“So they left the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy [dignified by indignity] to suffer shame for [the sake of] His name.” – Acts 5:41 AMP
Protest is defined as an expression or declaration of objection, disapproval, or dissent, often in opposition to something people are powerless to prevent or avoid. When God says in Revelation 3:16, “because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth,” He is telling people that they are not hot or cold. In other words, they don’t stand for anything. They try to put themselves in the middle. In essence, they are lukewarm. God says that it would be far better if they were either hot or cold. Either go to church or don’t go, but don’t just show up sometimes. They read their Bible sometimes. They pray sometimes. It is important for us to remember that the implementation of Biblical principles can only be properly done by God’s children.
Recently, a National Football League player decided that he would no longer stand during the National Anthem, as a sign of protest against police brutality. We can debate whether he was wrong, or right but success is determined by what happens after protests. Peter and the Apostles have the right answer to protesting, “Then Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men, we have no other choice.” (Acts 5:29 AMP). While the entire history of the United States is documented with stories of protests, the question that must be answered is whether the ‘pro’ test is a Godly test.
Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law of Moses and highly esteemed, in defense of Peter and the Apostles, stood up in the Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court, and reminded the Council about Theuda (Acts 5:34) Gamaliel explained that Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody of importance, and a group of about 400 men allied themselves with him. At some point, Theudas was killed in 46AD as a Jewish rebel of the 1st Century AD and all who followed him were scattered and the protest came to nothing. How will we know whether something is being commanded by God? “How can we tell the difference, whether it was God who spoke or not?” “Here’s how: If what the prophet spoke in God’s name doesn’t happen, then obviously, God wasn’t behind it; the prophet made it up. Forget about him (Deut. 18:22 TMB). Putting God first always assures victory.
What should Christians do when faced with a conflict between human authority, and God’s authority? Serve and Glorify God. Leave your ego at the door. Seeing loyalty to God’s kingdom can be a caveat to draw non-believers to Christ. If we stand for Him, they will come!
Submitted by Trustee Stanley Ridley