Why Do The Heathen Rage? Acts 4 & Psalm 2

We as a church must continue praying earnestly for a revival, an awakening, and a revival of holiness in our own homes, our own church, our churches, our holiness movement, the worldwide church, our nation, and our world.  God sure is now moving the chess pieces into place very quickly to do some quick work in this world for His Kingdom.  Praise the Lord!  Historically when there was great renewal in the church it often came when there was great upheaval among the nations.  This is key in Psalm 2.

Only God's trees will stand in the harvest storm.

Psa 2:1  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa 2:3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Psa 2:4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psa 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

In Acts 4 when under threat, the Christians referred back to this passage in prayer.  Then they prayed for boldness to proclaim this babe Jesus which was born and caused the heathen to rage wanting to cast aside the bands and cords of moral restraint caused by the Gospel of Jesus and preached by His anointed ones.  The early church prayed for not only boldness to speak the truth, but also for signs and wonders and miracles to be wrought. 

In a way we are entering into the book of Acts again.  Great persecution is sweeping across the world.  May God give us such a revival that we as His church BOLDLY proclaim truth.  And may God do signs and wonders so as to shut the mouth of those rulers and people who are raging against God's Christ, His anointed, and the wondrous change that preaching Christ creates.  We are still in Psalm 2.  Except we are no longer in the holy child Jesus part of Psalm 2:7 at which the Pharisees raged against.  We have been seeing little by little over the last 2,000 years the foundation for Psalm 2:8 laid out by the spread of the Gospel.  And now I believe that we are much closer to seeing the 2:9 part.  Jesus was a holy child, but now He is that holy KING who will rule with a ROD of IRON and will break all kings and nations who come up against Him.  May God give us the SAME boldness as the church in Acts for we are living in days of Biblical importance.  He has that same triumph for the church today!  Praise the Lord!  Many have said that they would have loved to have lived to see Jesus or prophets like Elijah.  Well, we are living in days like the days of Elijah, and the more opportunity presents itself, the more the world will see the grace and boldness of God upon the church, the body of Jesus, His holy anointed!  Praise the Lord!!!

Act 4:24  And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
Act 4:25  Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27  For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28  For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Act 4:29  And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
Act 4:30  By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Act 4:32  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
Act 4:33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Grace and peace,
Phillip, from our Prayer and Praise letter, September 1, 2015