Acts 4:19-20

Acts 4:19-20 – But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Who should we obey? Peter and John had it right. They had committed their lives to God and they were going to tell the world about all He had done in their lives. In fact, they couldn't help it. God had made such a change in their hearts and lives that all they could was talk about it.

Think about your life. If you won a million dollars you would have trouble keeping it quiet, wouldn't you? People would be able to read it on your face and your actions would reflect it. You would be spending money. That’s just the way it is; you wouldn't be able to help talking about it.

Now what about what God has done for you? He has taken you from death to life; He has set you free from the sin that once bound you, not to mention forgiving you for all of it. Your life is not the same and now you will live with Him for eternity. It is so amazing, yet we keep quiet. Why is that?

The reason we keep quiet is because we don’t truly understand all that God has done for us. It’s not real to us. Pray that God opens your eyes to all that He has done for you. Then you will be like Peter and John, you won’t be able to stay quiet. You will not be able to help speaking about all that you have seen and heard.

Mark 7:36

Mark 7:36 - Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone, but the more He did so, the more they kept talking about it.

News of Jesus was spreading like a wild-fire. He was moving from place to place teaching and as He was doing so there were many around Him that were sick or hurt. Of course, being Jesus, when He saw these people He had compassion on them. “They were like sheep without a shepherd.” So He healed them.

       In this particular chapter Jesus heals someone who is deaf and mute. After healing him Jesus told him and those around Him not to tell anyone, but they didn’t listen. In fact, the more Jesus told them not to say anything the more they did. How could they not say something? Jesus had just opened this man’s ears and gave him the ability to talk.

       Now let’s fast forward a little bit to your life and mine. We have a different command. Jesus told us to go into the entire world and preach the gospel. We are supposed to tell everyone about what Christ has done for us. It is clear through the whole New Testament that we are to speak, but we do not.           

       These men were told not to speak and they didn’t stop; we are told to speak and we do not. Why is this? If we take a look at our lives we can honestly say that God has done so much for us, but we keep it to ourselves.

       I think one reason we do this is that we try to explain away the miracles and favor of God as coincidence or luck. We want to have a reason for everything, so we try to rationalize it and make ‘sense’ of it. In doing so we take the miraculous out of the miracles and we view it as an ordinary event. This should not be.

We must give God the credit and glory for all He has done in our lives. Speak about it. Don’t keep it silent. Tell the world what God has for you through Jesus.