrow-minded? Well I am guilty as charged. Jesus said He was the way the truth and the life and that is what I believe.

Because I believe that, I expect God to be the same yesterday, today and forever. What do you expect? This scripture tells us that they spoke boldly of the grace of God and God confirmed what they said. Are you bold in your faith in God? I don’t mean do you preach to everyone you see. I mean are you bold in how you live your life. Do you declare God’s healing power when you are ill? If someone says you do not look well are bold to say that it is only temporary because you have prayed and you know the grace of God to heal. When you need wisdom do you declare that God will help you to know what is right? No matter what it may look like, do you expect God to come to your rescue?

These guys went to the church first. Many believed, but many did not. This was not their concern. Their call was to get the word out there. As they did that, God revealed Himself. Are we giving God the opportunity to reveal Himself in our lives and in the lives of the people around us? In one place when Paul was preaching he looked out and saw a crippled man that was really paying attention. He could see that this man believed what he said and really wanted to see God confirm the message. So when Paul told him to get up, he did. He did not just sit and say I can’t. He said that he was hoping Paul would say that. Do we hope that people will remind us of the grace of God? When they do, do we jump into the truth or sit where we are.

Did this kind of faith make the Apostles foolish and weak? I think it made them wise and strong. Just before the crippled man was healed, they were chased out of one place because there was a plan to kill them. God did not tell them to stay so they got going and saved their hides. As a result, God had an opportunity to display His great power the next place when the man was healed. In this place there were some who wanted to worship them. They did not expect that, but they knew how to handle it. They told them more about the true and living God and how this was simply something God did to help them to turn from worshiping worthless things to the one true God. Are there any worthless things in our lives?

So what do you expect? Do expect healing, deliverance, protection, provision, and power? Do you expect God to show up in your life and in the lives of those around as a result of your faith? If you do, you can be sure that God will not disappoint you. The apostles never knew for sure what to expect, but they knew they could trust God to show up. So can we! Expect God.