No more silenced by threats or cowed by fear...
By Reinhard Bonnke
When Peter saw Jesus raised from the dead, he certainly did not go straight out and preach about it. He could not believe his own eyes and was too apprehensive about how the authorities would react to the rumor of Jesus rising from the dead. The disciples gathered together to encourage each other because they lived in “fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). Peter did not know what to do but he had to do something so he decided to go fishing again, back to square one (John 21).
Then dawned the day of Pentecost and the fellowship meeting of the 120 disciples. The Holy Spirit came down to them through the heavens that had been torn apart by Christ’s ascension and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (Acts 2:3).
They were transformed. That day they all stood up in public as witnesses of the eesurrection (Acts 2:32). Peter preached and the crowds trembled at the power of his words. The secret of their new-found boldness was the baptism in the Spirit and fire. they now knew – by their own experience – that Jesus had risen and had taken his place at the right hand of God. They became burning and shining lamps, witnesses to the resurrection. We never read again that they were silenced by threats or cowed by fear; instead, their life’s work became to boldly declare the gospel wherever they went. “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
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