Acts 4:18-20 “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Ezekiel 3:18-19 “When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.”
Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
People have complained about me. They want to know why most of my posts in FB are about the Lord God. To those who would complain about me I offer the above verses. Also, I would like to mention that there is many other things to complain about me than this. Many more things that are worthy of complaining about me.
One point, most of my FB posts about the Lord begin with an email that I send our almost daily (usually).
The background of Acts 4:18-20 is that the religious leaders surrounding the Apostles Peter and John had threatened Peter and John because they were daily proclaiming the Word of God. In short their message can be known by Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” That name is Jesus. With this sure knowledge (given by God Himself (Matthew 16:17)) what was Peter and John to do? They knew the above scripture from Ezekiel. They knew that the Prophet Ezekiel was warned by God that he should not speak out the Word of God so that people might be saved. It was what He was called to do. They also knew, and recognized within themselves, that what the Prophet Jeremiah confessed was exactly what was within them. He, and they, had the Word of God within them and it burned within them to be released to the world. They could not contain the eternal and most powerful Truth of the Gospel that lived within them.
Surely Jesus had told all the disciples, to share the Gospel (The Good News) with the world (Matthew 28:18-20). They had the commandment form Jesus and also from the Old Testament writings that they were raised on (though really, they are the same message). Therefore by commandment they should share the Word of God with as many that would listen. Yet, though the commandments and Old Testament writings were reasons to share the Word, they were not what enabled them. What enabled them was that they had a firm knowledge of God’s love. The knowledge came from the Old Testament, their time spent with Jesus, and from the Holy Spirit. As a result of experiencing the love of God, and having seen the physical incarnation of it (Jesus), they in return loved God with all that they were. It was not the law that compelled them, but the love of God within them that compelled them. First of all they loved God with all that they were and because of that, and as a fruit of that, they loved the people of the world as God does (John 3:16). Since they loved the people of the world, they burned to set them free to walk with God rather than to be chained to the world. Sharing the gospel to the world was their act of love to it.
Penn Jilette, an American magician, and also a self-professed atheist, showed incredible insight as to why a Christian must share his faith (video: https://youtu.be/6md638smQd8). Mr. Jilette stated that he does not respect the one who does not proselytize. He asked “how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?” What he said was true. Understanding the Gospel message, that only through Jesus Christ does one have eternal life in heaven, it is an evil, and even hateful thing to not share the Word of God. It is selfishness to the point of letting one go to eternal destruction in order to serve one’s own insecurities and false beliefs about what Jesus has called us to. To share the Word to all who will listen (or read) is an act of love. That is why Peter, John and Jeremiah wrote that they must let out from within themselves the truth, beauty and wonder of God. They do because love dictates that they must. That is why I share. I must. Truthfully, I share because I cannot not share. It is the love of God that must be released. Finite cannot hold infinite. I must share.
Friends I hope you understand that I share because I must and that it all comes from a love whose fount is the heart of God. Family, I hope you are sharing. It is all about love.
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.