but if it is from God...

Have you ever read Acts chapter 5? The Apostles have already been thrown in jail a couple times. God has worked miraculously to free them, and without regard to an order from the religious leaders, they are back in the Temple teaching about Jesus. They are arrested and brought before the national religious leaders. When they are threatened, they tell the religious leaders:

“We must obey God rather than people. The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Acts 5:29-32 NET

What audacity! What confidence! There in front of the national religious leaders the Apostles don't back down from teaching in the Temple. They, instead, clearly communicate the message they have been teaching the people, but that's not what I find most interesting about this story.

Next, one of the most influential teachers takes the floor. He has the Apostles sent out and tells his fellow religious leaders:

"So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God."

Acts 5:38-39 NET

Do you and I believe we serve the greatest being in the universe? Do we believe that we are messengers of the One True God? Do we truly believe that we serve the One who has conquered even death on our behalf?

Around the world at this very moment our brothers and sisters are finding out the greatness of our God as they are standing for him at gunpoint. They have been losing their lives, but what they have cannot be taken from them. Even now, they are together in the presence of our Savior. Today, let's pray for them that God, in his mercy, would release them to return to their families, but let's pray that our God in his power would give them confidence that as their lives are take one by one, they will answer with boldness that they must obey God rather than men and boldly proclaim the truth of Jesus to their captors. Let's pray that we would be emboldened by their sacrifice that we would follow them to the ends of the earth to tell His story.