This Day in History: 0000-02-25

February 25 – Acts 5:29-32 & 41-42 

But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed Him by hanging Him on a cross. Then God put Him in the place of honor at His right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey Him.”
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “JESUS IS THE MESSIAH.” 

I fear too many of us have lost the passion and purpose of the early church. They were people who understood their mission. They were people who lived with intention. Their focus was tight around the things of eternity, and their power came through their unhindered surrender to the Holy Spirit. But thousands of years have made us complacent.  

The only thing that’s changed, though, is our resolve. 

The message is still the same. Jesus IS the Messiah! Salvation can come through no one else. Its importance has not diminished either. People living apart from God are still headed for an eternity of death and separation from God. And those of us who carry the Gospel to this broken and dying world can still count on suffering persecution for our faith. 

The church today is still called to live a life of obedience to God and not man. We are still His witnesses. We’re simply no longer rejoicing in the opportunity we’ve been given to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. Instead, we’re fleeing from it, ignoring it, diminishing it, and trying to accomplish the mission in our way and through our own strength. 

Hevenly Father, renew our passion! Strengthen our resolve. Implant our purpose deep within our hearts and focus our desires on the realities of Your Kingdom. May we be counted worthy to suffer disgrace for Your Name, and help us to rejoice in it. For You are our everything! May we live like it’s true, through the power of the name of Jesus! Amen