Acts 5:28,29
To remain silent is to betray the very cause we were sent to publish and defend. We need to speak up. Now is no time for the church to hold her peace. We shout Jesus from the mountaintop. We do like what the prophet told Zion and Jerusalem, “. . . Lift your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid: say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:9). So many people do not rightly know Him, so we must vociferously proclaim Him with no reservation or apology.
We need to speak up, turn the volume up, and say like Peter and the other apostles – “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). That ought to be a “no brainer” for us. Telling these apostolic bishops to shut up about Jesus was only to incite them and stir their righteous indignation. How come everybody else can spread their poison, but when coming to Jesus, they want us to be voiceless, and managed, acquiescent and placid? They want us to be seen and not heard.
However, we got news for them! This is no shutting up, timid church, quickly intimidated and fearful. This is a vocal, loud, boisterous, Jesus-directed church! We will not be silenced! The more you threaten us, the fiercer and more determined we become to stand our ground and prosecute our case. The more they try to silence us is the more inspired we become to be like Bartimaeus, who vigorously refused to allow any distractor to hinder the blessing of his healing. Luke reports that they dared try to stop him but “he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Luke 18:39). Today, sometimes I can’t believe how easy it is for some to be diverted from their mission.
The world must know that there is a spiritual, rebellious side to us. We are no push over, weak, namby-pamby, fly-by-night, yellow-belly Christians. If the world has gone crazy, we must show them what real sanity looks like. One individual said, “when they go low, we go high” and that’s for real.
We are taking this up a notch! We fight on another plane – on our knees and with our voices. The Psalmist declares, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand” (Psalm 149:6).
The authorities disputed saying, “Did not we straitly command you that you should not teach in this name? And behold ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5:28). Believe it or not, that’s exactly our intent to fill this land with the glorious doctrine of the saving power of Jesus.
Let us not be afraid of being guilty to be so charged. We are unashamedly Christian – saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost filled, water baptized, having Jesus daily on our minds! Yes, we are fully born-again believers, blood-washed, blood-sanctified, blood-covered and protected! We are covenant-keepers with the most High God! Fully redeemed, we still seek to live right and holy and somebody must know that we are here in Jesus’ name. As avid followers of Jesus, I reiterate, we refuse to negotiate with the enemy. There can be no cease-fire! If the devil wants war, we give him war in Jesus’ name. There shall be no Cease-Fire – No Surrender ever!
Leroy V. Greenaway
Presiding Bishop – Northeast Region
