Acts 5:33-39 – When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
“When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.” Peter and the rest of the Apostles had just said of the Sanhedrin that they were the ones who killed Jesus. They had put the blame on them that Jesus was killed by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans at the insistence of the Jewish leaders. Jesus was not some unknown that had been killed. People knew Him, they had heard and seen Him and they knew of the mock trial, the cruel beatings and the how He was murdered. Although the religious leaders vehemently denied their culpability, the people knew the true story. They knew that what the Apostles were teaching was true. The resurrection of Jesus was also widely known and the many miracles He had performed had been the talk of the city. The Sanhedrin were furious as they denied the charges laid against them. How dare the apostles accuse them of being killers! They were so mad that they wanted to murder the Apostles. Hmmm.
“But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.” These Jewish leaders were worked into a lather. Have you ever seen a liar called out as a liar? Oh the indignation and anger that gets worked up and the threats that can follow! The guilty don’t like to be called guilty, no matter their station in life. Gamaliel was a great scholar and teacher. In fact, he was known to have been the Apostle Paul’s teacher. This august man stood up to restore calm. He had the room cleared and the accused removed so that the leaders could talk amongst themselves.
“Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.” Can you hear Gamaliel “Okay guys, we’re alone now. It’s just us. Let’s calm down and consider what is the best road to choose.” The wisdom of Gamaliel is already being revealed.
“36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.” Gamaliel states that this rising up is nothing new to the Jews. They have before seen people rise up and claim to be a messiah and have a group of people follow them. Then, when the leaders were disposed of (killed) the group would become discouraged and go back to their previous lives. “Calm down folks, these fake messiahs, we’ve seen them before.”
“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Gamaliel continued to reason with them that since they had before seen men claim to be messiahs, they should be wise and consider the lesson that should be noted. He said, if this large, and growing group is not from God, well their leader Jesus is dead, so they will become discouraged and go back to their former lives. After all, why will they continue to risk their lives, why would people risk their lives, for a man who obviously was not who he claimed to be, seeing as the fake was now dead and gone? Gamaliel soothed them “this too shall pass.”
Gamaliel continued on, the wisdom of what He was saying was growing. He was telling them that if what the Apostles were saying is true, if Jesus was the Messiah, if this was indeed the will of God, who can stop it? He rightfully expressed the futility of resisting God. If Jesus was the Messiah, then they who claim to be priests of God will be fighting against the omnipotent and undefeatable God that they teach about. Gamaliel told them to leave this group alone and see what happens. The validity of their claims would either be dashed by the hopelessness of their beliefs, or their claims would be borne out and assured by the mighty hand of God. We know that reasoning to be true. We also know that the hard of heart refuse to see (Ephesians 4:18).
What Gamaliel said came to be true. What was of God grew. It has irresistibly swept the world. No power of hell and no power of man can stop it. The Gospel is God’s good news to us that there is a way from darkness to the Light. The way is Jesus. Family, let us rejoice that Jesus is the Messiah, to us and to the world, if they would receive Him. Let us pray for all men to come to Him and glorify Him, whoever they are, Jew or Gentile. Praise be to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ! Praise to the Truth! (John 14:6). Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
John 14:1 – Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
On Monday night, while driving my Mom to the Bible Study at my house, I was talking and joking with her. I asked her about a Spanish word that means “lazy.” Then she said I hope no one called you that. I said no, and then jokingly said to her (and she understood I was joking) “what should I do if they do? Should I punch them in the nose or actually stop being lazy?” I started to laugh and expected her also do so (as she normally would do). Instead of her usual comedic return she said to me “No, you don’t act badly to people who say mean things. You stay above that. You stay yourself. Let God deal with them.” She stopped me cold. Though she would normally joke with me (knowing that I don’t really want to hurt anyone) and say “yeah, sock them in the nose.” It is her usual humor (which has a not so veiled “don’t hurt my son” sentiment behind it). Her words were a reminder of our Lord’s words to do good to those who do us wrong. I thank God for my Mom!
