I recently received an email from someone in Uganda telling about a pastor who walks 20 miles to do his ministry. I don’t know if that’s one way or round trip, but either way, it humbles me to think about someone who is so serious about doing what God has called him to do that he is willing to walk so many miles.
In today’s Bible reading we are told about the apostles who were arrested because the high priest and his cohorts were jealous of the influence the apostles had over the people. The Lord was using them to heal all who came to them, and crowds were coming, not just from Jerusalem but from the surrounding towns. The apostles were put in jail. I can’t help but think that God has a sense of humor. He sent an angel who opened the doors of the jail and released the apostles. They were told to go stand in the temple courts and tell the people about Jesus. Then the angel locked the doors up again!!!
The next morning the high priest and his associates called together the full assembly of the elders of Israel and sent to have the apostles brought to them. The officers reported back to them; “We found the jail securely locked with the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” Acts 5:23. I would like to have seen their reaction to that!! While they were trying to figure this out someone came and told them the men they had put in jail were standing in the temple courts teaching the people.
The apostles were brought back before the Sanhedrin and after Gamaliel cautioned the Sanhedrin that if these men were of God they would find themselves fighting against God, they flogged the apostles and ordered them to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus. Of course they went right back to the temple courts and never stopped teaching.
We feel persecuted if someone makes a remark about Christians being fanatics, weirdoes, crazy, etc., etc. There are very few people in America who have really had to suffer because of the Gospel. Christians in India fear for their lives. In other countries real persecution is happening. Or people are required to go to extra ordinary lengths to preach the Gospel, such as the man who walks 20 miles.
How serious are we about spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Are we willing to inconvenience ourselves if called upon to do so? Something to ponder.
Tomorrows Bible Reading - Judges 2, Acts 6, Jeremiah 15, Mark 1
God is good all the time,
Naomi Brinkman
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