STEP OUT OF THE COLDNESS, AND INTO BOLDNESS

Be Bold Believers, Not Cold Receivers

Today is a pretty cold day in Brittany. It’s not icy, or frosty, the wind isn’t really blowing a gale. It’s overcast, with typical Mancunian type slate-grey skies, but it is a cold day. It is moderately warmer than the UK, granted, but for one reason or another it just feels cold.

It always seems to be that on days like this, Bertie has a keener interest on going out. Not on his own, no he wants me to take him out. He has already been out and just seems to wait for me at every opportunity, with such keenness. Staring at me with his big brown eyes, as if to say “Are we going out yet?” If I get up to put the kettle on, he is there behind me. If I go to the bathroom, he is there when I come out. If I put my book or pen down for a minute, he is there wishing and hoping that at any second we could be off on an adventure outside.

But it’s cold! I can see that it is cold, and Bertie doesn’t see that, he just wants US to go out. That is all that he wants. it’s not that he is not bothered if I get cold, that doesn’t cross his mind. He knows that everything will be fine if we just GO!

Sometimes Bertie reminds me of what the Holy Spirit is like. He just wants us to GO, and Go for Jesus! It doesn’t matter what the circumstances, or any of the bits that are missing. All the things that we lack, the Holy Spirit will fill in the gaps as we go. Whether we lack the words or tact the Spirit will guide us in word and deed as and when the need arises if we let Him.

But we need to go in boldness, not sit in the coldness!

In the book of Acts that we have just been reading through in line with the Daily Bible Reading Plan, we all know that in Acts 2 is the Day of Pentecost. God’s Presence through the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom came and the dominion of God prevailed. As Jesus taught the disciples in prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

As the Kingdom came down with the Holy Spirit, the promise was fulfilled. Our entering into the kingdom means our being brought into a life in which God rules over all, His will is truly and joyfully done, and all the blessedness of heaven finds its counterpart here below. Think of the work after that these simple fishermen dared to undertake and were able to accomplish and how the coming of the Kingdom brought a new power from heaven by which feeble men were made mighty through God and the slaves of Satan were made God’s holy children.

Believe that Christ’s death upon the cross wrought such a wonderful and wholly redemption. That the coming down of the Holy Spirit, nothing else but the glorified Christ coming in the Spirit, brought down the heavenly life in such a reality, that, even as those first disciples, we can be endued with power from on high.

Look at how the disciples after Acts 2, they went out in boldness, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking the word of God;

Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the BOLDNESS of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marvelled. And they realised that they had been with Jesus.”

Acts 4:29” Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all BOLDNESS they may speak Your word.”

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with BOLDNESS.”

Acts 9:27 “And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached BOLDLY at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”

Acts 13:46 “Then Paul and Barnabas grew BOLD.”

Acts 14:3 “therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking BOLDLY in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

Acts 18:26 “So he began to speak BOLDLY in the synagogue.2

Acts 19:8 “And he went into the synagogue and spoke BOLDLY for three months, reasoning and persuading, concerning the things of the Kingdom of God.”

Acts 28:30,31 “Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence (BOLDNESS), no on forbidding him.”

So, as we find from these verses, the Holy Spirit inhabits BOLDNESS. With signs and wonders following, and bringing Glory to God.

God goes with the goer’s, He goes with the doer’s, He goes with the ones who step out in BOLDNESS!

STEP OUT OF THE COLDNESS, AND INTO BOLDNESS

God Bless