So we don’t get lash out at people who hurt us and then try to claim that it was their fault and not ours. We are responsible for our own actions, all of them. I’ve learned many a hard lesson about that. It is also true that when hard times come, when the sucker punches of life give us a good one, we are responsible for how we will react. Will we react with our own thoughts and will, or we will react as Jesus called us to. Let us pray for ourselves and for each other that we will respond as Jesus called us to. To have confidence, to have faith in Him. That when hard times come we don’t deny that hard times have come, but we seek out the eternal peace and comfort that comes from knowing that nothing on this earth can change the fact that Jesus is our Savior and Lord and He will bring us home “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may be where I am.” (John 14:3)
Jesus is right. My Momma is right because she believes Jesus. I’m not perfect, you’re not perfect, heck, even my Momma is not perfect. But Jesus was and is. He has given Himself to us as an eternal gift that no-one can take from us. So, trouble may overwhelm me like a tidal wave, but my eyes are on eternity where I will always be with God. And that will keep me in peace now, and forever. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Acts 5:26-32 – 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 The apostles were brought in and made to 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 human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
“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 The apostles were brought in and made to 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.” At this time the captain and his officers were sent to bring in the Apostles. Remember, these officers were men following orders. While it is never the excuse of men to do evil because they were following orders, these men probably did not know what the intentions of the Sanhedrin. They were bringing the Apostles in just as they had been ordered to do and the men were to appear before the magistrates and be judged by them. These officers, whether they were brutes or not, were not going to anger the crowd and mistreat the Apostles. Their number one job was, at the end of their shift, to go home and be with their families. The Apostles were treated with “kid-gloves.”
Right off the top the High Priest told the Apostles that they had been given strict orders not to preach in “this name.” The name of Jesus was such an anathema to them that they would not even say His name. Their contempt for Jesus is further revealed in that they did not say “his name” but “this name.” They would not make any reference to the man Jesus Christ, but only to an inanimate name that they would not utter or even allow that the name was attached to a man.
The reason the guards were careful with the Apostles is seen in V28. The High Priest himself, along with the Sanhedrin, were well aware that the Gospel had already spread through Jerusalem, and the converts were adding up fast.
It is amazing what people will deny and how they will deny it. There is video of a person committing a crime and being shown the video. The person will admit the person in the video is them, that the person in the video completed all elements of the crime, but then will deny that they committed a crime! Everyone there knew these religious officials had been the cause of the death of Jesus. They were not only guilty but they had persuaded or coerced many of them to also do so. In fact their own words are recorded in Matthew 27:25 “All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” (These words, are to me, some of the most chilling in the Bible.) So it is most amazing that they could deny their culpability in the murder of Jesus.
“Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Peter’s reply to their repeated demand that they stop talking about Jesus and stop blaming them is the same as his reply in Acts 4:19-20. They would not shut up. They could not shut up. They were first hand witnesses to what had occurred and they could not bottle up the Truth within themselves. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit within them bore witness of the Truth to them. What the Jews were guilty of was manifest to all the Jews, the Romans, the Apostles and to God the Holy Spirit. They may say they were innocent, but their lies fell putrefying on the ground. The Apostles could not be shut up as Jesus lived within them and their love for Him was the greatest truth they knew. The authority of man demanded that they disobey God but they adamantly refused. They would obey God before men. They would share the Gospel as Jesus had told them to do (Matthew 28:18-20).
Family, today the world wants to shut us up. They tell us not to share the Gospel. It is not politically correct. It goes against the morals of the world. It is not all-inclusive. The Bible definitely calls all religions and philosophies that deny Jesus as Savior, Lord and God, a lie from the devil. Family they tell us we can’t talk about Jesus in the school. They tell preach separation of church and state. Whether that is actual or contrived, I don’t see it in the Bible. “But what of our jobs? How will we live?” In reply “What of our love of God? What of our faith in Him? What of what Jesus said ‘For whoever wants to save their lives will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:24) Family who will we obey, God or man? Is God able to provide and keep us if we still share the Gospel in spite of company policy or law? Family, how much will we bend before we realize that our stand for God has already bent so much that we slid right off the other side? Family let us be found to be loving God, having faith in Him and to be loving all people with the life-passion that though all people will not be saved they will, at least to the best of our abilities, have heard the Gospel and have the choice. May we praise God by first obeying Him! Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Exodus 3:14 “God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
Father God,
I fall so short,
It hurts so much,
But You heal that!
The love I have,
Is not enough,
But You improve that!
My resources to give,
Diminish by the day,
But You replenish!
The time You give me,
Should be used better,
But You redirect me!
The cry of the world,
Hurts my ears,
But You hear the cries!
Aware of my limitations,
I want to crawl away,
But You give me hope!
I guess what I want to say
Is thank You for being
The great I AM!
You, dear God,
Are my Everything,
Whatever I need You are!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Acts 5:21b-25 – 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 at a loss, wondering what this might lead to. 25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.”
After an angel of the Lord freed the Apostles, they were back at the break of day to again proclaim the Gospel. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and filled with love for their Savior and Lord Jesus. They had been watching God do amazing miracles and healings and touching people’s hearts and saving their souls. The Apostles were humbled and delighted to be used of God. They were not only willing to return to the steps where the Sanhedrin held power, but they looked forward to it. God was their Provider, Protector and Savior and every day they saw the evidence of it. How could they not remember back to when Jesus said “Come follow me and I will send you out to fish for people!” (Matthew 4:19) If they had wondered before what He had meant by that they certainly no longer did. Praise the Lord!
