Don’t be afraid to speak the truth of God. We have full assurance in His Word that He’ll back us up. I often find myself holding back from speaking the truth about a matter, whether it be with friends, family, or even casual acquaintances, because I’m afraid of what they’ll think.  Every time I feel the Holy Spirit leading me to say or do something, and I back away from doing it, it’s because I know it goes against the grain of popular thinking. I’m afraid of how it’ll make me look, concerned about what people will think. We’re all concerned about our reputation. But since Christians are to be imitators of Christ, we need to know how Jesus handled this.

First of all, scripture says in Philippians 2:7, that Jesus made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant.  In John 4:34, Jesus said his mission was “….to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  Jesus wasn’t concerned about his reputation. If you read through the gospels, it’s apparent Jesus said and did things that people found odd, disagreed with, and downright thought were crazy. He was accused of being possessed of the devil, a drunkard, hanging around undesirables – you name it.  Mark 3: 21 shows that even Jesus’ own family began to think he was out of his mind. It’s obvious Jesus didn’t concern himself with what people thought. He said he only spoke and did as the Father showed him. And he said his followers are to do the same.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these……….” (John 14: 12).  And 1 John 4:17 says, “Love has been perfected amoung us in this …… because as He is, so are we in this world.”  The first century church followed the lead of the Holy Spirit, saying and doing as God led. Jesus promised that signs would follow those that believe. In Mark 16:17-20 he said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  After Jesus was taken into heaven, the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.  In Acts 4:29-30, the church asked God to enable them to speak with great boldness, to stretch out His hand and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Jesus. And God answered that prayer. Throughout the New Testament, we are told of the great miracles that accompany the preaching of His word. Acts 14: 4 says that the Lord confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders! 

 The God of all creation says that signs shall follow those that believe! If we’ll be bold, saying and doing as the Spirit leads, God will back it up.  He’ll confirm the message of his grace. Our job is to yield to Him, allowing Him to use our hands, our feet, our mouth, to be a blessing where ever we go. Just as Jesus is, so are we to be in the earth.  We’re not to be afraid of what people think, because this world desperately needs the Word of God spoken in it as never before. Can we imagine what it would be like if the BODY of CHRIST rose up and were Jesus Christ in the earth today?  That’s our calling! That’s who lives in us! 

Let’s pray the same prayer our fellow believers prayed;  “Enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Lord, stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Amen!

ToHimBetheGlory