| Oh, the Book of Acts!
What a wild time to be alive. We are fairly fresh off of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Day (more like 9:00 in the morning!) of Pentecost just happened and now there is a fresh, Holy Spirit fullness like hasn’t been experienced before. Mass amounts of people are starting to believe in Jesus, getting healed and free! And telling all their friends.
But not without persecution, which Jesus did say would come (John 15:20).
In Acts, chapter 4, Jesus’ disciples, Peter and John, get into trouble. They’re just healing and preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ, then they get arrested and held overnight. Just in time for the 5000 people who heard this good news to go spread it to others.
5000 people! Talk about Holy Spirit fullness and power ignited.
When the opposition (rulers, scribes, and elders) get Peter and John together and ask by what power and name they performed these miracles, Peter, in the boldness of the Holy Spirit, reminded them that it was in the name of Jesus. The Jesus that THEY killed, but God raised from the dead. Peter reminds the opposition that there is no other way to Salvation than through that name.
But what strikes me the most is verse 13, in Acts 4: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
They recognized that they had been with Jesus. The name that they killed, the name that rose from the dead, the name that came from “OH… that Nazareth place…” — JESUS! This gives me hope, because I am a common woman, I am uneducated, and I want to be with Jesus. And the Holy Spirit power, the same Holy Spirit power the disciples had back in Acts, is the same power that I can access today!
Imagine that. God can use me like He used them. And you too.
Well, eventually they let Peter and John go, because they couldn’t deny what happened to the lame beggar man. They let them go, with the caveat that they stop preaching and healing in Jesus’ name. But Peter and John were like, “Uh, we’re not going to do that.” They are released and start praying for even more boldness to proclaim the Good News.
So, just a reminder for you today, my dear friends…
- You’ve got the same power coursing through your veins as they did. Call upon the Holy Spirit — if you are a GED or a PhD — His Word and power are for YOU!
- Speak in boldness about the greatness of our God and what Jesus has done in your life.
- Lean into Jesus this week, amid any kind of opposition.
Jesus’ power is for YOU!
Pastor Abby PreJean |
