Acts 4:19, 20

But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” ~ Acts 4:19, 20

 

Oh what boldness and courage! The world we live in is in need of people like Peter and John, ready with an answer because it is right in God’s eyes to speak it! I was watching an interview yesterday of an iconic actor and out of it came his theories of life – basically that it is all an illusion. How sad, I thought, that his life is measured by his acting career and all is not as it seems, for reality in his life is non-existent. Here, Peter and John speak out of their reality of what they have witnessed Jesus do in their presence! Life for them is not an illusion, just as it is not for us whom are Christ followers. They speak the truth in that Jesus is the Messiah; that He was born, lived, died and was resurrected because He is the Son of God! They had received a direct command from Jesus to preach the good news of the gospel, and this they were going to do, no matter what man said to them. Their authority was God himself and none other. This is liberty, my friends. They do not answer to man, but to God, and no other man has control of them. Free speech has always been a gift. But it is also a responsibility. It must be truth which we speak, and it must be done in love. We cannot utter words which will lead others astray, or words that do harm to another by way of placing inferiority, oppression, degradation or any other form of harassment upon another. And we who are Christ followers know what Jesus has done in our life and in the lives of those whom have chosen Him as Saviour. We can do nothing but speak out! I pray we do it with the boldness of Peter and John.

Pastor Julia

image: Lemuel Butler


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