Rejoice for disgrace

"His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah." Acts 5:40-42

The apostles were performing miracles and speaking truth.The people heard, saw, and believed. The Sadducees were enraged by this, and sent them to prison. These men of Jesus were held behind bars, their bodies beaten, mocked in every way, all because the high priests and his friends were jealous of what they had. Yet when the apostles were released, they became filled with joy because they were persecuted for the proclaiming the name of Jesus. Despite what they had just endured, they never stopped sharing the Good News. They knew what would happen if they continued to share the Love of Jesus, but they never stopped.

Can I say I would do the same? Would I willingly have my freedom stripped of me, my flesh torn, my dignity taken, be disgraced, all for the sake of a name? Would I joyfully do it again and again and again? Would I go to every corner of every city, door to door, person to person, proclaiming the love of Jesus, knowing what kind of suffering awaited me?

I pray that I would. I would never ask to be put in a position like that, but I pray that if it ever came down to it, that my faith in the Holy Spirit within me would keep me strong, joyful, and willing. Even though I am blessed enough to live in a nation where I would not be imprisoned for my beliefs, I still pray for that fiery passion that can not and will not be put out.

We are called to have this urgency that the apostles had every day no matter the nation we are in, free or broken. We should be willing to endure hardship all the time, not only when we are in a "forbidden" place. Our passion should be stirred up just knowing there are places like this that must hear about the Savior. It should be stirred knowing that there is something so Great in our lives that some countries try to force it out of their nation. Those are the countries that would explode in the Spirit, and Satan knows it. Hence, illegal Christianity.

So let us go forth with urgency. Let us go forth with knowledge. Let us go forth, being led by the Sprit. Let us go forth, willing to be considered disgraced for a Name.

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire" 1 Thessalonians 5:19