June 22, 2008

Acts 5:17-42

The apostles were put into prison by the high priest for teaching in the name of Jesus. God released them from prison and they continued preaching in the temple. When the High Council heard that the apostles were no longer in prison, they had the apostles brought before them. The apostles were again warned not to teach in the name of Jesus, but they refused. The high priests were furious and wanted to kill the apostles, but a Pharisee named Gamaliel warned them to be cautious. If the apostles' teachings were truly from God, nothing they could do would stop it from spreading and they might find themselves fighting against God. Because of this warning, the apostles were flogged and released. They went right back to teaching about Christ, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer because of the name of Jesus.

Nothing short of death was going to stop the apostles from spreading the gospel message. Even after enduring prison, threats, and physical abuse, they went right back to proclaiming Jesus in the temple. What would it take to get you to stop talking about Jesus? How you answer that question reveals a lot about where you are in your walk with Him.

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