Obedience in the face of opposition?
The story of the Church continues in Acts 5:12 with miracles and deliverances. Then the religious establishment got jealous and had them arrested and put in the public jail. An angel of the Lord appeared that night and opened the prison for them to leave.
The Angel’s message to them (from heaven), “Go, stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life(I like this phrase, new life)”. Acts 5:20
Did Heaven not understand the trouble this would cause for them?
But at ‘daybreak’ they entered the temple courts, as they had been told and began to teach the people.
They went back straight away to telling the people about Jesus and proclaiming the Kingdom. Sure enough they were arrested again and taken back to the Sanhedrin where angry men chastised them.
Their answer is noteworthy, “We MUST OBEY God rather than men”!
The teacher Gamaliel, told the council to leave them alone, or they would find themselves fighting against God. They had the apostles beaten and released. They left, REJOICING THAT THEY HAD BEEN COUNTED WORTHY TO SUFFER DISGRACE FOR THE NAME. Heaven had asked them to go back again and tell the people about Jesus, in the face of religious opposition. The message of new life, was so important that they were willing to face public beating rather than stop proclaiming it.
An Indian prophet and believer, Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj, has said on YouTube that in September 2020 there is to be a meeting of religious leaders with the current pope in the Netherlands. They will sign an agreement that all religions are basically one and all equally acceptable. The formation of a de facto one world religion may be on our doorstep.
Believers today may soon have to choose whether to obey God ( who loves us dearly) or men. We may also experience humiliation for the sake of the Name of our Lord. The reward is life eternal life with Him?
May God bless and strengthen us to hold fast to Him in the days ahead and even to suffer shame for Him.
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