I've read so many posts on Facebook about the joy filled days we spent at Maywood Christian Camp this past week. It truly was a wonderful week. Many of us came back with our spiritual cups full to the brim and overflowing. We had so much in our hearts we just had to share. I spent several minutes talking about in our ladies' Sunday school myself!
This made me think of the incident recorded in Acts chapter four. After healing the lame man at the gate called Beautiful (Acts 3), Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus in the temple. The next day they were brought before the council and asked by what power or what name were they doing this? (Acts 4:7 NKJV)
Now think about this for just a minute. They healed a man in the name of Christ. They began to preach about Him. They were arrested and spent the night in jail -- and when they were brought before the council and questioned, what did they do? Peter preached Jesus again!! He did the very same thing for which he was arrested.
Peter and John and all the other apostles had become bold in their allegiance to Christ. There was no more running away like they did when He was crucified. There was no more fear! There was courage and faith and joy. They had seen Christ resurrected. They were full!
What was the councils reaction to this? Well, they really didn't know exactly what to do. They knew these men were uneducated and so they marveled at their speech. They noted they had been with Jesus. Something to think about. Do people take note of us when we spend time with Jesus? Shouldn't others be able to see Him in us?
OK - back to Acts 4. The Jewish council couldn't deny that Peter and John had done a good thing by healing the lame man. They could find no reason to detain them. But they didn't want this Jesus thing to get out of hand. They decided it couldn't go any further.
So they told Peter and John they couldn't talk about Jesus anymore. This didn't phase the apostles. It didn't even slow them down. Listen to their answer:
"Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:19-20 NKJV)
I love this verse! I love the commitment -- the resolve -- of Peter and John. The NIV says "we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" and the New Century Version says "we must speak about what we have seen and heard."
You get the point. The apostles were so full of Jesus - they couldn't help it! They had to talk about Him -- who He was -- how He had lived -- what He had done and why He died -- how He rose again -- and how we have hope through Him. They literally couldn't help it. Their hearts were full and they had to teach that Jesus Christ came to save us all.
Hopefully most of us can identify with this feeling -- at least a little. When I participate or am in a spiritually rich environment - I come back excited and joyful and ready to tell everyone I see about how good God is and how much Jesus loves us.
Places like Christian camps or retreats or Lads to Leaders or any other wonderful works for us help us fill up again and again. It is easy to be excited the first few days after we come home. It is easy to share in those days. But as time goes past, we loose some of our enthusiasm. It's natural - we are only human.
How do we rise to the challenge of keeping that joy and zeal alive? Close fellowship with other disciples is one way. Scripture tells us that when Peter and John were released, they "went to their own companions" to share what had befallen them. They needed that support .. that love ... that hope and comfort that only God's people could give them.
Prayer is another key way to stay true .. to remain steadfast .. to cling to the Father and remember that Jesus intercedes for us. Peter and John and their companions prayed. It is a beautiful and powerful prayer of praise to God for His plan ... the plan He had all along to make Jesus our Savior. And then a prayer for boldness to continue speaking and healing in the name of Jesus.
Getting to know Jesus like the apostles did is another way to stay focused on telling others about Him. We can do this by studying the Word of God. The Old Testament centers on the promise of a Savior. The Gospels tell us so much about how Christ lived. The rest of the New Testament continues to tell us about Jesus and how we can live for Him.
The authors of the New Testament saw Him .. heard Him.. loved Him. We can read about the things they saw and heard. We can know through faith in what we read .. we can learn to love Him like they did. And once we realize His great love ... once we understand how He can transform our lives too .... then ....
Well - hopefully then we will speak about the things we see and hear about Jesus!
Christ above all things,
Robin
