Speaking Boldly For The Lord

"At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There the spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders."

This morning's Scripture is Acts 14:1-3 but it's what verse 3 says that I want to focus on.

Many times, when i feel troubled by an issue going on around me, or if i feel concerned about the sinfulness society has come to, a well meaning sister or brother in Christ may say 'Well you need to speak out, be Bold for the Lord!'- however, i think that when the Church (especially here in the US) talks about being bold, we really mean being loud, noisy, and in the worst of cases, combative.

When speaking about being bold for the Lord, we should use the example of Paul and Barnabas:

1. They Came into the City doing what God called them to d0
This is important, because it shows that Paul and Barnabas did not go out 'looking for a fight'. This conflict came up after they found themselves in a position where all they were doing was following God's plan. They were called to spread the Good News, so they did.

2. When things started to turn sour, they continued to follow God's will
Here we see another key point. The act of boldness was continuing to do that which they were called to do. To be bold in the Lord is to continue to walk in His word and to walk in His will when the currents of the World tries harder to push you in every which direction.

3. God gave them the 'Stamp of Approval'
Finally, and maybe the most important lesson from the scripture, is the fact that God himself confirmed their actions by exposing his power and glory in their favor. If you are doing what God wills for you to do, he will ALWAYS give you his blessing- a signal that what you have done in His name was good.

God may call us to be his body, but he does not call us to be his soldier- He may give us his Holy armor to fight the spiritual battle that we face everyday, but it's for self-defense. We do not go looking for conflict, we stand firm in conflict. The only offensive move we make is speaking truth and acting in love.


Peace be with you,
Tabby <3