Acts 5:17-42
The Apostles are Persecuted
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.
25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things,and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
John 7:1-9
Jesus' Time Had Not yet Fully Come
1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. 8 You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
Isaiah 42:14
God's Silence
14 For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.
Psalms 50:21
God's Silence
21 When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you.
Psalm 103:8
God is Patient
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
It took many years before Christianity became a world wide religion...There were only Twelve Disciples originally talking about Jesus after His resurrection...The Twelve Disciples were to get the word out about the gospel...But how could twelve men get the word out to the world...And the Disciples often got in trouble for talking about Jesus...One time when they came before the ruling Sanhedrin they were in trouble for preaching and teaching about Jesus...The teacher and Pharisee, Gamaliel said that if the Twelve Disciples plan was a plan from man it would not work...Gamaliel, was a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people...He stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the Disciples, Peter and the other Disciples, be put outside for a little while...Then Gamaliel addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men...Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him...He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing...After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt...He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered...Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone!...Let them go!...For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail...But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”...
God is Eternal...One of God’s Great Virtues is His patience...And there is power in patience...And there is also silence, when one is being very patient...The more patient one is the more silence there can be...Silence and patience are not an absence of action...Patience is more about timing and doing things when the time is right...God waits for the right time to act and move forward with His Plan...God’s Plan is always done at the right time and always for the right reasons...Gods will always gets done...
From a small group of disciples, the Roman Empire and then the world would know about religion...The hand of God was with the original Disciples...Know one could stop these men from having the Christian Religion go worldwide...The fact that Christianity has flourished throughout the world not only proves what Gamaliel said that it could not be stopped (if God was behind it), but it also proves that God was behind Christianity and His Son, because it continues to be written about and taught every Sabbath and Sunday...
The Archbishop Fulton Sheen says, “Patience is power...Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is "timing" it waits on the right time to act, for the right principles and in the right way.”...