Proclaiming Jesus

I read Acts 4:29 recently, “29Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” The statement itself did not surprise me, just its location in the story. Just beforehand in chapter 3 (Acts 3:1-10), Peter had healed a man crippled for over 40 years. The people were astonished and this gave Peter the platform to proclaim the good news that is Jesus, crucified, dead, and resurrected (Acts 3:11-26). Now, this is where I would be praying, God give me boldness to proclaim your Word. Look at all Peter has done in your name! He has healed a crippled man and preached powerfully on your behalf. I want that! Help me be bold for you! However more transpires before the believers pray this. The Sadducees seized Peter and John in Chapter 4 and threw them in jail. They threatened Peter and John and told them to no longer teach in this name (Jesus). And Peter responds with some of my favorite scripture: Acts 4:19-20, “19But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Because they had experienced Jesus and the power of his freedom they could not back down from proclaiming the good news. After being released from jail and telling the followers the whole story, this is when they praised God and prayed for boldness in 4:29. They asked for boldness with the knowledge that preaching Jesus would mean jail time, threats, probable physical abuse, maybe even death. We so many times shy away from bringing Jesus into conversations or giving God the praise when it is uncomfortable for us. I wonder what those early believers would think about that. Better yet, I wonder what Jesus thinks about that? When will you ask for the boldness to proclaim Christ? Only when things are going great and you are in comfortable company, or will you proclaim Jesus when things are tough and the people around you scoff at and persecute you? Jesus, the apostles, and the early church all spoke of the salvation that Jesus brings through intense persecution, I think I can relinquish my comfort.

Five Loaves Two Fish, you know the story

You know the story. Jesus feeds 5,000 men not counting women and children with five loaves and two fish. You can find it in all four gospels (Matt 14:13-21, Mark 6:32-44, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:1-13). John adds the detail that it’s a young boy who contributes the food which makes it an even better Sunday school story. You know how the story is told in Sunday school or bible study. Jesus can multiply what you have to meet needs.

We have to be careful to not miss the point though. God only multiplies what we have when we are willing to give it up to Him. So a boy gives the disciples five loaves and two fish, which in all reality does not changes the boy’s situation. If a boy has five loaves and two fish, he’s not going hungry. The point here is that the boy (and most likely the family with him) had enough to meet their needs, because they are the ones who thought ahead or by chance are the ones prepared for the long and winding journey that started out as hearing Jesus speak. The decision then facing this boy or family is this: I prepared and brought enough for us to eat, and now because no one else did, you want to take what is mine and give it to everyone else? I am guilty of this particular line of thought myself, very often. On top of that, there is not nearly enough to go around! Faced with the dilemma of providing for himself and looking out for his own interest or trust Jesus and sacrifice what he asks, the boy gives what is asked and God’s power is shown through his generosity. Two things happened here: (1) God multiplied his gift and fed thousands of people, but (2) the boy received no more food than he would have received if he had chosen to keep the five loaves and two fish. The boy did get to experience God’s miraculous power in his life and for him that was enough. God only increases your contribution when you invest in His initiatives. Need further proof; check out the story of Elijah and the woman with only a handful of flour and a little oil (1 Kings 17:7-16) during a time of drought and famine in her country. Elijah asks for some bread. However, it is only after she has given the bread, what she thought was the last of her provisions, to God’s servant that God supernaturally prolonged her provision.

Five Loaves, Two Fish. Will we hold on to ours with all we have or release the potential it carries in the hands of Jesus?