“And when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” – Acts 5:40-41

What a different mindset! While most today (including Christians) go to great lengths to avoid the slightest embarrassment, discomfort, or pain, the apostles delighted in being beaten for the sake of Jesus!

They weren’t crazy and they didn’t delight in pain itself. They just loved Jesus so much! They understood that going through hard times for the sake of Jesus represented a great sign of God’s confidence in their faithfulness. God considered them worthy to suffer for Jesus. He knew they would represent their Lord and Savior well and continue to minister boldly despite the opposition.

So they rejoiced in their suffering. They rejoiced that they had stood firm for their faith. They rejoiced that they had refused to be silenced. They rejoiced that many had heard about Jesus from them and through their dishonor. They rejoiced that Jesus, Who suffered terribly for them, permitted them to join in His suffering.

Jesus invites each of us to follow Him. That includes into possible danger, hostility, disapproval, humiliation, dishonor, and suffering. Are you prepared to follow Him into all those things as they did? Would you consider it an honor and privilege to do so?

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.” – Acts 4:29

This was a world-changing prayer for the early church! In the face of rising opposition to the preaching of the Gospel, the church didn’t pray for peace, comfort, protection, or safety. The church prayed for boldness. Boldness to preach God’s Word. For a willingness to speak freely of God’s wrath and mercy, His justice and kindness, His holiness and grace.

God honored this prayer. The following chapters of Acts describe what happens when God answers their prayer for boldness. The world didn’t become less hostile, but the Kingdom of God grew and spread because believers had boldness greater than any fear that might have held them back. Ordinary Christians, filled with God’s Holy Spirit, did extraordinary things, speaking daily of the hope they had in Christ.

The church today needs to seriously pray for boldness. Not for protection, safety, or comfort. Not for harshness either. For boldness. For loving, gentle courage to proclaim Christ and Him crucified. God will absolutely answer this prayer, if we would have the courage and faithfulness to pray it. As opposition to the preaching of God’s Word of hope, conviction, self-denial, and total submission to Christ’s Lordship grows, will followers of Jesus once again have the courage to pray for boldness?

Father God, grant to us, your servants, to speak your word with all boldness!!!

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” – Acts 4:13

What a great testimony to the transforming power of Jesus! The disciples weren’t special in the eyes of the world. Ordinary fishermen, given an ordinary amount of religious education as children. Such men shouldn’t have turned the world upside! Such men shouldn’t have been able to work miracles, preach sermons, or lead thousands to faith in Jesus Christ.

But they’d been with Jesus and everyone could see that! They’d heard His teaching. They understood His character. Most importantly, they believed and had been filled with His Holy Spirit. Therefore, they were visibly different and changing the world. Is that true of you?

We enjoy many of the same opportunities as Peter and John. We have the teachings of Jesus readily available to us (most of us probably have multiple copies of the Bible in our homes and phones). We can see Him in action and understand His message and character. We believe and are filled with the very same Holy Spirit. We lack nothing spiritually. So, do people recognize that you have been with Jesus?

If not, start by spending more time with Him! Make being with Jesus your highest priority and see what follows that. Commit to read His Word each day. Spend more time in prayer each day. Meditate on His Word and what it says to change about your life as you obey it. Work in the Holy Spirit to become more like Jesus – pursue holiness and reject anything that distracts from it. Devote yourself to truly following Christ. Astonish people when they see that you’ve been with Jesus!

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” – Acts 2:1-3

In this moment, on the day of Pentecost, everything changed! God poured out His Holy Spirit upon all who believed in Jesus and the church was born. The once tiny group of Christ’s disciples rapidly became an unstoppable movement that turned the world upside down!

None of that happened because of the early church’s great skills, talents, credentials, or wealth. They didn’t have much of those. It all happened because the Spirit of God came to live within them, to transform and empower them, to convict and comfort them, to teach them, and preach through them. The Book of Acts is the story of how God’s Spirit took the church outward from Jerusalem to the end of the earth.

That story continues to unfold today and the Holy Spirit remains our animating power. Every Christian receives the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus. When churches and Christians have forgotten the power of the Holy Spirit, we have stagnated. When we have studied Scripture and understood His dynamic power, learning to walk in step with Him, He has changed the world through us. That promise is still true today!

As followers of Jesus, don’t quench the Holy Spirit. Don’t ignore Him. Don’t neglect Him. Don’t try to override Him. Nurture the Spirit. Use of His gifts. Draw near to God and walk with Him in prayer, in Bible study and meditation, in worship, and in ministry. The Holy Spirit is our power to accomplish anything of lasting importance and we must not waste our lives and gifts by settling for anything less than His power at work in and through us!

“And said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'” – Acts 1:11

As followers of Jesus, this verse highlights three key truths that should completely change how we live every aspect of our lives. Jesus is alive. Jesus is currently ruling the universe from heaven. Jesus will return one day. That third truth was particularly emphasized to the disciples as they kept staring up toward heaven after Christ’s ascension.

As Christians, we must never forget that Jesus is presently ruling and reigning in heaven. That’s a tremendous comfort in dark and confusing times. However, we can’t live with our gaze permanently fixed toward heaven. Rather, we must live here on earth in the knowledge that we have important work to do as we eagerly anticipate the victorious return of Jesus. That was the underlying message delivered by the angels that day.

God has given us His Holy Spirit so that we will be witnesses to Jesus everywhere we go. Jesus has promised to be with us constantly as we make disciples. We are empowered and called to work for the advance of Christ’s Kingdom with urgency, because we know that one day, Jesus will return.

We don’t know if He’ll return today or thousands of years from now. But He will return and every follower of Jesus has critically important work to do between now and then. We’ve been given a mission and purpose for our lives and we need to work hard even as we long for the day when our Savior will return!