email : Webview : Duane Brooks - Every Day with Jesus

October 3, 2019

Acts 5:38-39
Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
New International Version (NIV)

                Have you ever fought with God? How did it go? To the dismay of the Sanhedrin, the early church leaders, Peter and John, would not stop talking about Jesus. The religious leaders imprisoned these apostles, threatened them and eventually beat them. But Peter and the apostles still refused to obey them saying, “We must obey God rather than men.”

                At first the Counsel planned to kill the apostles, but Gamaliel, a Pharisee who was also the teacher of Saul of Tarsus, had a different idea. Let’s examine his logic: if these apostles are not from God, the movement will die out on its own. But if this is really from God and you kill them, you will find yourself fighting God. Gamaliel’s wisdom carried the day.

                Have you ever gone twelve rounds with the Almighty? True, fighting God is an option but not a good one. For one thing, we can’t win. In our family of four boys, my brothers and I often ended up in a good old-fashioned donnybrook. One day as an older brother and I squared off, he reasoned with me: “Why do you want two whippings?” I acknowledged that I did not. He explained, “Think about it. If we fight, I am going to whip you. Then dad is going to whip both of us for fighting.” It made sense to me.

                Instead of fighting God and his plan today, let’s try obeying him. Like Joshua who saw the mighty warrior in Joshua 5, we are learning that it is better to join God’s team than to try to resist his powerful plan for the world. God plans to redeem all people and reconcile them to himself. Are we for him or against him today?

Pray with me:

Father, forgive our rebellious attitude. Show us what you want to do today and we will join you in that work. We hereby abdicate the throne of our own lives. You are King. We will obey you. Show us what you want us to do today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan. Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download
the app at readscripture.org. Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully,
Duane

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