By Sandy Jones
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” – Acts 4:13-20
As I read this passage in my devotional one morning, I realized just how much I can relate to Peter and John. A few years shy of my college degree, and not having grown up in the church, I can certainly relate to the “unschooled” and “ordinary” being called into service.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not claiming to have some of the gifts that Peter and John were blessed with – let alone their level of faith. And I’m not being critical of those with degrees or those who grew up in the church. I am, however, devoted to the call of sharing the hope and promise found only in Jesus’ love and mercy.
In this day and age when things seem so tumultuous, with many claiming obvious wrongs to be right and doing their best to cast a shadow of doubt over things that are good and pure, it would be easy to shuffle my feet and keep quiet. For those who know me personally, please don’t choke on your laughter – I CAN be quiet.
After all, wouldn’t it be easier to be quiet than to face the ridicule and accusations of those who don’t understand what having a relationship with Jesus is about? What His sacrifice means even today?
It’s times when I’m tempted to do just that – to skulk away and just be quiet – that I’m reminded that Christ Himself was ridiculed, mocked, laughed at, and tortured until His very death on that cruel cross, and I find myself challenged with the thought, “Am I above Christ? Do I deserve better than He got?”
I find it truly AWEmazing how God shows up, to remind us that He’s still working today. Our family was recently blessed with twin granddaughters – and trust me, as this Grandma sat holding those precious tiny hands and counting 5 perfect toes on each of their little feet, the miracle of birth, and God’s creation, was not lost on me. Their health and the health of their beautiful mommy is, I believe, an answer to many prayers. We have been truly blessed.
In closing, if you’re looking for me, I’ll be right here, seeking new ways to share God’s Hope, His Love, and encouraging you all along the way!
And I would be remiss to not say Thank You to all of our advertisers! Without them we couldn’t do what we do. Could you please do me a favor? Please frequent them as often as possible, and thank them for their part in bringing Christian Living Magazine to you.
Until next time…
God Bless!
Correction – In our May/June 2021 edition we gave the wrong photographer credit for Nataliya’s story on page 24/25. Rachel Wolf Photography did take the photo on the cover of our May/June 2021 edition; however, the photo on page 24 was taken by Annie Bingham of PortraitsWithAnnie.com. We apologize for this error on our part.
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