Father, as I switch gears to write, I would ask for Your direction on preparing for services on Sunday when I take that task up once more. I realize You know what is needed. May I see it clearly. Amen.

Acts 5:17-32(<<click here to read the passage)

I have always been intrigued by “What if…” scenarios.

What if the South had been victorious in United States Civil War?

What if the Allies in WWII had lost the war?

What if John F. Kennedy had not been assassinated?

What if someone onboard American Airlines Flight 11 had been able to keep it from crashing into the North World Trade tower on 9/11?

What if Adam had refused Eve’s offer of fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil?

What if Abraham had not been able to raise the knife above his beloved son Isaac?

What if the Jewish High Court – the Sanhedrin – had yielded to the apostles’ teachings after the angel of the Lord had released them from prison and they were found boldly preaching in the temple courtyards once more?

I mean really! They had the apostles arrested and put in jail. When the Temple guards went to get them the next morning, this is the report they brought back to the Sanhedrin.

“The jail was securely locked, with the guards standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!” v23

Of course, we are told that an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out. Then he told them, “Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!” vs19-20

The men who composed the Sanhedrin weren’t stupid. They had to know that something beyond their comprehension was afoot. But instead, they rebuked them for disobeying their strict orders to never again…teach in this man’s name! v28

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.” vs29-32 NLT

What if they had opened their hearts to the touch of the Holy Spirit? What if they had yielded themselves heart, soul, mind, and strength to God instead of wrapping themselves even more tightly in their power-hungry, self-righteous arrogance? What might the world have looked like?

What’s sad is the nation of Israel never, as a whole, embraced God and His promises for them. At times they followed Him as a body, but only to a certain degree. Most assuredly some individuals did but overall, they never fully committed themselves to Him. God’s plan was to reach the world through His chosen people. But that didn’t happen until He sent His one and only Son to do it. And then they rejected Him…

Are we all that different than them? What if we really strove to be more than just lukewarm followers? What if we yielded ourselves heart, soul, mind, and strength to God and His leading? What would the world look like?

Feb 10th, 2022, Thurs, 1:11 pm