7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
I believe that the Lord is pleased as we make up our minds to be bold for Him and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in boldness, courageously testifying to His work within us and being poised to be used of Him. Perhaps that will involve the call to be rescuers; maybe stepping into challenging situations in order to proclaim the love of Christ. God gives us the resources to do ministry in the name of Jesus, and we can see ourselves as His ambassadors.
The early disciples were ministering in a very tough environment - they faced threats at the hands of
governmental and religious leaders, and even faced the possibility of imprisonment for their faith. In Acts 4, we read a prayer of Peter and John - part of it says this:
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
There's an illustration of how we need each other in the body of Christ in a story out of Cleveland, which I found out about through the ChristianHeadlines.com website, which referenced a Fox News story about a woman who left a Bible study last Wednesday night and, "according to a Cleveland police report, as she tried to get into her car, two men wearing black coats, black ski masks and blue jeans approached her."
The woman told the police that "the men pushed her and told her to get into the back seat of her car. She began to kick and scream, alerting neighbors," according to the Fox News article, which was an adaptation from Fox8.com. She tried to return to the house, but one of the men grabbed her by the hood of her coat and attempted to drag her up the driveway of another house on the street.
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The early disciples were ministering in a very tough environment - they faced threats at the hands of
governmental and religious leaders, and even faced the possibility of imprisonment for their faith. In Acts 4, we read a prayer of Peter and John - part of it says this:
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,
30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
There's an illustration of how we need each other in the body of Christ in a story out of Cleveland, which I found out about through the ChristianHeadlines.com website, which referenced a Fox News story about a woman who left a Bible study last Wednesday night and, "according to a Cleveland police report, as she tried to get into her car, two men wearing black coats, black ski masks and blue jeans approached her."
The woman told the police that "the men pushed her and told her to get into the back seat of her car. She began to kick and scream, alerting neighbors," according to the Fox News article, which was an adaptation from Fox8.com. She tried to return to the house, but one of the men grabbed her by the hood of her coat and attempted to drag her up the driveway of another house on the street.
Then, the rescuers arrived! According to Fox News: "After hearing her screams, the woman's friends from the Bible study group came outside and scared the men away. Witnesses saw them run through backyards and disappear."
Neighbor Sam Hartman is quoted as saying: "It could have happened to anybody and it's unfortunate that it happened to somebody I know, and somebody who was just coming here to go to a Bible study at the church."
I think there are some important teachings about community here that we can take from this story, in a literal and figurative sense. First of all, literally, the body of Christ, the woman's Bible study group showed up! They were courageous, did not respond in fear, and came to the aid of their fellow study member. That's a great lesson for us: we are called to watch out for one another, and when our fellow believers are facing danger, we can respond in faith, not fear.
We can also be reminded that we are the rescued - by Christ - and we are called to rescue those who are in trouble. And, that also means spiritual trouble. When we recognize that someone doesn't know the Lord, we can be available to share truth with them. Or, when we encounter a person who is struggling spiritually, even a fellow Christian, rather than withdraw, we can be motivated to get involved and perhaps provide Biblical encouragement and even answers for them. And, of course, we can pray.
The fact is, it's a dangerous world - crime abounds in so many of our cities, but it's not restricted to heavy urban areas. And, we know that the ultimate answer to crime is the change of a heart. That's why I am thankful for ministries that go into areas that many might not consider "safe," and share the love and truth. We can look for ways to be bold, to be fearless, in order that the gospel would advance.
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