Open Heaven 5th February 2024 Monday Daily Devotional

TOPIC: THE HOLY GHOST BAPTISM AND POWER 2

MEMORISE:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” – (2 Timothy 1:7)

READ: Acts 4:1-13 (KJV)

Open Heaven Devotional 5th February 2024 MESSAGE:

In the Bible reading for today, Peter confronted the Sadducees, defending his faith and the name of Jesus Christ. However, was Peter this bold before he was baptised in the Holy Spirit? The simple answer is, “NO”.

In Matthew 14:28-32, Peter was described as being ‘afraid’ after he saw the boisterousness of the wind. In John 18:16-27, when servants recognised him as one of Jesus’ followers, he denied it and swore that he did not know Jesus. This same Peter was now the one confronting Sadducees.

In Acts 4:10, the one who denied Jesus Christ said, “The same Jesus you crucified, God has raised Him from the dead, and it is through Him that this lame man is standing before you whole.” He added that there is no other name given unto men by which anybody can be saved but by Jesus – he was now standing solidly behind Jesus Christ. The Peter after Pentecost was different from the Peter before Pentecost. He was now bold and could speak about Jesus Christ to anyone regardless of their status in the society.

Acts 4:13 says that the boldness of Peter and John was beheld by the people around them. In other words, their boldness became very obvious. What was responsible for this kind of boldness? The answer to this question can be found in Acts 4:8:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel…

Being filled with the Holy Ghost is the antidote for fear. If fear has been holding you back from fulfilling your destiny, it is because you are not yet filled with the Holy Ghost. When you become filled with the Holy Ghost, you will look at the biggest obstacle in front of you and smile because you know that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Whenever fear tries to creep into your heart, start speaking in the Holy Ghost. Speak in tongues to the point where you ascend above the level of that fear. The Holy Spirit gives you the boldness to surmount any obstacle that may be standing in your path, no matter how big it may appear. Pray in the Holy Ghost every day, study your Bible, and have the Holy Ghost lead you. Make the Holy Ghost your companion at all times, and fear will become a stranger to you.