Prayer Group That Met in Solomon's Colonnade

Acts5:12,13 "And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people."

Notice the word 'dared' in that description of the early church prayer group? I was wondering what did the people find in this prayer group that made them scared to join them even though they thought highly of the group?

I speculate that the prayer group that met in Solomon's Colonnade was at a different plateau in their praying. I belive that this prayer group did not pray for board exams and fine weather rather they must have interceded for men and wrestled with the devil (like Epaphras did). They must have praised God for being counted worthy to suffer. This must have baffled the onlookers. Their prayers must have been with power unlike the usual prayer meetings that we attend. They must have put their whole lives behind their prayers. They must have got exhausted after their prayers. Their prayers must have been without the flowery words and eloquence that we like, rather it must have been with groanings and unintelligible utterances (like that of Hanah's). Their prayers must have created havoc in hell. They must NOT have prayed for finances. They must NOT have prayed for church buildings. They must have prayed for men. They must have prayed for courage. They must have prayed for the resurrection power. Oh how foolish our prayer meetings look in the light of this one?

I believe that the prayers made by this group was out of the world. They must have learnt it from the Lord himself as some of them witnessed the Lord's Gethsemane prayer. Mere men must have been so afraid to join them. The very sight must have given them a complex.

Or it could be that 'their righteousness reflected the world's corruptness' as somebody put it. I belive that these God-consumed men were so out-of-the-world. So otherworldly that the worldly men wouldn't dare join them.

Can that be said of our prayer groups? Can that be said of my prayer group? No!

A Man Consumed by God

If you were thinking that there is no ‘human sacrifice’ done in the 21st century, you are wrong. There is human sacrifice done these days. Yes, Christianity advocates human sacrifice. Paul in his letter (Rom12:1) to the Roman Church writes thus “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices…”.

There’s not much written about the events in Stephen’s life. But there’s one event that finds its place in the book of Acts. Its his death. Paul for his exhortation in Romans12:1 must have been inspired primarily by Christ’s sacrificial death and I strongly believe that this inspiration must have been seconded by the haunting memories of a death he witnessed some days before he was met by God on the road to Damascus. Yes, Stephen’s death must have inspired Paul when he wrote his letter to the Roman Church. This young man Stephen, knowing that he may not come out alive from that preaching assignment, placed himself on the altar as the sacrifice. God answers by fire. The same God who consumed the drenched sacrifice on Elijah’s altar on Mount Carmel, answered by fire this time too. That’s why I belive Stephen’s face shone like an angel’s. This is New Testament theology demonstrated. In the olden days God consumed the animal sacrifice as a proof of his existence (IKings18:36,37). Today he consumes human lives and shows the world the proof of his existence. Stephen was a man consumed by God.

The sacrifice on the altar is helpless and dead. It cannot move from the altar. When it is brought to the altar it is killed. When Paul said “offer your bodies as living sacrifices..” he must have meant this, that we ought to be come to the altar helpless and dead. He goes on in the next verse (Rom12:2) to say “ be dead to the ways of the world”. He begins (Rom12:1) by saying “ by God’s mercies…”. You cannot do it on your own because you are helpless. You cannot thrive in the ways of the world because you are dead to it. This is the kind of ‘Living’ sacrifice every Christian ought to be. When God consumes a sacrifice, the world will know it (as they did on Mount Carmel). When God consumes a man, the world will know it as they did on that trial as Stephen stood to deliver his last sermon (Acts6:15).

Peter’s Healing Meeting

I’m making an attempt to get a peep into Peter’s sermon notes for the sermon he delivered when he healed a cripple at the Beautiful gate. Here’s how he started…
#1. Acts3: 12 - …as if by our own power or godliness…
#2. Acts3 :13
You handed him over…
You disowned him…
Vs 14 - You disowned the Holy and Righteous One …
You killed him
#3. Acts3 : 19 – Repent, then, and turn to God…

Today’s Healing meetings…
What a contrast from the one mentioned above. Our meetings are orchestrated to draw crowds. We call those who have been healed, to the stage and do a talk show. Usually the lines that the hosts say will go along this one “ God heard Pastor’s prayer and healed….”.
But Peter shouted “…as if by our own godliness…”.

