MONDAY August 15, 2022

The Power to Be Bold

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

At one time, Peter had denied the Lord. He was fearful, but now that he was full of the Holy Spirit, he became bold. Both John and Peter were arrested and imprisoned. In front of the Sanhedrin, Peter explained the miraculous healing of a helpless, crippled man. As they listened, the Jewish elders realized Peter and John were very different:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).

The Jewish elders severely threatened them and commanded them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:17-18). They responded to their threats with boldness: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).

When Peter and John were finally let go, they reunited with other believers; and in one accord, they prayed to the Lord about these threats. As the group continued to pray for boldness, the place where they had gathered together was shaken; and the Holy Spirit came upon them. As a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:23-31).

In Acts 10:38-39, notice the difference in Peter’s speech. As a fisherman, he expounded biblically, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

Are you a bold witness for Jesus Christ? The Holy Spirit will come upon you as you pray for boldness. He will also bring God’s Word to your remembrance, as you share the gospel with others, by faith.

One of the special marks of the Holy Ghost in the Apostolic Church was the spirit of boldness.
~A.B. Simpson~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!