<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Acts 5;40-42<div><br></div><div><b>40. &nbsp;So they </b>(the council) <b>took his </b>(Gamali-el)&nbsp;<b>advice, 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.</b></div><div><b>41. &nbsp;Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.</b></div><div><b>42. &nbsp;And every day in the temple <u>and at home</u>&nbsp;they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>For most Believers, the sufferings of Christ (which we <u>are</u>&nbsp;to share in) are&nbsp;personal and mostly&nbsp;private. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>It happens when family and friends withdraw from us&nbsp;because we continue to bring the name of Jesus to them. &nbsp;We suffer when we deny ourselves our own&nbsp;selfish desires, in favor of serving others. &nbsp;We suffer as we discipline ourselves to establish godly habits of daily&nbsp;prayer, praise, and scripture study. &nbsp;(However, such habits become our delight over time.) &nbsp;We suffer the loss of material possessions and the approval of the world, as we seek first the kingdom. &nbsp;(However, those who are established in good stewardship of wealth and time, often&nbsp;find themselves enriched.)</div><div><br></div><div>But, for some, the suffering done for the sake of the name of Jesus becomes public. &nbsp;As was the case of the disciples being dishonored by being beaten.</div><div><br></div><div>Whether our sufferings are private or public, there is a divine joy and sublime peace for us as we endure them. &nbsp;No one takes&nbsp;pleasure in pain, but sacrificially loving&nbsp;the Lord and our neighbor, is the discovery of&nbsp;freedom from&nbsp;death itself.&nbsp; Those who are in Christ flow with his own&nbsp;endless love.</div><div><br></div><div>In Christ, we partake of the divine nature. &nbsp;The divine nature is love, sacrificial love.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is the emptying of the old&nbsp;self and the reception of the true&nbsp;abundant life. &nbsp;It is living for the proclamation of the Truth of the Word&nbsp;and the&nbsp;power of the Name. &nbsp;It is victory over fear, death, sin, and the devil himself. &nbsp;Participation in the divine nature is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and given the Life of purpose, living for the praise of the glory of God. It is loving our neighbor&nbsp;no matter the cost.</div><div><br></div><div>How much did the disciples obey the council? &nbsp;Answer: Not a all! &nbsp;They were obedient to the supreme&nbsp;authority of God. &nbsp;The devil, this world, and their own flesh held no power over them. &nbsp;They were fearless, and filled with the joy of the Lord.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant that we be totally yielded to your will, your praise, and your glory. &nbsp;Teach us how to live that new life in the context of the lives you have placed us in<span>. &nbsp;Grant us wisdom to see the glory in humility and patient faithful suffering. &nbsp;Bless us each day to embrace your will above our own. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span>In Jesus we pray, Amen.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Love,</span></div><div><span>Dad/Baba/Eric</span></div><div><span>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</span></div><div><span>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”</span></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Acts 5;40-42
40.  So they (the council) took his (Gamali-el) advice, 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.41.  Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.42.  And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
For most Believers, the sufferings of Christ (which we are to share in) are personal and mostly private.  
It happens when family and friends withdraw from us because we continue to bring the name of Jesus to them.  We suffer when we deny ourselves our own selfish desires, in favor of serving others.  We suffer as we discipline ourselves to establish godly habits of daily prayer, praise, and scripture study.  (However, such habits become our delight over time.)  We suffer the loss of material possessions and the approval of the world, as we seek first the kingdom.  (However, those who are established in good stewardship of wealth and time, often find themselves enriched.)
But, for some, the suffering done for the sake of the name of Jesus becomes public.  As was the case of the disciples being dishonored by being beaten.
Whether our sufferings are private or public, there is a divine joy and sublime peace for us as we endure them.  No one takes pleasure in pain, but sacrificially loving the Lord and our neighbor, is the discovery of freedom from death itself.  Those who are in Christ flow with his own endless love.
In Christ, we partake of the divine nature.  The divine nature is love, sacrificial love.  It is the emptying of the old self and the reception of the true abundant life.  It is living for the proclamation of the Truth of the Word and the power of the Name.  It is victory over fear, death, sin, and the devil himself.  Participation in the divine nature is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and given the Life of purpose, living for the praise of the glory of God. It is loving our neighbor no matter the cost.
How much did the disciples obey the council?  Answer: Not a all!  They were obedient to the supreme authority of God.  The devil, this world, and their own flesh held no power over them.  They were fearless, and filled with the joy of the Lord.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant that we be totally yielded to your will, your praise, and your glory.  Teach us how to live that new life in the context of the lives you have placed us in.  Grant us wisdom to see the glory in humility and patient faithful suffering.  Bless us each day to embrace your will above our own.   In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”

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