The quest for bold courage.

 

The desire for boldness was the joint desire of all the believers we get to meet in the New Testament.  Yes, the believers and their leaders were intimidated by the Jewish religious leaders, and they were instructed to stop preaching and ministering in the Name of our Lord, Redeemer and Saviour, Jesus Christ. They needed bold courage and confidence, and they asked Jesus Christ to grant it to them.

 

And so, they prayed: "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the Name of your holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:29-30)

 

How do we face intimidation and fear? Hoe do we approach our needs and the needs of the Church?

Jesus provides the power by which we live and serve. He gave us his Holy Spirit to provide the bold courage and power needed to be confident and able servants to meet the needs and answer the complex questions of the followers of Christ. The Lord Jesus provides the power by which we become confident, bold and courageous. He will, through his Spirit, provide the power by which we face all these threats and pressures victoriously.

 

The first Church needed courage, so they prayed continuously and humbly.

Firstly, they asked God to note the threats. They believed that to resolve the threatening situation, was God’s work to do. And they laid that problem at his feet. They believed God would do something about it.

 

Secondly, they prayed that they would be given confidence to speak God’s word.  That should still be our desire as the Church of Jesus today.

 

And thirdly, they prayed that God would act in a divine, miraculous way through them, to touch and change the lives of people looking up to them as Church leaders, every day.

 

You better be careful when you pray these kinds of prayers, because this is indeed the kind of prayers that God answers.

God certainly answered the first Church. The Bible says that after they prayed, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:31)

They faced intimidation but pursued the quest for bold courage. They turned to the Lord, and intimidation turned into bravery.

It happened then, and it certainly still happens today.

 

The Christian life is both impossible and easy at the same time.

It is impossible to live such lives in our own power, but it is easy to animate such a calling in the power of the risen, almighty Lord.

It is both hard beyond our comprehension – and simple, in that all we must do, is to surrender to our Saviour Jesus in prayer and let him figure it out on our behalf.