Author: missionspaul

But Gamaliel
Acts 5:34
“But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honoured by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.”

But Gamaliel.
This man was known as the greatest teacher within Judaism and highly respected. He was the teacher for the Apostle Paul in his younger days.
Even after his death (of which many thought that God’s presence lifted from the earth) further teachers would quote him for his views ranging from divorce to the practices of the Sabbath.
This man had risen within Pharisaism and become a major voice on the Sanhedrin. So much so that when he ordered for the apostles to be placed outside so that he could speak to the Sanhedrin they obeyed.
Gamaliel spent his entire life maybe even for this one moment. Perhaps God was promoting Gamaliel through his life so that at this moment it could be said … But Gamaliel.
What is certainly true is that all of your life experience, your knowledge, skills and character can be used by God for the ‘But’ moment.
Some situations call for someone to interject. To say the opposite or suggest a solution, to offer wisdom and think outside the box. Everyone may think the same and circumstance calls for you to be that different voice. Will you do it today?

Witness
Acts 5:33
“When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.”

Do you really want to be known as one of Jesus’ witnesses?
Today our brothers and sisters in the family of God are facing threats of death more than ever before simply because Satan wants to silence the gospel. An Al-Qaeda group working in West Africa are targeting ‘the slaves of the cross’. But right across the world in every continent no Christian witness is safe. The cross is not just offensive, that would be mildly put. The cross and the bearer of it have become an abomination to many.
When Jesus said “you will be my witnesses … To the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) He was speaking of the level of sacrifice needed as a witness. Total. Your very life.
We have to face it that our faith calls for death. Death not for anyone else but that of the cross-bearer.
So maybe on a much lesser scale today you will face some scorn for being a Christian. If so, then you will be part of an army of witnesses who are experiencing exactly the same thing and more.

Partnership
Acts 5:32

“We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

We and the Holy Spirit.
The partnership that Peter and then later Paul would continue to talk about throughout the New Testament.
Can you imagine if this was not the case?
Peter was announcing that they themselves saw the death of Jesus, they were there to see his resurrection, they were even there for his ascension. They saw it all and they wee verifying that Jesus was indeed Prince and Saviour of the world.
All that would have been well and good. But what would happen after Peter and his generation died. As with all other religions we would have to rely solely on their story as being accurately passed down.
But this is not the case. For the Holy Spirit has not passed away. He is alive today in our lives, in our generation, right across the globe. The same Holy Spirit who Peter says is a witness is today in our lives witnessing to us in every doubt, situation and circumstance that Jesus is our Prince and Saviour. In turn we with confidence continue to witness to the world. How do we know what we know? How can we speak so confidently that it would seem like we were witnesses of the events of Christianity? It is the partnership of the Holy Spirit who continually speaks to us and through us.
So today, thank Him. Ask Him to go on witnessing as your partner in the gospel. We are indeed not alone!

Prince and Saviour
Acts 5: 31
“God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”

Who is Jesus? Peter continues addressing the Sanhedrin.

He is the Prince.
They understood the title very well.
It was the title of the head of a tribe or the commander of an army or the leader of people. He is someone to follow. What he says is carried out. No questions asked.
He has authority.
He gives commanded work.
He leads forward.
The question is, is he your Prince?

He is the Saviour.
They understood this title as well.
What they had waited for has come. There is no other to come.
The Saviour would bring freedom from captivity, but much more powerfully than they were expecting.
He is Saviour because he saves and sets free.
He is the divine rescuer.
The question is, is he your Saviour?

God behind it all
Acts 5:30
“The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead-whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.”

Peter was saying this:
“The God of our fathers, the God who our ancestors worshipped. The previous generations who we value and who teach us continually, their God is our God. This same God has been so involved in the life of Jesus, that when he was dead He raised him to life. Your God and our God did this after you had ended his life. Your God stepped in and righted your wrong.”

