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Thursday, April 15, 2010

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Acts 5:27-33
Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-20
John 3:31-36

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easter persecution

"We gave you strict orders not to teach about that name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for that Man's blood." —Acts 5:28

The resurrection of Jesus is such good news that "surely we cannot help speaking of what we have heard and seen" (Acts 4:20). We must tell a world in the shadow of death (see Ps 23:4, RSV-CE) that death has lost its sting (1 Cor 15:55), Jesus has risen, and He is Lord. This good news will give hope to many.

However, for some who have covenanted with death (Is 28:15), the good news will irritate them. They will then try to silence us by persecuting us. Hopefully most of you reading this are being persecuted more than ever because of your witness for the risen Christ. We should be a threat to the deadly worldly system. It will try to manipulate and intimidate us, but we will not let the world put us in the tomb and roll back the stone. We will obey God rather than men! (Acts 5:29) Even if the world puts us to death, it will not stop us but will only prove the truth of the resurrection, for we will rise from the dead by the power of the risen Christ. Alleluia! He is risen!

Prayer:  Father, may I proclaim Your Son's resurrection especially by my dying and rising.

Promise:  "We testify to this. So too does the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those that obey Him." —Acts 5:32

Praise:  Robert received some harassment from co-workers for not suppressing his faith at work, but he perseveres in following the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Reference:  (To stand strong against persecution, read the Bible daily. For encouragement, order any or all of these audio or video tapes: Ignorance of Scriptures is Ignorance of Christ, AV 82-1, V-82, How to Pray the Bible on audio AV 82-3 or on video V-82, How to Read the Bible on audio AV 46-3 or on video V-46, Principles of Bible Interpretation, audio AV 79-1, video V-79.)

Rescript:  †Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, October 9, 2009

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