Worthy of His Name

Yesterday I wrote a blog post about some cool guys (AKA Peter and John) and what they in the book of Acts. Today I was reading again in Acts and it got even better! You know, I'm really beginning to like this book. :)

Peter and some other apostles were again preaching the good news of Jesus. They were arrested and put into jail, but in the middle of the night, through the Lord's incredible power, they walked out of the jail completely unharmed and without being noticed. The next day the Pharisees and high priests came to check on them in the jail, and noticed they were gone yet all the doors were still locked and the guards were on duty.

Let's pause a second. OKAY, I just think that's awesome. I can't help but smile at the incredible power of our King!

Back to the story, so Peter and the apostles were out preaching ONCE again. Look at that dedication! I love these guys!

Some officers went and arrested the men once again. This time the apostles stood before them and the high priest of the Sanhedrin said: "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 [Jesus] blood.” 

In response to this Peter says:
"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.”

To conclude the story, the high priest REALLY wanted to put them all to death out of anger and frustration. But one of the Pharisees said no and... "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.”

Afterward, they flogged the apostles, told them not to speak about Jesus and then let them go.

And what I love most about this story is what they did next:

"The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴² Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. "

Okay, let's think about this. Here you have some ordinary men, preaching the gospel day after day, risking their life, facing death or severe punishments, and even after being put in jail and being beaten, they GO OUT REJOICING! And they CONTINUE to preach the Gospel!

After reading that I sat there and asked myself, "Could I do that? Could I go out rejoicing and despite the potential consequences, continue sharing the Gospel?"

Quite honestly, in our day to day lives, we really aren't risking all that much in regards to sharing the Gospel. In fact, what we think we're risking is honestly selfish. Popularity. Reputation. Amount of friends. It's all about us when it comes to whether or not we're willing to live boldly for Christ.

But look at these men, they counted themselves as worthy for suffering for Christ! I think very few would say that today.

So you say Christ is your King, you say you love Him with all your heart, but could you give everything up in this world for Him? Everything? And could you do it with rejoicing?
Could you count everything as loss in order to serve Jesus, the One who you say you've 'dedicated' your life to?

No doubt, it's a struggle. No doubt, we can't do it on our own. But if we are filled up with God and His word constantly--more and more--then our lives and actions will reflect that.

Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." 

P.S. The verses from the story in Acts came from chapter 5.

Oh, how He loves!

I read Psalm 107 today. It's beautiful! God is so mighty and wonderful.

Read it. Really read each word and soak in the incredible King we serve. :)

Psalm 107

 ¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
   his love endures forever.

 ² Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—
   those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
³ those he gathered from the lands,
   from east and west, from north and south.

 ⁴ Some wandered in desert wastelands,
   finding no way to a city where they could settle.
⁵ They were hungry and thirsty,
   and their lives ebbed away.
⁶ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he delivered them from their distress.
⁷ He led them by a straight way
   to a city where they could settle.
⁸ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
⁹ for he satisfies the thirsty
   and fills the hungry with good things.

 ¹⁰ Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
   prisoners suffering in iron chains,
¹¹ because they rebelled against God’s commands
   and despised the plans of the Most High.
¹² So he subjected them to bitter labor;
   they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
¹³ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he saved them from their distress.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
   and broke away their chains.
¹⁵ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
¹⁶ for he breaks down gates of bronze
   and cuts through bars of iron.

 ¹⁷ Some became fools through their rebellious ways
   and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
¹⁸ They loathed all food
   and drew near the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he saved them from their distress.
²⁰ He sent out his word and healed them;
   he rescued them from the grave.
²¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
²² Let them sacrifice thank offerings
   and tell of his works with songs of joy.

 ²³ Some went out on the sea in ships;
   they were merchants on the mighty waters.
²⁴ They saw the works of the LORD,
   his wonderful deeds in the deep.
²⁵ For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
   that lifted high the waves.
²⁶ They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
   in their peril their courage melted away.
²⁷ They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
   they were at their wits’ end.
²⁸ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
   and he brought them out of their distress.
²⁹ He stilled the storm to a whisper;
   the waves of the sea were hushed.
³⁰ They were glad when it grew calm,
   and he guided them to their desired haven.
³¹ Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
³² Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
   and praise him in the council of the elders.

 ³³ He turned rivers into a desert,
   flowing springs into thirsty ground,
³⁴ and fruitful land into a salt waste,
   because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
³⁵ He turned the desert into pools of water
   and the parched ground into flowing springs;
³⁶ there he brought the hungry to live,
   and they founded a city where they could settle.
³⁷ They sowed fields and planted vineyards
   that yielded a fruitful harvest;
³⁸ he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
   and he did not let their herds diminish.

 ³⁹ Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
   by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
⁴⁰ he who pours contempt on nobles
   made them wander in a trackless waste.
⁴¹ But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
   and increased their families like flocks.
⁴² The upright see and rejoice,
   but all the wicked shut their mouths.
⁴³ Let the one who is wise heed these things
   and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.

All of us were once the wanderer, once in prison, once the fool, once the rebel, yet God loved us and saved us! My favorite is v. 9, which I put in bold. It was a reminder that I needed, that God does satisfy and satisfies with good things. Sometimes when I look at my life, I feel really hopeless. There are so many things I need to work on, so many things I mess up with, so many things I feel that I'll never be "good enough" at, especially spiritually. Feeling this way perplexes and stresses me because I have such an overwhelming desire or longings to grow in those certain areas and meet those "goals", so wanting those changes yet not knowing how puts me in distress.

Sometimes I think we (or at least I do) feel that we must be adequate, that we must be good enough in order to be successful - that it all depends on our abilities. But then I realize... by saying that it depends on me, that it depends on how "good" I am, then I am not depending on God, and I am not believing the fact that I NEED Him! Yeah, I am nothing. I'm pretty pathetic. I can't do much of anything. But with Christ? I can love. I can have joy. I am forgiven and can truly forgive others. I can do ALL things.

:) That makes me joyful.

Photo credit belongs to me. :) (Outer Banks '10)