Today’s Scripture: Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Acts 4:29 NIV
Aren’t you bold when you know by first hand experience that something is true? Will you stick to your story? I love the boldness of Peter and the beginning of the church in Acts shortly after the dust settled after Jesus’ death and ascension. This same Peter who denied Jesus before the rooster crowed. He now speaks boldly in the face of imprisonment and threats from the religious leaders.
Don’t we have the same boldness when we are the proof of Jesus’ power in us? Today I feel like the lame man at the Beautiful Gate leading to the temple. I too was lame and the name of Jesus healed me. Like him, I began to walk. Leaping and praising God and I run to Him.
What can others say that deny Jesus? Like Acts 4:14 says “But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.” Like that lame man I can boldly tell my story of how the name of Jesus has healed me. How can that be denied? Like Peter says in Acts 4:20 We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard.” I can’t, I won’t. The Lord’s healing makes me bold like that. What is your story?
Today’s Prayer: Lord, You are wonderful. I leap up and praise You for healing me. I lift up my voice in prayer and praise You. Thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit and for helping to share everything I have. Thank You for allowing me to share Your message of life. I rejoice that You find me worthy and I will tell this story You have given me every day. Fill me Lord. Amen
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 life
I am so thankful that God has helped me recognize opportunities to share my testimony for Jesus Christ. What I find most interesting is that most individuals shy away from mentioning what Jesus has done or is doing in their lives. I must admit that I probably never talk to anyone that some opportunity does not arise that I can share Jesus with someone. But I wonder if I never brought his name up would they. I just want to praise his name in all that I do. Sometimes afterward the voice of negativity will say, “Does everything have to be about the spiritual?” What most do not understand is that the spiritual component is just as necessary as the emotional, mental, physical or any other part of our being. It the spiritual is not addressed then a void is there in their lives. I am so thankful for your boldness to continue to write. I cannot wait to meet you in heaven someday. I will look for you there.
Patsy, I am thankful for you as well and look forward to meeting you in Heaven too! You were one of my very first subscribers to this blog journey and probably gave me more encouragement than you realize. I am sure that is the same with your testimony. You are so right that most do not share their testimony and I was that guy for most of my life! The evil one attempts to rob us and others and somehow twists the sharing as a an unwanted sales pitch. However, if sharing the “good news” and expecially just sharing of our personal stories out of love and thankgiving to Him is told out of the wonderful joy He has placed in our hearts, then it’s a pleasure and not a burden. The spiritual is about eternity and I hope all encouraged to tell about Him and what He has done in their lives. Blessings and love to you and yours! I so appreciate your visits as I know you stay extremely busy!
Peter who denied Christ and yet went on to have a wonderful ministry of dispensing God’s healing power!! What a lesson Peter is for all of us who follow God and His Love! Even when we miss it or turn our back on God, through our repentance, He can still use us mightily! I have opportunities to minister to people everywhere I go, even at a doctor’s waiting room and in restaurants. Oh that I will not miss these opportunities and not let them slip by. The Christ in me may be that person’s only glimpse of God.
Thank you Tom for exhorting us all to share HIM and His Word! You are a blessing.
Thank you Kiimberly! May our eyes and our spirits be constantly open to those around us. God use us for Your glory every place we go today and with those You intend. Use us Father and thank you for my sister Kimberly and bless her ministry today.