REFRESHED BY THE SPIRIT. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE - Acts 4:29-30

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

OBSERVATION
After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the disciples experienced a real transformation. They went from uneducated to articulate, from ordinary people to extraordinary, from timid and fearful to bold and decisive, and from faithless to faithful. They are turning the world upside down and the religious establishment is very uncomfortable. They are persecuted and threatened by the religious leaders. As they pray, this passage reveals their heart. Rather than asking God to make things easier for them, they ask God for more boldness to speak the message. And also they asked for more supernatural power to backup their proclamation.

APPLICATION
The Holy Spirit does a real work of transformation in our lives. Very recently I've been asking the Holy Spirit to renew His anointing over my life and over the ministry of our church. We are asking the Lord for more boldness to proclaim the message with power and for more miracles to touch those who are hurting, lost, and hopeless. Of course, this power comes from God. But I think that on my side, I must surrender and rely more and more in the power of the Holy Spirit. I need to fight constantly the default nature of depending on my own strength. Just like the disciples, we need to live expecting God to do powerful things as we take bold steps to proclaim the message and walk by faith, not by sight. We need to risk more, trust more in God, increase our faith, and expect supernatural things in our natural world.

PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for the many opportunities we have to proclaim the message of life and hope in Christ Jesus. Holy Spirit, please fall fresh upon us and give us a unique boldness to proclaim your Word in a way that break the walls of unbelief and brings new hope in people's lives. Let us see more and greater miracles in our society, even if it challenges religiosity and traditional methods. Make us effective in reaching the lost and in making fully devoted followers of Christ. Amen!