Our Monday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Lahoma:
"The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day." Acts 4:1-3
Do you struggle with sharing your faith with others? Do you tend to hesitate when you know you should speak up if someone is speaking against what you know about God? As a student, do your teachers sometimes make comments that challenge your beliefs and you wonder if you have the right to challenge their antagonist commentaries about the Christian worldview? My precious brothers and sisters, NOW is the time for God’s People to rise up and not be silent. We need to be BOLD for our faith and declare our beliefs with confidence and grace, speaking the truth always in love, but opening our mouths and not staying silent in the shadows of the world’s bulldozing efforts to make claims about God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, and our faith. But for those of us who do not feel confident or bold about doing this, what can we do to our timidity?
In Acts 3, Peter (remember, he’s the guy who denied Christ three times before the crucifixion) and John had been ministering and preaching to the people of Jerusalem and a lame beggar man had approached them, expecting them to give him something. Acts 3:6 records Peter’s reply, "Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." If you keep reading, you will discover that the man was immediately healed and started jumping and leaping and praising God, which must have started quite a commotion in the city to say the least. The priests and leaders of the temple heard of the turmoil and decided to arrest them and have them answer before them for their actions. When you have time, go ahead and read the entire chapter of Acts 4, it is a stirring account of the boldness of Peter as he stood and spoke powerfully about the scriptures and about the salvation of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. By this time, the religious leaders were uncertain of the reaction of the crowd, so they chose to verbally chastise them for their preaching and told them not to continue teaching in the name of Jesus, and then released them. How did the apostles respond to this? Peter and John returned to the believers and reported these things, and when they heard them, they raised their voices to God in prayer:
"Sovereign Lord," they said, "You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." Acts 4:24-30
Their lives had been threatened, the outcome may have seemed uncertain. So what did they pray for? God’s miraculous intervention? Relief from persecution? Brilliance in recalling scripture? Calm in the storm of the raging religious leaders? No. They didn’t pray for God to make their lives easier and more comfortable. Instead they asked God for great boldness so they could continue to speak out in spite of any danger. That is so awesome to consider! We must learn from this example, brothers and sisters, that when we are faced with an opportunity to stand for our God and proclaim the truth of His Word, we need God to fill us with HIS BOLDNESS! Have you had a chance to speak up for God and felt afraid? Take that moment and whisper a prayer to God and ask Him to give you boldness. The author of Acts tells us that the leaders who threatened Peter and John were astonished at their courage in sharing the gospel–because these guys were ordinary, unschooled men. Their boldness to speak out about Jesus didn’t come from their own natural abilities and skills. It came from their conviction that the message should be shared no matter what the cost–and they depended on God to give them the boldness and courage to do just that.
Lastly, consider what happened when they finished praying: "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." Acts 4:31 Now, THAT’S what I call an awesome answer to prayer!!! You might feel like you don’t have what it takes to stand up and speak out. But it doesn’t matter. God can give you the words you need and the courage to share them. Ask him to enable you to speak his word with great boldness. And don’t be surprised if the ground beneath your feet shakes when God is on the move…. Just go for it!
Father God, shake us and fill us with Your power to proclaim boldly for You. Remind us that You call us to be Your messengers, Your ambassadors to this lost and dying world, and we surrender and allow You to make your appeals through us to those you lead into our lives each day. Let us see people all around us with Your eyes. Do not let us stay silent, compel our mouths to speak up when You open doors for conversations about eternal things. Give us wisdom, discernment, and most of all, cover our words with Your love so that those who hear will be drawn to the Truth that can set them free. Let us be about the Father’s business in these last days, and surround us with Your presence as we go forth in boldness. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.
Shalom, sister Lahoma
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Isn't it interesting that it's most difficult to share our faith with loved ones? Or, is that just me? I gave my life to God in 2007 without really knowing what that meant. Even then I struggled to share that "aspect" (at that time, He was just that - an "aspect" of my daily living) of my life with close friends and family. Why? Because it was so uncharacteristic of ME to talk about anything "God!" A once wild child turned prayerful seeker of God? It was hard for me to embrace and seemingly harder for others to accept. Thus, I was insecure and self-conscious about what I was doing so for several years I opted to share as little as possible. God let me get away with this for awhile. However, within the last year, He has made it nearly impossible for me to continue living my life without sharing Him with those who have known me for the majority, if not all, of my life. The results have been both rewarding and heartbreaking. While I've grown amazingly closer to Him, I've drifted significantly further from certain (most) family and friends. Conflicts have arisen, differences have surfaced, and literal disconnects have ensued. The people who I once held so close no longer recognized me, nor did they want to. Ouch. "And why do I need to share my faith with anyone, God? Can't I just keep You to myself and forget about everyone who doesn't like me now?" I tearfully plead in the past. His answer was simple - "no," and to spice it up, He even let me know that "it's not about you." And all that time, I thought the world revolved around me...what a shocking revelation to find out otherwise :)
ReplyDeleteSo, as He has gradually led (and is still leading) me out of my shell, I've been able to share Him with at least a couple of people who are dear to my heart. This hasn't ceased to be a challenge, but the more I do, something is gradually happening - either I'm getting stronger in Him or they're getting weaker in themselves....perhaps a little of both I suppose. At a time when conflict is still so present between myself and certain loved ones, I find much needed encouragement in devotionals like the one written above. Thank you, Lahoma and all for being such awesome role models in your own boldness for God. I’m inspired once again.
P.S. – My sister has recently accepted Christ into her life and had I not shared my faith with her when I found it uncomfortable, I don’t know if anyone else in her life would have. I don’t think she even knew anyone else who themselves knew Christ. Though it’s sometimes difficult to be bold in and about our faith, God is so faithful – He just saved my sister from Hell. It’s important that all of you know your role in this as well though. If you look at the white prayer sheet that is handed out each Sunday, you’ll find just her first name towards the bottom – “Melanie.” Under “Prayers for Salvation,” she’s there. I don’t know who, specifically, prays over each of the names, but you know who you are. From me to you, thank you for the vital role you played in bringing someone I love into a life with Christ.