Keep praising GOD anyway.

Acts 5: 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.

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I always wondered if I would have enough faith in GOD to face an extreme situation like the one the Apostles faced with the religious fanatics. I mean they were simply talking about JESUS and what they actually saw with their own eyes. Would I be faithful?

Then the test of my faith arrived but in a much different form when I was challenged to let everyone know my faith or hide it for the promotions. I made it to the top but at what cost?

• Anything that stops me from talking about JESUS is not where GOD wants me to be.
• Anyone who tries to douse my message of JESUS is not sided with GOD.
• Anyplace where I have to hide my relationship with JESUS in order to gain more worldly trinkets is not a place where GOD will grow fruit through me.

I have learned to be excited when I have trials because JESUS and HIS apostles went through extreme difficult times. I can actually see the murky unpopular path that GOD wants me on rather than the clear heavily travelled ungodly path.

If my plans to serve GOD fail, they were not of GOD but of human origin, but if they succeed then those who oppose will find themselves fighting against GOD. The trial is worth it!

• Have you ever been persecuted for preaching or teaching about CHRIST?
• Have you ever tried to start living for CHRIST and everything seems to fall apart?
• Can you stay the course and remain “following HIS way?”