The Full Message

"At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people." Acts 5:21

The first interesting thing about this verse that should be told is that it was an angel who told them to teach in the temple courts. The angel had opened the doors of the jail they had been thrown into after they were arrested for healing people in Jesus name, and spreading the good news.

In verse 20, that angel told them basically what to say. He said, “tell the people the full message of this new life.” Why is talking about a changed life such a controversial subject? Well, when people change and are made new, it changes everything. Can’t have that! There has been and always will be a lot of money and power connected with the status quo. Think about the instructions from the angel, again. He said to tell the “full message”. Not the watered down version. Not the “half-order” of the truth, but the whole truth. The full message would be the complete one, with all the details given. The message that makes it clear that no matter what you have done, there is hope. The full message that says, we will be with God for eternity and that all sin is forgiven, and life has purpose and meaning. The full message of love, grace, mercy, peace, and joy. Not only that, but “new life” to go with it.

Still sounds good over two thousand years later, doesn’t it? When you share the “good news” of your faith, what do you say? Do you tell the full message of this new life? Maybe you need to be a little newer and fuller to share it? Maybe you need a little angelic encouragement, or maybe you need to follow through on what you have already been told to do or say? Maybe you need to figure out how to know where to go, or who to talk to? God will work all that out as soon as you are willing to leave the jail of your limitations

When daybreak comes next time, consider what God could do to share the “full message” of your new life, through you. As I go to my “temple courts”, wherever that may be at the time, I am always given opportunities to share. So will you. Let’s spread it around. Besides, nobody has been put in jail lately, around here, for sharing their new life.

In His service,
Pastor Fred

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