Let’s open our Bibles to the book of Acts, chapter 4, and begin reading at verse 2:
“Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in hold (jail) unto the next day: For it was now eventide.”
I don’t know about you, but this sounds very similar to what we have been hearing on the news recently. If you didn’t know, for the first time in our nation’s history a Christian was jailed for standing by her faith.
Now let’s skip on down to verse 7:
“And when they had set them in the midst (Peter and John) they asked, ‘By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?’ (healed the blind man)”
It seems to me Kim Davis of Kentucky had that very same question asked of her: “By what authority have you done this?” to which she replied, “By God’s authority.”
Now in verse 8: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, ‘Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth; whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.’”
We Christians need to remember that God is still on the throne. There will be a judgment day, and the only way the sinner (which we were, too) can hear the truth is for us to stand up and stand firm in our faith. Be vocal, church!
Verse 12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Now if you are who you say you are, and you are truly born again, you know this to be a fact, as the Holy Spirit will confirm it.
There are some so-called Christians who blend in so well with the world that one would never know it by their actions and words. You cannot tell the difference.
This ought not be so. Remember 1 John 2:15: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
The world spoken of here by John pertains to the ordered system in which Satan is the head.
Now let’s move on and see how this applies to our lives today. Verse 17 tells us what these religious leaders said, “But that it spread no further among the people, let us straightly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name (Jesus).”
Friends, this is happening today in the good ol’ U.S.A.
And they called them and commanded them “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.”
Now we hear the whole of the matter. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it be right in the sight of
