The Joshua Victor Theory

Ephesians 3:18–19 By faith, “may [you] have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge .” Amen. Every Sunday, in almost any Lutheran Church Missouri Synod church (I can’t speak for others), prayers are offered for “the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.”   Those include prayers for the spread of the Gospel, and those who do it—pastors, teachers, missionaries, etc. Prayers for those suffering from famine, war, violence, or natural disasters, as our brothers and sisters in Puna on the Big Island, or the North Shore of Kauai. Prayers for the sick and the suffering, in our congregation or others—including friends, family, neighbors, and others. Prayers to bless those who do good and restrain those who do evil. And almost always prayers for our governmental leaders—our president, governor, legislators, public safety workers, judges...

In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. Amen. What was life like for the apostles in the early days after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven? After the miracle of speaking in tongues at Pentecost, the apostles continued to boldly witness to Jesus Christ. In Acts 3, Peter and John meet a crippled beggar at the gate of the Temple—and having no money to offer him, they instead heal him in the name of Jesus Christ, to the amazement of all who were present. It opened a door for many to hear, listen to God’s Word, and believe. Today’s passage tells us the number of believers quickly grew to about 5,000 men, plus women and children. But along with the phenomenal number of followers turning to Jesus Christ, and awakening of faith by the Holy Spirit, there was also intense opposition. And the most forceful opposition came from the religious leaders themselves. The captain of the Temple, the commander of the Temple pol...