️ ► Stand Up!
…What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving… —Matthew 6:31 (MSG)
When Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying. 3Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them. The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer. 4All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak…
12All of these devout men were stunned and puzzled. They asked each other, “What can this mean?” 13 Others said jokingly, “They’re drunk on sweet wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the eleven apostles. In a loud voice he said to them, “Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand this, so pay attention to what I say. —Acts 2:1-4; 12-14 (GW)
Stand Up!
“My beloved friend,” Jesus said, “is this why you’ve come?” Then the armed men seized Jesus to arrest him. But one of the disciples pulled out a dagger and swung it at the servant of the high priest, slashing off his ear. Jesus said to him, “Put your dagger away. For all those who embrace violence will die by violence. Don’t you realize that I could ask my heavenly Father for angels to come at any time to deliver me? And instantly he would answer me by sending twelve armies of the angelic host to come and protect us. But that would thwart the prophetic plan of God. For it has been written that it would happen this way.” —Matthew 26:50-54 (TPT)
A Plan for Change
Stand up in
Continue to cry out to God.God said, “I’ve taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them…The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.” —Exodus 3:7-10 (MSG)
Stand up and
Shine the light on injustice leave no room for casual racism.Stand up with
Call on our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.31 “But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. 32 And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left.
34 “Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; 36 naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? 38 Or a stranger, and help you? Or naked, and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’
40 “And I, the King, will tell them, ‘When you did it to these my brothers, you were doing it to me!’ —Matthew 25:31-40 (TLB)
Stand up against
Confront fear and stand up for what’s right.
(MSG) The Message
(GW) The Voice
(TPT) The Passion Translation
(TLB) The Living Bible