We make a big spectacle of the healing, but Peter made a big spectacle of their sins (You handed him, …disowned him, …killed him).

We are interested in filling the pews for our next meeting and so we say “Do you want to be healed also… come to the meeting/watch this program…” But Peter was interested in filling heaven and that’s why he said “Repent, then, and turn to God…”.

Jesus pronounced woes on the cities that did not repent on account of the miracles done there (Matt 11). Let’s hear some MEN being as plain as Peter was. Let’s hear some ‘Woe unto you Korazin’ (Matt 11:21).

Repentance - The missing theme

In Matthew 11 Jesus pronounces 'woes' on the unrepentant cities. He had done miracles and had healed the sick in these cities. Now he was expecting repentance. Jesus' healing ministry had a purpose - It was repentance. Today one thing that seems to be missing in the healing ministries is this - the emphasis on repentance. Let's hear our healing ministers shout 'woes' on our cities because we don't repent.

The death of a man of God.

If you want to see the death of a man of God then read Acts chapter 7. What a contrast to today’s so called prophets.

Look at Stephen driving the crowds crazy. Hear Stephen expose their hypocrisy. I can imagine the high priest driving his index fingers into his ears to try and stop those convicting potent words of Stephen. Imagine the crowd gnash their teeth at Stephen’s cry. Imagine the bulging vein on Saul’s neck line. They couldn’t take it anymore. Stephen, full of the holy spirit, told it like it was. Can you smell their anger in the air? Can you hear the commotion? Can you hear the thud of the stones hitting flesh? Can you hear Stephen’s convicting words mingled with their vicious abuses and the rising dust? Can you hear the preacher’s words flavoured with pain? Can you hear Stephen’s “forgive them Lord” as they drag him out. Oh what a scene.

This is the funeral of a true prophet. There would be no politicians in the scene. There would be no celebrity homage. There would be no TV coverage. There would be no pomp and glory. No one to eulogise. It would be a different scene than the death of today’s star evangelist. It’s a different dimension altogether. Hell would breathe a sigh. Heaven would give a standing ovation. The King of Kings would rise to receive his knight.

Where are the Stephens today? Where are the preachers who would preach till they’re stoned? Where are the preachers who would tell the people what they need to hear and not what they want to hear? Where are the Stephens whose death would raise Pauls? Where are they?

No man is greater than his prayer life - Ravenhill

One cannot find much information on the life of Leonard Ravenhill. You can find details of any big preacher's life on the internet. But Ravenhill's is not possible. Its because he shunned popularity. He turned down offers to publish his life and ministry. Even Keith Green's Biography, who was Ravenhill's close associate and was greatly influenced by him, does not bear much about Ravenhill. Among the little we know about him there's one line said by a woman who was a member of his congregation.... " That man could pray". Can this be said of our preachers today? Can this be said of us? Ravenhill was the best deomonstration of his own Theology. "No man is greater than his prayer life."

God's Men - Dead Men.

When God came shopping for a front-man to introduce Jesus to the world he found his man in John. John’s attire was out of fashion. John’s diet was outrageous. John’s residence was out of town. If our youth group met John the Baptist today they’d say “get a life, man”. In other words he was 'DEAD'. Jesus calls him the greatest prophet to have ever walked on the planet. When God wanted to take Christianity to the gentiles he found a thoroughbred Jewish Pharisee named Paul. Paul’s pedigree and certificates had no bearing on the gentiles. But his name created havoc in hell. When God wanted to reach the Jews he called an impulsive, illiterate fisherman and names him the Rock (Peter). God’s men were always out-of-fashion (they didn't fit the bill), obnoxious (not pleasant to hear) and otherworldly (they were eternity men). In other words they were boring dead men. They were totally sold out to God. They had nothing to do with the world. God’s men had no possessions to hold on to. They had no reputation to guard. They had no ambition to fight for. They had no organization to establish. Their only goal was Christ. Perhaps Paul’s t-shirt bore this line “For me to live is Christ”.