THURSDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER
Today's first reading is from the Book of Acts. The apostles are once again in front of the Sanhedrin. The high priest is questioning them. You can almost hear the frustration in his voice, "We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching ..." Did you notice, the high priest refuses to say Jesus's name? Peter and the others aren't deterred one bit, "We must obey God rather than men. ... We are witnesses ..."
The apostles' faith in our Lord is not shaken by repeated bullying from the Sanhedrin. Should they have felt fear? You bet. The apostles were threatened, jailed, flogged, and some of them murdered (that will happen in the next chapter) because they were spreading the news about Jesus. The Holy Spirit dwelling within the apostles makes them courageous. The Holy Spirit calls them to action.
The Holy Spirit calls us to action, too. The Bible is not a sweet storybook that we pull down to read. It is not some far off inaccessible land. No, it is real. We, as followers of Christ, are called to action just as those disciples were. We have the same Holy Spirit dwelling within us as they did.
How will you be courageous in your faith today?
How will you spread the good news of Jesus Christ?
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