Brothers building Brothers

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them . . .  Acts 4:8a

Is it our custom to speak for our Lord, only when we are filled with the Holy Spirit?  Sadly, too often my motives are less than holy and my power is less than spiritual.  As believers we are tasked with spreading the Gospel and because we are indwelt by the Spirit of God we are fully equipped to communicate for God.  However when I am faced with the opportunity to speak for my Lord there are a host of competing motives and sinful human desires seeking to be satisfied by my “godly” actions.

Peter and John were arrested for doing a good deed and had every human right to react indignantly toward their captors, but they instead were filled with the Spirit and thus spoke.  That did not happen automatically.  There was a preparation of heart that began days before on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, (John 21) and continued in the upper room in Jerusalem (Acts 1:12-14).  The preparation basically included confession of sin and corporate prayer and fellowship.

We are once again faced with a new week not knowing what the Lord has in store for us.  What we do know is that we are still on mission and through confession of sin fellowship with the believers and a constant attitude of prayer we can, like Peter, be filled with the Spirit and say to them . . .

Praying for you mission,

Your brother Jack