Freed To Serve Him, Part 2of2, Evans Olang

Acts 5:17-20, “17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”

The disciples in early church as recorded in the book of Acts were powerful having been filled with the power of the Holy Ghost to be witnesses for Christ. After the departure of Christ, we see Peter assume the role of leadership over the disciples. We see him and the rest used mightily of God. The once upon a time coward Peter who denied Christ was bold enough under the unction of the Holy Spirit to preach Christ even to the point of being thrown in prison. Peter was no stranger to prison neither were some of the disciples as we read in the book of Acts.

In Acts 2, Peter preached the gospel and about three thousand people were converted, in Acts 3, Peter and John under the power of the Holy Ghost healed a man. They used the healing as a spring board to preach Christ which led to their arrest. We need to note that the devil is not happy when the work of God is in progress. He does not want God glorified; he would rather take the glory and not God. And as long as you are determined to bring glory to God where you are, be ready to be under attack. The enemy will always say, “throw down your weapon and I will leave you alone, stop serving and I will leave you alone”, he will threaten to take away your freedom, squeeze, frustrate, try to silence and get you overwhelmed. His aim is to stop God’s work whatever the cost.

While they threatened the disciples to take away their freedom, they prayed for boldness to continue to preach the word of God stopping at nothing. Continuing in power in the early church, the bible says, Acts 5:12-16,″12… through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. …. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed”. God’s work was on the move and this opened more to persecution.

Who tends to be a threat to the enemy? Those who are in the will of God, hungry to see Him glorified. Those who want to serve Him. Those who are not a threat are less under attack but those who have counted the cost and placed their lives on the line for the sake of Christ are opened to attack. And the attack I take a close notice of in the book of Acts is freedom taken away from God’s people so as to silence them from proclaiming what they had seen and heard. But God will not let the enemy prevail, Acts 5:17-20, “17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.” They imprisoned them, God sent His angel to free them for His service. You would wonder why the Lord would not prevent them from going to prison. I believe the Lord used those times to confirm to them that they were in His will, to strengthen their faith as He demonstrated His power, and to prove to those who wanted to silence His work His power.

Whenever you feel imprisoned for doing God’s work, the Lord will always provide a way of escape by opening the prison doors for your release to keep serving Him. Blessings Ev

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