Be Bold in the Lord

Jesus did not tell His disciples to hide or cover up their faith. He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” This command was given to the very disciples who fled in every direction when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter stands out because he betrayed Jesus three times when the chips were down. Yet before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on His last journey there, he had said to Peter, “…and on this rock I will build my church,” referring to Peter as the rock that would be the foundation of the church to be. It seemed in Gethsemane that this prophetic declaration was going to come to nothing, but Peter is later restored through forgiveness, and shortly thereafter, we find him preaching boldly to the people of Jerusalem.

What happened? Peter became alive in the Holy Spirit and he accepted the call of Jesus to become the foundation of the church that would spread from Jerusalem and all of Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter and all the disciples put aside fear to fearlessly teach and preach the truth of Christ to a resistant world.

Called to Boldness

My own story follows a similar pattern; in fact, what happened to me is at the heart of Christian transformation; it is the Holy Spirit that can take wrecked and broken lives and make them whole and effective. Sometimes it takes desperate circumstances to break open our hearts to the grace surrounding us, but then we are called to address some very real questions: What are we do to with the gift of grace we have accepted? Do we horde it or do we spend it? Do we hide in safe enclaves or do we go out into a seemingly hostile world? Do we live in fear or do we embrace joy? Do we believe we are vulnerable and alone or do we believe “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and He delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)? Finally, do we choose to avoid Jesus or do we say with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”?

Since that April day in 1987 when I entered the church in New York City, God has been working in my life, preparing me for a time when through the Holy Spirit, I would be prepared to boldly proclaim the truth of the Gospels. The time of preparation is past; the message and the life are one; boldness has replaced trepidation; the time has arrived when I am willing to leave a pleasant private existence to share the wonderful truth of grace, fullness and joy that can only be experienced through the power of the presence of the Holy Spirit every day through knowing Jesus and making Him known. Getting to Know Jesus: An Invitation to Walk with the Lord Day by Day is part of that call to serve Him with boldness by authentically responding to His call on my life.