Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  2024  Day 39

February 8;       Acts 5:41;        94/260;       ‘Worthy to Suffer’

Acts 5:41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

The Lord Jesus has returned to heaven, after commissioning us, His Church to continue His ministry.  Verses 12-16 teach that the apostles did many signs and wonders.  Because of this, new multitudes became born again.  The anointing on Peter was so strong that all he had to do was walk near to those who were sick and the Holy Spirit anointing on him would heal them.  Needless to say, the High Priest and the other religious leaders became jealous and indignant, arresting the apostles and putting them in jail.  An angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and released the apostles without the guards knowing anything about this.  The apostles were told to go into the temple and teach the people.  In the morning the religious leaders called for the apostles to be brought to them.  Amazingly the officers sent to get the apostles reported back that the apostles were not in the prison and indeed they were in the temple teaching the people.  The captain of the guard went to the temple and brought the disciples to the High Priest.  The religious leaders threatened the apostles and wanted to kill them.  Gamaliel a very respected teacher of the Law told the other religious leaders if what the apostles were doing was not of God it would go nowhere, but if it was of God the religious leaders could not overthrow it and they would be fighting against God.  Again, they threatened the apostles and beat them.  The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus’ Name.  All of these same apostles, except John, were martyred.  No one would rejoice at being beaten or be willing to die for a ‘phony.’  We all will face some persecution for serving Jesus, we too can rejoice in the honor.