Building One Another  

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

I Thessalonians 5:11

Be Bold and Speak Up

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Dear Friend,          

Do you speak up or do you permit anxiety to silence you when you have the opportunity to speak warmly of the reality of God and of the person of Jesus Christ?

Consider the boldness of those first followers of Jesus:

 On Pentecost: “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31*

 After Saul’s conversion: “So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.” Acts 9:28

 On the first missionary journey: “And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly.” Acts 13:46

 The last we hear of Paul: “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” Acts 28:31  

What conclusion do we derive from these and other such verses? Be Bold! Speak words of witness to your Lord when God gives you the clear opportunity to do so.

Bold doesn’t mean overbearing or pushy. It’s simply having the courage to speak up! Speak warmly and be an encouragement to the person you are speaking to.

Joy to you – E. Stanley Ott

©Copyright 2020 E. Stanley Ott
*Scripture from the ESV

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Can you recall a time someone spoke with you about your faith - perhaps a family member or a church person - and you appreciated their interest in you?

In our day with so many people offering opinions about everything, why is talking about faith, about God and Jesus, frequently create a sense of dis-ease?

The only way to communicate clearly your love for your Lord and that is by using words - so when you are given an appropriate moment to speak of your faith, will you be bold, will you speak up? If you do, the Lord who loves you will love the person you are speaking to through you!

A wonderful book on this topic is "Unbinding the Gospel" by Martha Grace Reese