Empowered to speak

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said... Acts 4:8

Acts 3 and 4 are most obviously an account of the power to heal. But there is something else that struck me, that runs not just through these two chapters but the whole of the Acts narrative thus far...

The power to speak.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses. Acts 1:8

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak... Acts 2:4

Here again. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke.

Being filled with the Spirit makes you speak. Jesus described receiving the Spirit, in John 7, as streams of living water. But it is interesting the direction he focused on. He didn't say receiving the Holy Spirit is like streams of living water flowing into your heart from above, but, "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

The Spirit does not just give us supernatural words. Those are the spirit-filled utterances that most people think of. Jesus promised that he would give us powerful and appropriate words in our own language too...

And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:11-12

I think the takeaway for today is pretty clear:
Be filled with the Spirit... and speak!

[Originally posted to Facebook 06/02/18]