Blockage

 Is it because we don't believe the Holy Spirit is as active and the same as He was back in the days of Acts, that we are afraid to preach the message of Jesus as freely as the early Christians did?  They walked from place to place and preached as they went along, town by town.  They preached boldly.

Almost immediately as they were converted and had received the Holy Spirit's indwelling, they were 'filled with the Spirit,' rejoiced and went out and preached.  It all went without saying.  It just happened as a natural course  of action and spontaneous reactional response; a chain reaction that happened.  The Holy Spirit's filling does that.

It did it to Saul of Tarsus, you know, the one who became known as Paul the apostle.  He just could not help himself, nor stop himself.  This characterized most of the other early Christaians too:  Peter; John; Stephen; Philip the Evangelist, to name some.  It was not showbiz, it was sincere reality.

So, I ask, why don't we do so nowadays?  So openly, with threat of persecution is still just as real and imminent.  Urgency is not part of our fabric.  Fear incapacitates.  Fear of man instead of fear of God.  I admit it.  We hold back.  We are sick.  The Holy Spirit's power and authority is suppressed  and we don't shine with His light.

Don't we want to?  

I say I do but then...then I feel myself shrink back. Fear.  Dread.  Find excuses not  to sally forth.  Not to speak.  Blockage of my own making.  Use of pen, can.  Indirectly.  Yes, they say we each have our own gifts.   I hide behind that; make it an excuse and tell myself, you are still getting the message out.  

Is it enough?

Jesus, I feel like I should  be doing more.  To be courageous and walk the streets and  tell Your message of love and forgiveness. People are perishing and I live complacently.  Walk and pray in the streets of our neighborhoods to start. Walk with us.

Give us the words.  Give us the courage.  Holy Spirit help.  Fill us.  Help us overcome our fears, shortcomings and excuses.  Pass us not oh gentle Savior.  Hear our humble, distraught cry.  Remove our blockages.  Make us enough to preach in the name of Jesus wherever You open our mouth in compulsion to do so.  Use us.

Father, may the numbers in Your church grow through the help of Your Holy Spirit.  Strengthen and make us all grow and live only in the  reverence and fear of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

In  Jesus' Name, we beseech You.

                                                     ~ERC  October 2021~

Based on Acts  9 NIV/GoodNews