FIGHTING AGAINST GOD

<p>FIGHTING AGAINST GOD </p> <p>We saw in the preceding verses of Acts chapter five how there was such an outpouring of grace and faith through the power of the Holy Spirit working in the church with healings and signs and wonders and the good will of the people in going without, so that they could care for one another’s needs. We also saw how in the example of the judgement upon Ananias and Saphira that there was also great accountability to the Holy Spirit for all that grace and power.  Crowds were streaming in from the Jerusalem suburbs, bringing their sick folk and those oppressed by evil spirits and every one of them was healed … And all of this finally caused an angry reaction from the Jewish religious leaders.</p> <p>Reading on in Acts chapter 5.</p> <p>Acts 5:17. The high priest and the entire Sadducee group became very indignant. They took hold of the apostles and locked them up in jail. 19. However the angel of The Lord opened up the prison doors and set them free and told them to go and stand in the temple and proclaim to all the people this new way of life. 21. So, upon hearing that, they went into the temple the first thing in the morning and began to teach. At the same time the high priest and all his supporters convened the council and the senate of Israel and decided to send for the prisoners to be brought to them from the prison. But the prison officers went to the prison and found that they were no longer there. So they went back to the council and senate. They told them that the prison was shut securely, and the soldiers were on guard outside the prison doors, but that when they opened the doors, they found that there was nobody there.</p> <p>24. When the high priests and all the other religious officials heard about this they began to wonder where all this was heading. Then someone came and told them all that the men they had put into prison were back in the temple again, preaching to the people.</p> <p>The high priest and his other Sadducee officials rejected any belief in the resurrection or