This is not a time to gloat. This is where we walk in wisdom and maturity. We lose with class, and we win with class. This could have been a time of mourning, weeping, and gnashing of teeth – but it’s not – because God has extended his mercy and his grace to our nation. If it had gone the other way, we honestly have to say that we deserved what we got as a nation. We’ve turned our back and looked the other way. We’ve tolerated things. We’ve allowed these small but loud pockets of people who yell the loudest and longest who seem to garner so much attention.
But, yet, at the end of the day, grassroots, regular, anonymous people got up and went to the polls and voted. God’s mercy came through. His people prayed and believed, and then stood up and let their voices be heard. In Gillespie County, eighty-one percent of the votes that were cast were conservative Republican votes, which says a lot about our community, that it’s not the common, good folk who are speaking up all the time.
Athletes who have real class are those who play the best but talk the least. They let their game show who they are instead of their mouth. The Book of Proverbs has much to say about our mouth – how the fool’s words will go away into obscurity, but the words of the wise are like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11).
This is a time for us to celebrate, and we should be happy, but it isn’t the time to spike the ball. We look at what just happened as only the “coin toss”, so let’s stay on our knees and stay vigilant. This is not the time to make up a bunch of new memes, but, rather, to be praying that God’s will would be done – that his kingdom would come, and his will would be done on earth – right here and right now as it is in Heaven.
We need to be vigilant and keep our hands to the plow. Sometimes our greatest defeats come after our greatest victories because that’s when we tend to relax and drop our guard. We need to pray and ask for grace that more pastors will get up and put on the “black robe” and say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done – no matter what other people think.
We don’t have a political problem – we have a spiritual problem – but we’ve been shown mercy by our God and King. Now we roll up our sleeves and get to work – run for school board, or at least attend a school board meeting – run for City Council, at least attend a City Council meeting to learn – but also to pray for those who are serving and making headway.
“If the present cultural setback really is a divine setup for a spiritual comeback, then dream with me about what might lie ahead if we start to live out the courage we’ve been designed for since ages past.” – Kirk Cameron – Born to Be Brave
We were born to be brave and courageous. This is something God has put in us. We read of so many in the Bible who stood when everybody else around them knelt – people like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, and the apostle Paul. They walked in civil disobedience – not to be rebellious, but to obey the higher authority of the Kingdom of God. That’s what God has called us to. If we’ve ever had an open window to stand up, be brave, and be bold, it’s coming.
This is our time. It’s not our time to kick back and rest in a hammock with a glass of tea. This is our time to be vigilant and to stand. It’s a time for us to speak up and let everyone in our sphere of influence know that we’re a follower of Jesus Christ, and we will never apologize again. It’s the time for us to get back in the public square and say what needs to be said – because we love. We speak the Truth because we love.
We have a time right now to say, “Holy Spirit, so fill me with Your presence that as I go out into my world, You loose Yourself through me, so that everywhere I go, You are leaking Your life in me and through me.” As Bill Loveless taught, our Source is in him and him alone. “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” – Proverbs 10:7
Acts 5:12-16 ESV
“Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”
The disciples were teaching and preaching Jesus Christ, and as they did, all the people were getting healed.
Acts 5:17-18 ESV
“But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy, they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.”
The Sanhedrin was the supreme council and tribunal of the Jewish people during this period, functioning as both a legislative and judicial body. It was composed of 71 members, including the high priest, who served as its president. The council included Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and elders, reflecting a broad representation of Jewish society at the time, and they cooperated with their Roman rulers.
Acts 5:19-21 ESV
“But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life. And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought”
This is the inheritance and nature of the son and daughter of God, that no matter what happens – how hard we get hit – we bounce back up because we know in whom we have believed and trusted, and who our King and Lord is. We are already told what to do again and again – and when they tell us we can’t, we say, “Oh, yes I can!”
Acts 5:22-29 ESV
“But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ‘We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.’ Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them, wondering what this would come to. And someone came and told them, ‘Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.’ Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ ”
This is the place we have come to, because when we’re out there in our sphere of influence, being who Jesus called us to be – salt and light – obeying the Great Commission – we have a decision we have to make: “Am I going to obey men, or am I going to obey God?” We don’t need to beat ourselves up for what we didn’t do in the past, we need to begin to wake up to what’s here now.
Acts 5:30-33 ESV
“ ‘The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.’ When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.”
Fury rose within them because they were so self-righteous, they didn’t think they could be wrong. They believed that what they were doing, they were doing for God.
Acts 5:34 ESV
“But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.”
Gamaliel was a highly respected member of the Sanhedrin and was an expert in Jewish law and served as a teacher to Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul. This connection highlights Gamaliel’s indirect influence on early Christianity through Paul’s teachings and missionary work.
Acts 5:35-39 ESV
“And he said to them, ‘Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!’ So they took his advice…”
Joshua 24:15 ESV
“Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
In our situation in the world right now, we have to ask this simple question: “Is this of God, or is this of me? Is this my will – or God’s will? Who will I follow?” We have to make a choice before the pressure is on. The more the pressure is on, this will not be smooth sailing for the next four years in America. The more momentum we gain, as God begins to move, the more the enemy will try to counterfeit and counter-move. This is spiritual warfare that’s coming, and we have to be ready for it.
Acts 5:40-42 ESV
“…and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.”
The more the pressure is on, this will not be smooth sailing for the next four years in America. The more momentum we gain, as God begins to move, the more the enemy will try to counterfeit and counter-move. This is spiritual warfare that’s coming, and we have to be ready for it. The disciples never stopped, quit, or gave up. They continued to do exactly what they knew God called them to do.
We need to prepare, not just for what’s coming, but where we’re going, because it’s not about sitting in a defensive posture now, it’s being on the offense – advancing the Kingdom of God – the King’s Domain – the reign and rule of Christ in order to bring the culture of Heaven to earth, as an answer to Jesus’ prayer: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”. We know one day that will ultimately happen, but in the meantime, we have the opportunity in our sphere of influence to bring the culture of Heaven right here where we live, where we work, and where we play!
Prayer
Father, give us a Spirit of vigilance. Help us, Lord, to be vigilant and aware of our surroundings, not just in a restaurant or movie theater, but also in our spirit, because these are spiritual matters – You are doing spiritual things. Give us wisdom to say that we must obey God rather than men, and align ourselves with Your mission and Your heart to go and disciple nations right where we live, work, and play.
Holy Spirit, pour out a Spirit of vigilance on us – the grace and ability to stay spiritually aware in this world we live in. Holy Spirit, what is it You want us to take away from this today? What can we live in and grow in? We receive Your Word today for ourselves. Stir up boldness and courage in our hearts in the face of opposition, adversity, or difficulty. Out of that boldness, we would freely speak and share Who You are in love. We trust You to guide and direct us. In Jesus’ name. Amen
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on The Bridge
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