Another thing the Apostles didn’t do was procrastinate in getting out to share the Word. The sun was up and they were champing at the bit to get started. God had plans for them and they were excited to see what God, not themselves, would do. Family, if we want to be used of God in small and big ways, then we need to be like a racehorse at the gate, straining forward to get the race going. We need to not only desire to be used, but we need to be pushing on the door and spilling out into the world when it is opened. We need to be ready, willing and have enough faith in God to do what He wants us to do when He wants us to do it. Too often we use grace against the will of God for our lives. We are lazy, or selfish, or procrastinate and figure that if we do something wrong then “Oh well, God will forgive me.” God forbid, and yet I confess to this weakness also. God didn’t give us grace to use against His will, but to free us to do it, and thereby bring joy to our souls. Of course that has the prerequisite of loving Him more than self. From our couch we can watch the television and see the great things God is doing. Or we can hike a trail to an epic view and wonder at the beauty of God’s creation. We can thank God before and after the game of tennis. We can give time to these things, nothing inherently wrong with these, unless God really wants us doing something else. Are we giving time to what He really wants us to do? Family, being a Christian is being a participant, not an observer.
When the Sanhedrin got around to assembling they sent for the Apostles to be brought from jail to them. The report came back that the Apostles were not in their cells. The doors were securely locked just as when the Apostles were put inside them, but the cells were empty! The Sanhedrin “were at a loss.” They were completely discombobulated. None of them could explain what had happened or how it had happened. Also they did not know what it meant. They were so overwhelmingly at a loss that they didn’t know what was coming next or what they should do next. After all that was going on, all the miracles and proofs of God surrounding the Apostles, they didn’t stop to think that maybe, just maybe, God had something to do with this? How much in denial does one have to be in to not at least consider God has something to do with it? Of my goodness, what a sad state they were in. They were nonplussed! They were so hard hearted that they didn’t even consider what should have been their first thought “God has done another miracle on their behalf.”
Finally someone came and reported that the Apostles were teaching the people in the temple courts. Not court, courts. They had spread out and were telling everyone they could of the Messiah of Israel, that He is Jesus. My how the Sanhedrin’s jaws must have dropped! Family, we serve a jaw-dropping, awe inspiring God who will do the expected and the unexpected to express His love and grace to us. Praise God!
Let’s be lovers of Jesus who strain every morning to be released to run the course set for us while being fully expectant that God will use those who love Him and are obedient to Him. Family, God can use us with or against our will and understanding. Being used by God because we want to be is so much better than being used by Him without understanding or the joy of it. We are created to do His handiworks (Ephesians 2:10), let us be about doing them. They are not onerous (Matthew 11:28-30). “And whatever you do, whether in word of deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him!”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Acts 5:17-21a – Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” 21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
The attempt of the high priest and all his associates to silence the Apostles continued on. The Word clearly explains that a reason for their persecution of the Apostles was jealousy. It was jealousy of the “new buzz” that was drawing people to hear, and believe the Gospel message from the Apostles. This new buzz was at the orchestration of God. The miracles that followed the Apostles were amazing. People came in crowds and were pushing in to hear the message they preached and to maybe witness, or receive a miracle from God. Formerly the high priest and all his associates were whom the people came to hear from God and whom they went to for prayers. Now they went to the Apostles, of course they did. The high priest had it very good. They did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and the truth that the Apostles proclaimed that these religious rulers were behind the death of Jesus was true. Yes, they did it for jealousy, for pride, and for more.
We are often explained that the Sadducees were a sect of Judaism that did not believe in life after death. The Pharisees did believe in life after death. So, we are told to easily remember who the Sadducees were, because they believed there is no after-life, they are Sad-You-See. Also the Sadducees were very wealthy. They had much of the power and influence. So yes, they were jealous, but also in fear of their position and their money. They were not concerned about the Truth of God, as they proclaimed, but about keeping the power over the people and protecting their own money. There was no honor in their motives. They were ruthless politicians who will do anything to protect their money, even have Jesus killed.
These politicians had the Apostles arrested and put in jail. We know from other instances that the Apostles were likely unworried and singing songs as they waited for the Lord’s will to play out. Also, the rest of the followers of Christ were on their knees praying for the Apostles safety and release. During the night an Angel of the Lord appeared and opened the doors of the jail and led them out. He instructed the Apostles to “stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new life.” Man attempted to quiet the Gospel by locking up the Apostles, but God set them free. Man wanted to thwart the will of God, but God would not allow it. Opposing God, opposing His will, is always the wrong position to be in.
