Acts 5:21-32
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
21 At daybreak they entered
the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and
his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of
the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the
jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail
securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened
them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple
guard and the chief priests were
puzzled, wondering what would come of this.
25 Then someone came and
said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching
the people.” 26 At
that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not
use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
27 Having brought the
apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high
priest. 28 “We
gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have
filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of
this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other
apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!(I) 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead(K)—whom
you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted
him to his own right hand(M) as
Prince and Savior that
he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of
these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who
obey him.”
As I read this I
had to wonder if sometimes the laws of the land keep us from doing what God
wants us to do. These men had been
placed in prison for preaching the Gospel and God miraculously released them
from prison and they went back doing the very thing that they had been placed
in prison for. Our society today is not
different then when this book was written.
In today’s society, if a group of
Christians is told not to do something it seems the entire group of Christians throughout
the nation decides they shouldn’t even try it. For example, I remember a time when a principal advised
that we should not go have prayer at the flag pole because we should not
promote Christianity at school. He
wouldn’t go to the pole and didn’t think the teachers should either. He did not make it a direct order to abstain but
certainly let it be known that it was not supported on his part. Each year I would struggle with whether I
should go or not and it should not have been a struggle at all. I was always blessed when I
participated. As a principal I had a
teacher come to me one day and ask if I would like to go pray with them at the
flagpole. At first the advice of the
former principal rang in my ears but then a louder voice told me that if I couldn’t
go pray with my teachers at the flagpole maybe I shouldn’t be in the position
that I was in. Four or five of us went
to the flagpole that day and prayed. It
was a wonderful experience to stand at that flagpole and pray for the teachers,
administration, and the students of our school and the district. Although I did that privately, taking a stand
and letting others know of my convictions was far more important and far more
rewarding than any work that I would do that day. If I would have listened to the other principal
I would have been following man’s ways rather than God’s ways.
As this Christmas
season begins people are cautious of saying “Merry Christmas”. Some businesses tell their employees they can’t
use the word Christmas as it offends those who do not celebrate Christmas. Well, the men in Acts had no problem with
telling the truth and the truth offending others. They spoke what God wanted them to speak. They had changed lives and they wanted others
to know the important news. I would
encourage you to share your faith, when others say “Happy Holidays” respond
with a thank you and “Merry Christmas to you” or a thank you and let them know
that you will be celebrating Christ’s birth because He is the reason for your
changed life. If you have the
opportunity, use it to bring Glory to
God. These men used their opportunity as
free men, not to run away, but to go and do what God had called them to do.
Seek Him and know
Him, then go and share the Good News with others.
Seeking Him with
all my heart,
Sheila
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