Thriving Despite Troubles ( 1)
THE best strategy for a believer to triumph over the opposition of wicked and evil men today is to depend on the power of the Holy Ghost. This was the case with the early church. The religious persecution the early believers faced was overcome by bold, Pentecostal power. This is a chapter of great contrasts; a chapter of great confrontation and great courage, great threats and great triumph, great persecution and great perseverance, great foes and great fearlessness, great battle and great boldness, great resistance and great revival, great conflict and great conversions, great secularism and great signs and wonders.
The chapter begins with the anger of intolerant religionists, but ends with prayer, power, consecration, love, fellowship, oneness and growth of the Church.
Both religious intolerance and political indignation came against the early Church. The plan of Satan, the Sadducees and Sanhedrin was to intimidate and silence the Apostles, so as to weaken and eventually destroy the Church. The preaching of His resurrection angered these religious leaders who had crucified Jesus. Their doctrine, dogma, tradition, position and authority were being challenged and threatened by the name of the risen, glorified Christ.
The power and authority of ignorant and uneducated fishermen were gaining more public recognition than the Jews’ dead orthodoxy. Their hypocrisy had suffered irrecoverable crash and they were not willing to repent. Since their religion did not have the weapon of prayer and appeal to God, they resorted to fighting with threats, force and intimidation. The Apostles stood on higher ground and overcame all opposition with prayer, power, preaching, perseverance, prevailing purpose, passion and purity of heart and life.
The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of the saving proclamation of the gospel. And that resurrection was the smiting stone on the Sadducees’ religion. The resurrection of Christ had publicly disproved their false and powerless doctrine. Rather than repent when they were confronted with the power of the risen Christ, they reacted with persecution and spearheaded the fatal national rejection of Christ. Their hatred of Christ’s name and the resurrection hindered the nation’s salvation and led multitudes to a doomed, damned eternity.
The story of the undeniable healing of the forty- year old man who was born lame rang through Jerusalem. The miracle and the message that followed brought thousands to salvation in Christ. These religious rulers did not share in the joy of salvation. Hatred and hypocrisy blinded their eyes from seeing the goodness and grace of God. They arrested and locked up the Apostles. The following day, they brought them before the council and questioned them to know by what name, power or authority the miracle was performed. A Scripture- based answer, a spirit- taught answer, a heaven- sent answer came forth from the inspired Apostle Peter, but they were too blind to see, too deaf to hear.
The hatred in their spirit hindered them from receiving the healing of their soul. Prophecy was fulfilled in them. They were