He saved you He saved me What about others?

Fiery tests

Peoplehave the strangest reactions to something they are unfamiliar to. One of themost difficult things for me was adapting to new cultural differences when Iset off to go to varsity. I arrived in a new country. New people. New tongues.New everything and it seemed there was nothing I had in common with the peopleI had such an association with.

Iate sweet bread. I ate chicken that is sugary, I still eat the food, but I havegotten a little accustomed to it. The first time, I never would have imagineddigesting sugary kind of chicken. I like my chicken a little salty. And today,a year and a half later, it's turned out to be one of my favorites.

Having received Christ at 17 years old has saved me from a whole lot of trouble. It's been difficult. It was sacrificial and it made me seem a little weird for trying to live godly. I have failed so many times. I still fail miserably, if not for the grace of God, I'd have long given up. Walking out of that little congested room never made me an ounce holier. If only it did! I came out as black as I had entered the place, with my shaggy hair. 

Noone could have believed some kind of transformation occurred. You cannot seethat someone is born again with your physical senses, oh no! There is no way todiagnose someone's spirituality by looking at them. Otherwise, those that wearsuits would be the only spiritual. I would later learn that I'd need to startreading the Bible and having personal prayer times if I was to have any kind ofrenewal.

Ac 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

(KJV)

Changedoesn't happen by osmosis. One does not really become spiritual by osmosis.Much as I have been brought up by many different spiritual people, I needed tolearn to grow and have a desire to grow by myself. Not despising or neglectingthe importance of spiritual friends, oh no! I never could have learned to walkwithout them. I depend on my spiritual mentors now more than I ever have.However, one must still grow steadily and with the goal to attain some kind ofspirituality.

Peterand John had caught some kind of anointing that was upon the master, Jesus.They were ignorant the bible describes. And apparently, unlearned. How couldsuch men have possessed a power that was able to restore sight? And how couldthey have been able to minister to thousands at one meeting with a power sogreat that 3000 gave their lives to Christ? (See Acts 2:41)

Thegroup of friends that are around can help build you or can be the inhibitorsthat limit your growth. When you give your life to Christ, you'd have to losefriends. The message of salvation is one of losing. You lose friends in orderto serve God and to stay fixated on Jesus Christ. For as long as I was inschool, I was a spiritual zealot. My friends included the light skinned guythat led me to Christ. How could I fall? I was protected and well stimulated,set to reach great heights!

Peter and John had the same kind of environment. They had been travelling with Jesus for three and half years. They watched Jesus heal the sick, they watched Him raise the dead. They had all the reasons to stay afloat. They had all the reasons to stay zealously affected for ministry. At some point Jesus left, and they remained zealous!