The Book of Acts is incredible. When you read about the men and women who had been with Jesus, they seem so ordinary. But when God's Spirit empowers them they are anything but ordinary. Here is the portion of scripture I am referring to:
(Acts 5:38) So I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail.
(Acts 5:39) But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight against God. The council members agreed with what he said,
(Acts 5:40) and they called the apostles back in. They had them beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.
(Acts 5:41) The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus.
(Acts 5:42) Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Did you get that? They were told not to preach Jesus and then they were beaten with a whip and then they were happy. They were happy that they were able to suffer for the name of Jesus. But, did they stop preaching? No, they were not disobedient to the heavenly call.
I have to say that I am not sure I would go that far. I would not want to deny Christ of course, but to get beaten that is asking a lot. I guess all that we can do is bear witness of Jesus in our lives, and follow Him no matter it leads.
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