Putting Jesus to death was the worst decision they had made. It was despicable that they would sentence the sinless Saviour to the cross.
What is the worst thing you have ever done?
If God can raise Jesus from the grave then He can right any wrong in your life also.
But of course there is one amazing thing about our Sovereign God!
The Sanhedrin thought and it looked like they were in control sentencing Jesus to death. The truth is that they were not in control. They were in the hands of God. Jesus came and laid his life down. He surrendered his spirit to the will of the Father for the salvation of the world. Jesus paid so that man does not need to pay for sin.
Even the work of the enemy sits in the Sovereign plan of God.
What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you?
You may not see this right away and there may be a considerable journey and not just 3 days, but there will come a resurrection of you and you will look back and see not the hand of the enemy but the finger of God.

Witness
Acts 5: 29
“Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!”

Speaking about Jesus to people is something that requires obedience. For our enemy will do all he can to silence our voice.
If we are silenced we are being disobedient.
If you are in that place of wondering whether you should step out, maybe even cross borders to tell people about Jesus and you wonder if God wants you to do it. Let me help you. He does.
When was the last time you told someone about Jesus?
Members of the Christian family across the world are obeying God in their testimony even though they live in nations where the law says it is illegal. They face this dilemma everyday. Should we obey the law or obey God. They choose obedience to God. One day in eternity they will ask us how we coped in obeying God not man. What will we say? We have no excuse. We live without such restrictions. So let’s join them and replicate Peter and the apostles and today be a witness to Jesus Christ.

Blood
Acts 5:28
“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.”

These are the very same people who sentenced Jesus to the cross. They accused him of blasphemy and condemned him in a mock trial. They were indeed guilty of his blood.
However isn’t it wonderful that these enemies of Jesus and the early church believed that Jerusalem was filled with their teaching on the blood of Jesus?!!
May our homes, towns and cities be filled in such a way.
May many know of the sacrificial death of Jesus for man’s salvation.
The enemy of our life does not want to hear of this.
Our enemy is afraid of the power of the blood of Jesus.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus Name.

Your life is built on the saving, cleansing, redeeming, justifying, reconciling, eternal, sanctifying, overcoming power of the blood of Jesus! Let’s fill our Jerusalem with that message today!

Facing the big man
Acts 5: 27

“Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.”

You are in a move of the Holy Spirit, things are taking place, real definite non-flaky stuff. Healings, salvations and very strange things that would clearly indicate that God was within the Church doing very powerful things.
Then you are brought before the rule book and the group that forcibly carry out the rule book, the Sanhedrin.
Seventy people plus the High Priest formed this group. This is a large formidable group to face its scrutiny.
They had the last word. You didn’t have it.
Within the group there were people called the Pharisees, they were incredibly popular with the people and this gave them further confidence bordering on the arrogance.
They met in what has been described as a great basilica near the temple.
Everything about this experience was nerve-wracking.
Rules are meant to control and bring into line.
There are times when the Holy Spirit breaks every rule of man.

You may be facing such threats today.
You may be facing the ruling bodies.
You may be going before a council who will determine your future.
Your life is in their hands.
You like these apostles are going to be questioned by the big man in charge, the high priest.
But hold on, you actually are serving the real High Priest, so do not fear, do not cower, Jesus is really the big man!

Ways
Acts 5: 26

“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.”

The enemy of your life does not only move with force and violence.
Be careful of the gentle alluring words.
Watch out for the empty promises of no harm shall befall you.
Be attentive to the friendliness and understanding of your situation.
Ways, steps, paths, roads are more important than we think.
Be careful who you have signed up to walk with.
Better to walk alone than with a manipulative friend.
Many have eyes solely on the destination that they miss the importance of the journey.

Look there they are.
Acts 5:25
Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.”

Look there they are!
Behold!
It doesn’t matter where you put them they still remain standing.
We silenced them but now they are teaching the people.
Their voice will never go to,sleep.