The Apostles were not afraid and at daybreak they entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to preach the Word. Only now, the high priest and his associates had unwittingly given them something else to give praise to God. They could share with the people, many whom knew of them having been jailed, how God had sent an angel to free them.
Family, we can take heart. God has a plan for our lives and we should live in and through it. As we do, the enemy will attack us. We may have to endure much. But God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9). Let’s remember that as God freed the Apostles, so He can free us. We may be in jail, but God has made a way to set us free. Let’s not be become discouraged or disillusioned by trials, big or small, but remember that always the great I AM is able to deliver us. He continuously delivered Israel and He has continuously delivered His church. As the preacher preached “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!” Jesus was killed and things looked bad on Friday, but on Sunday Jesus came back to life, just as He said He would. Jesus said that He would never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). So let’s not let our head droop as if we have no hope. Let’s keep our heads up and eyes looking up and may we be found to be expectantly watching for our delivery that God Himself will provide. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Psalm 37:4 – Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
First we honestly and passionately we seek God. He, and everything about Him, is the fulfilment of us and everything about us. Once we find Him we seek no other and He floods us with His love and the realization of His promises. His love and promises are everything we need. We grow to know more of Him and the distractions of what this world has to offer become more disdainful to us. If we have the necessities of life, it is enough, because we have the Author of Life. He loves us. He has prepared all things to show us His love. More and more we learn that our only need is Him and that He is aware of all that we truly need and provides it. When we know God we trust Him, when we trust Him worry becomes a fading part of our lives as we are certain that He knows our needs much more than we know our needs (Matthew 6:25-34). Only He is absolutely able to provide all our needs.
We seek God. We find God. He becomes the delight of our heart. Therefore in seeking and knowing God we have all that we want because He is the only One that we can fully trust to always love us and never let us down. For all I pray that you have found the one Truth that ultimately is the only Truth that matters. That Truth is Jesus, through whom God has expressed Himself, and therefore His love, to all of us. Family and Friends, perhaps I may someday have only Him. In that, I will have all. May all of you have all, may you have Him. Love and praises and honor to our God and Savior!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
When one simply took a couple minutes to rewind the videotape that would mean that the next person could just pop the tape in and start watching. It is not much, but it is just being considerate to the next person. If one gets in the habit of doing it, it is a little nicer for the next person. It’s true that the next person could rewind. But it was a nice habit of thinking of the next person. What if that was our habit in all our ways. It’s nice when someone goes through a door and then holds it open for the next person. Or four cars simultaneously come to a four way stop intersection and someone lets everyone else go first. Or you give a needy person a cold bottle of water on a hot day. Not big things, but considerate things. It is the putting of the needs of self behind the needs of others. Yes, many say “forget that.” Well, hopefully then will learn. For us who care, for the Called, let do the little acts of kindness, and the big ones as we can. It involves caring for others, whether you know them or not. It is helping someone who trips and falls get back up and giving them a smile and inquiring if they are okay. It is letting someone else have the last cold drink in the refrigerator. Being kind and tenderhearted means that you are in the habit of considering the needs of others and sincerely would like to help them so they will feel better. It is crying with the hurting. Being tenderhearted is forgiving one another. No one who has professed love will then be unforgiving. Jesus said to forgive or we would not be forgiven. Why? It is not because we disobeyed for not forgiving. It is because if we don’t forgive we don’t love. We don’t love God and we don’t love each other, the two highest commands. If we don’t have love then we don’t have God. So if we don’t forgive, we don’t love and we deceive ourselves by thinking we belong to Jesus. Only those who love, as God loves, belong to Jesus. After all God loved us then He sent Jesus so that we could be forgiven.
Be kind. Be tenderhearted. Help each other because you want to. Forgive each other. It starts with love and ends with love and it shows who we are, who we belong to. It shows we are children of God. Stop, think, go back if you need to correct something. Do that for yourself, do it for others, do it to be like the God you love. Be kind, please rewind. Thank God that He is within and enabling your heart to be soft and considerate. Thank God that He rewinded and erased the video tape of all the things you are ashamed of. Praise God! Always praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withEphesians 6:10-17 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Ephesians 6:12 – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Zechariah 4:6b – “…Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirt,” says the Lord Almighty.”
