Blessed Out Of Boldness

Would you characterize most Christians you know as bold? Would you consider your own faith as bold? Many of us wouldn't & in many cases we would be right. After all, American Christians live in a culture that is still the easiest culture in history in which to be a faithful, Bible believing follower of Jesus. As a result we tend to look at bold faith as only that which we read about in the Bible or on the Internet. We read of ancient disciples who endured prison & persecution; we hear of brothers & sisters on the other side of the world who are dying because they confess the name of Jesus as Savior. When we look at how easy it is to be a Christian in America we assume that we can't really have a bold faith. 

The downside of our tremendous religious freedoms is that it seems to have made us less bold which could ultimately lead to the loss of our religious liberties. Of course, none of us think that our lack of boldness contributes to the eroding of religious freedom or cultural decline but we would be dead wrong. When an offended, possibly even anonymous, party writes a letter to a school about the pregame prayer at Friday night's football game & the school responds by caving in, who is really to blame? Is it the school board, the principle, or does a good share of responsibility lie at the feet of those of us who say we follow Christ? What if the people of God were just as publicly bold as those who oppose God publicly? What if we stood up for & spoke out against those who would love to see the name of Jesus removed from public life? See this isn't the first time this has happened, not even close.

In fact, just a few weeks after Jesus' crucifixion, resurrection, & ascension, the Jewish religious leaders tried to eliminate "this name" from public conversation. Go read Acts 5. The apostles were threatened over & over for speaking about "this name". However, they could not stop talking about Jesus. Here we are today, 2000 years later, & "the name" is under attack still. Where is God's church rising up saying, "Sorry this name offends you, but we can stop speaking about what we've experienced in Him."?

Could it be that as American Christians we've been blessed out of boldness? Could it be that we are so afraid of being considered intolerant, mean, or offensive that what we become is weak, whiny disciples who allow the enemy to take more & more ground around us? It's time for the people of Jesus to rise up.

"Boldness Is Saying Or Doing Something 

When It Would Be Easier To Say Or Do Nothing."

What can you do today to boldly speak & live the name of Jesus. In Acts 4 the disciples prayed for boldness, & the truth is that when you pray for boldness what you're really praying for is the opportunities to be bold. When you sincerely pray that prayer, God will send you those opportunities or open your eyes to the opportunities that were there all along. Then what will you do? What will you say? It will always be easier to shrink back & fade into the background, to not risk offending anyone, but the Gospel is offensive. It confronts us with our desperate need, but it doesn't leave us there. Instead it introduces us to our hope, our redemption as we place our faith in Jesus.

What can you do today? How can you be bold at work, at school, at home for the name of Jesus & so that those who need to hear the Gospel will see it at work in you?