Acts 4:1-31
Issues of life, storms and challenges will sometimes threaten us, but what the challenge came to do is to silent us and frustrate us and abandon that which we desire to see come to pass in our life.
In the scripture we read, we saw that the disciples were doing ministry, running with the call of God upon their life and they were passionate and intentional about it because they understand what the call of God upon them was.
They understood the message and the message was been preached with evidences. They got the message right and also the demonstration of the power of God was present as they preach and teach.
They were preaching and teaching but it was disturbing some people. What disturbed these people was the effect of what the disciples were teaching not the act of teaching.
They saw the effect of their ministry that it was producing results. And they asked the disciples that by what power do they do these miracles and they answered and said by the power and in the name of Jesus.
One thing that was notable among these disciples was that even before they went to pray, they had boldness.
What the devil wanted to do was to threaten them to a point where they abandon the call of God upon their life and they will run. But the scripture says that the more they threatened them, the more they were speaking boldly, declaring that they cannot obey the rulers and disobey God.
The scripture noted that they saw their boldness. It therefore means that boldness can be seen and felt, same way fear can be seen.
Life will test you whether you are bold and confident or if you will run away and abandon your dreams and vision.
The confidence of the apostles was tested.
Your confidence to do business will be tested. Sometimes entrepreneurs do not receive the money throughout the month, unlike salary earners who receive money at the end of the month. So the boldness of entrepreneurs is being tested per time. Life will test you. People succeed faster when they are bold and confident in themselves and in the grace of God upon their lives. Many people have closed down ministries, abandoned what God called them to do because of fear and challenges of life.
If you have not been tested, you will be tested. Confidence and boldness is a requirement to survive the challenges of life.
The above scripture revealed that these men were teachers, preachers, and their preaching was so powerful that it was disturbing powers and forces and there were plots and conspiracy to stop them. The people had a clear mission. They desired to stop the gospel from spreading. They can’t deny the grace of God upon your life, but men and forces, can stop you.
There is a place where boldness is birthed. The disciples had no reason to be bold because they were untrained and uneducated men, but because they had been with Jesus, it swallowed up every limitations and inadequacies.
So when they were threatened and challenged, they knew where to go. When they prayed they received more boldness and confidence.
No matter the setbacks you experience, if you go into the place of prayer you will receive new insights and boldness. The devil could not stop the disciples. They continued. They were not weary nor discouraged. They spoke the word of God with boldness. This means that the threat of the people did not get to them.
It takes a certain level of boldness to declare what God has revealed to you.
2 Kings 7:3-5; The moment the word came forth the power of God came through. Lepers who were not perceived to be the one that will bring such to pass came up into the Syrian camp. God has a way of using unlikely vessels.
How did they come about that conversation to help a city to go get food? It is because the word of God has gone ahead. This is why it takes faith. Elisha was prophesying according to the proportion of his faith.
Agabus, a notable prophet prophesied concerning the capture and attack of Paul but Paul was seeing another thing. He no longer counted his life dear to him. He was operating on another level. He insisted he would go despite what was being said concerning him, Acts 21: 10-11.
This level was in the form the proportion of his faith. The reason why some of us have not made advancement in our lives is because we are fearful. The Bible is against fear of doing right and taking the right step.
Fear has taken me off in fulfilling the plan and purpose of God and has also crippled me doing great things for God. It has make man stagnant. It has limited men.
There is that moment you will know that you will not die in that situation. You must always realize that the journey is still far.
The call of God upon our lives has just started speaking. We cannot just stop the vision and mission. This is why you must call a meeting over yourself. You call the whole of yourself for God to lead you.
Hebrews 10:35-39 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (KJV).
God is coming for us. Help us coming for us. We are not going back. We are not drawing back. We stay up in our duty post. No devil can silence us. As we step in the place of prayer, we have boldness and what we feel cannot be done can now be done.
The reason why some of us have not moved from where we are is because fear has crippled us.
We must get to a point in our life where we put down the consequences of our actions in order not to be stagnant. We must not think about what to eat or drink.
It takes boldness to step out of the boat and step out. Many people have been in the boat where they are not supposed to be for too long. Thomas, James and the rest saw Peter walked on water.
Every limitation upon our lives are gone. We will do more for God. We will not be fearful. We must be bold. Fear will not silent me.
I received supernatural grace and confidence to achieve them. I am stepping into things that it is not by calculation be achieved naturally. We must be confident of the fact that He is able to do and do exceedingly.
The word for this year is “exceedingly.” Have you seen God come through for you. Sometimes when you are scared we must come into the place of prayer and pray to the point that the fear jump out of us. We that have come into the prayer room with fear can now go out boldly having prayed.
It takes supernatural boldness. Sometimes you are fearful, don’t deny your fear. Talk to God to silence your fear. Walk into the place of prayer with boldness. If you go in fearful you are confident that you would come out with boldness.
Talk to God like David who said when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than me.
Psalm 61:2
There are events that happens that make you fearful but submit to God.
That you are afraid isn’t bad but when you allow the fear make you abandon what God wants you to do that is where you err.
We will give account for our stewardship. You don’t have an excuse.