If we think about how the Spirit enables us to speak in the languages that people need to hear, it raises the question of how to characterize the need to be saved when speaking to unbelievers. How should we think about this compared to what we read in Scripture?
Continue reading “Invitation”Month: March 2023
Praying for Boldness
Reaching out to unbelievers to talk about God, especially in today’s non-spiritual environment, is hard for all of us. The key to improving in this is not to depend on our own power, but as in everything else, to focus first on God.
“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:29-21
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, Ephesians 6:18b-19
The boldness needed here is not something that we can drum up within ourselves; we need the Spirit to give us boldness in speaking.
Continue reading “Praying for Boldness”Telling of God’s Mighty Works
The arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost changed the nature of the church profoundly. In one fell swoop, it went from a small ragtag group of people cowering in a secluded room to a thriving assembly of thousands of disciples.
And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? … We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” Acts 2:7, 8, 11b (ESV)
During Pentecost, Jews from all over would come to celebrate in Jerusalem. As a result, the town was filled with people who spoke many different languages when the Holy Spirit descended.
Since God’s will, and Jesus’ instructions, was to proclaim the good news of the kingdom in order to grow it, the very first work of the Spirit was to enable this ragtag group to speak in ways that the diverse crowd would understand. They did so, and proclaimed God’s mighty works in a variety of languages.
The crowd was surprised, not just by the diversity of languages, but because apparently the people speaking weren’t the type they expected to capable of such diversity.
We’re not told what works were proclaimed, but one “mighty work” that we know is the resurrection – the whole story of Jesus and the establishment of the kingdom. Peter certainly built on that in his subsequent speech.
Given the changes in today’s world and the growing diversity of our culture, we need this same empowerment. It may not look the same, but however the Spirit wants to work through us to proclaim Christ, we need to open our hearts to Him.
Heavenly Father, no matter who we are or how unlikely we are to speak, let us be filled with the Spirit to speak of Your mighty works, especially the good news of establishing your kingdom at the cross.
Balancing Spiritual Priorities
A key part of our spiritual relationship with God is the time we spend in worship. It is an act of obedience, sometimes described in Scripture as serving the Lord. It is an act of holy devotion, as we set aside a part of our time to focus on Him. It is a time of celebration and praise, as we raise our voices in song to our great God and King.
That this last part is important is clear from Scripture’s emphasis on singing in worship.
Continue reading “Balancing Spiritual Priorities”
Exploring Antioch 