Nougat 9

What is the worst instruction you’ve ever been given? How did you respond to this? Did you already know that it was impossible to comply? As we consider Today’s Holy Nougat, let’s reflect on what our response would be.

Acts 4:17-18 CEVDCI

[17] But to keep this thing from spreading, we will warn them never again to speak to anyone about the name of Jesus.”

[18] So they called the two apostles back in and told them they must never, for any reason, teach anything about the name of Jesus.

Gag Order

As they spoke boldly for Christ, I wonder whether Peter and John had anticipated this outcome. They might have expected persecution, since Y’shua had prophesied about such in Matthew 5 during the Sermon on the Mount. In fact, He said that one becomes blessed when persecuted, reviled, and lied against for the sake of the Gospel. Ironically, Jesus faced all those and more for our sake, which is why He is the Good News of salvation, to the Jews and to the Gentiles.

Self-Check

So we see Matthew 5 as fine print to be ignored or as an active and real element of our faith?

Digging Deeper

The decision of the religious leaders to ignore the obvious opportunity for repentance is clear. They remained steadfast in their opposition to the Gospel of Christ. This included the effort to prevent Peter and John, Y’shua’s most outspoken, fervent disciples, from declaring the truth of the Gospel.

It feels like the Temptation of Y’shua all over again when the devil offered Him everything in sight, provided that Y’shua would worship Him. Just imagine, after experiencing the films of God’s Spirit at work in their lives, Peter and John were being offered the chance to avoid penalties or further arrest provided that they never spoke the name of Y’shua ever again!

That’s a serious life decision. It was perhaps the most difficult they ever had to make. The worst part for them was that it came from respected and revered faith leaders, not the Roman government. Siblings, sometimes the most weighty and difficult challenges come at us from persons we revere and respect spiritually. When those moments arise – and they will come in one form or another – we will have to determine how deeply our faith in Christ matters.

For Peter and John, it was a gag order. They literally were being silenced. It may not always be a gag order in that way. We may be enticed to compromise our faith, to look the other way, or ‘wink’ at evil as if it were good. It could be at the cost of promotion, financial support, or even a relationship that matters to us greatly.

The gag order might not come from someone we know, revere or respect. It could come from government or community leaders, ordinary folks like you and me, family members or even strangers. The devil is no respecter of who is used to put forth plans for our demise. Temptation can come in many forms. We must be prepared for it and guard against its potential to influence our commitment to Christ. That comes from being grounded in Him.

Prayer Point

May our God, so fill us, that when the enemy comes at us like a flood to gag our testimony, we can proclaim the glory of God despite the threat.

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May all we seek be found in Christ