First " Giving Honor And Obedience " To God.

When ordered to denouce Christ, he answered: ‘For 86 years I have been a servant and he has never done me wrong; how can I blaspheme my Jesus who saved me? I am a Christian.’

For confessing he was a Christian, they shouted first for the lions and then for him to be burnt at the stake. He was bound; an official killed him with the sword; his body was then burnt.

Polycarp’s courage and his final words have strengthened and inspired the faith of many Christians down through the centuries.

Because Polycarp, like the disciples before him, had to obey God rather than any human authority.

Again, in our recent history, we have the voice of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who on one occasion said: If any earthly institution or custom conflicts with God’s will, it is your Christian duty to oppose it.

One of the authentic trademarks of a considerable number of Christian martyrs down through the ages is that they were not prone to worry about winning popularity contests!

Many of them could care less about public opinion polls or losing sleep over whether or not others approved of them and liked them.

They were prepared to stick to their principles of faith, keep their personal integrity, and live or die with a clear conscience.

On one occasion, someone once said, after receiving some flack over getting into trouble by sticking to his principles: "I like getting into hot water. It keeps me clean in the presence of Jesus...

The end of life is not to be happy…to achieve pleasure and avoid pain.

The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may.

When we find ourselves in situations that test our loyalty to God, like the disciples before the Jerusalem council; like Polycarp before a hostile crowd;

May we too be able to say with conviction, and willing to suffer the consequences that:

"We must obey God rather than any human authority."

In Acts 5:27-32 Peter and John have been arrested by the religious authorities for teaching and proclaiming that "in Jesus there is resurrection of the dead" (4:2). The Sanhedrin has ordered them "not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus" (4:18).

SOME TIMES OPPOSITION MAY COME FROM INSTITUTIONS NOT ONLY PEOPLE..

WE ALSO tend to forget that their greatest struggle is not with people, but against evil. CABLE TV, PSE&G, BIG BUSINESS...

IT MAY NOT BE THE GIRL BEHIND THE CASH REGISTER BUT THE STORE POLICY...

Paul ALSO made it clear that our chief battle is not between "Flesh and blood (physical opponents) but against

the powers,

against the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the supernatural sphere."

Do not become intimidated, scared off or discouraged by what humans can do to you.

Trust the Lord to help you to move ahead by the authority of Gods word, His Spirit and His will.

Peter and apostles were men without social, political or religious standing in their communities, but they were on the right side of truth.

A.......Only as we Trust the Lord can we avoid backing down against fierce opposition.