John 16:33 – I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Family, sometimes we need to defend ourselves. I remember a time when my eldest was about six years old. I was watching as he was playing with his good friend in the fenced front yard next door. A couple brothers were riding their bikes and stopped by to join my son and his friend. These two boys had recently moved onto the block. They had come from a rough neighborhood and their behavior too often showed it. They all had their bikes in the yard with them. They were all talking about something and my son took a step backward and accidently knocked over the younger brother’s bike onto the grass. My son apologized and started toward the bike to pick it. The older brother had instantly started instigating his brother to beat up my son for knocking the bike over. My son had started to lean over to pick up the bike but stopped when the younger brother, about my son’s age, took a step toward him. The younger brother began taking swings at my son. Each time the boy tried to hit my son he blocked the punch and pushed the boy away from him. The boy tried this several times and the result was always the same. My son did not try to strike the boy, but had just pushed him away. After several tries to hit my son, the boy seemed to stop. When my son thought the aggression was over, he turned to talk to the boy who lived next door. When my son was not looking the boy ran next to my son and swung a punch around him and hit him in the nose. I thought my son was now going to let this child “have it.” Instead he quickly put his hand over his hurt nose. The boy had stepped away. My son looked at him for a few moments and then just walked over to his bike and left to come home. All the other kids watched in silence as my son headed home holding his nose.
Once in our home he did not say anything to me. I sat him down and hugged him and told him that I had seen the boy hit him. I asked my son why he hadn’t hit the boy back. He responded that he didn’t want to hurt the boy. My son had been taught how to defend himself, how to block and how to throw punches. I said to him “I know you don’t want to hurt people. But sometimes we have to defend ourselves. I told him “It would not have been bad if you had defended yourself and hit that boy. After all, you gave him plenty of chances.” I then continued that “sometimes, if you don’t defend yourself, you are going to get hurt.” My son responded to me “I know Daddy, but I would rather get hurt than hurt someone else.” I was stopped. I told him that I love him and that he should remember to defend himself if he must. He said he would remember, told me he loved me, and went off to play. Wow! He taught me a lesson that I remember these thirty years later.
Family, with Jesus within, we want to, and should, think good of others. We want good and not bad for them. We pray for others and hurt when they hurt. Even if others hurt us, not physically, but emotionally. and even if they offend us but what they say or do, we forgive and pray for them. Our battle is not with them. It is with the evil that exists in our world. It surrounds us. It controls the actions of many people. They are caught up in it and controlled by it.
The devil is very real. His influence is pervasive and the bad we see around us does not come God, but from the devil. The devil has legions of demons that chose the evil of the devil rather than loving and serving God. The devil hates mankind because God loves mankind. The devil wants to steal away from us the eternal life of love and peace that God has offered to the world (John 3:16). He wants to kill with an eternal death that is an eternal separation from God. He wants to torture us and destroy us and to hurt God while doing it. He sneers at God while our hearts and souls cry out (John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8). Family, the devil uses people to hurt us. But ultimately our fight is not with them, it is against the devil and his demons. No our fight is not with evil men, but our fight is for them. We pray that they would turn from evil in their lives and give their lives over to Jesus that they might be saved. And family, we cannot battle evil in our own strength. No man who ever lived, except Jesus, has even been able to defeat evil. If anyone, besides Jesus, had ever been able to defeat evil in his own strength then there would have been no reason for Jesus to come to suffer and die on our behalf. If just one other man had been able to earn his way to heaven, then there was a way to heaven that Jesus did not need to supply. But no man ever did. No man ever could. That why Jesus came to rescue us and it is only by faith in Him that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 Timothy 2:5).
My son was right not to hit the boy after the boy had hit him. The boy had not continued to hit him, but had sucker punched him and then stopped. My son hitting that boy at that point would have been revenge, not defense. Forgive me, but I had then really wanted him to pay that boy back. I was wrong, my son was right. Though we certainly are allowed to defend ourselves we must do that as a last resort. We need to battle the enemy. If we need someone to hate, hate the devil and his hordes that destroys the lives of those who would hurt us. We advance against our enemy most rapidly not when we attack what we see, but what we don’t see. Our victory is complete only through our faith in Jesus. He has given us our battle apparel and we are dressed for battle, spiritual battle. We advance against our enemy not by making our hands into fists, but by folding them in prayer and being on our knees and lovingly praying for those who hurt us, and who maybe even hate us. We are called by Jesus to love those who hurt us (Matthew 5:44). We love Jesus and want to honor Him. Let’s start by believing Him rather ourselves. That is how we praise God. Obedience is better than sacrifice (it is better to obey than repent)(1 Samuel 15:22). So let us obey God by loving and praying for each other and by praying against the devil. He is our enemy. But let’s not worry, Jesus has already defeated the devil. We who love and serve Jesus will eternally be loved by Him and will eternally be with Him. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with