Acts 5:20

            I thought this was war! In war, you go on the offensive. You attack! For those who may not yet know it – this is the warfare of the sanctified! This is serious stuff! It is a fact that the early church was not into negotiations and parleying with the enemy. They fought! They fought back! They fought fiercely!

            They marched through the streets. They were not undercover Christians. They were brave and bold. They marched into the enemy’s territory. They went on a rampage. They rampaged hell. I am always fascinated by the text found in Acts 5:15, “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter, passing by might overshadow some of them.” That’s what you call – No Ordinary Church! They emptied the hospitals. It went so far that Luke, the physician documents for us, “There came also a multitude out of the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one” (Acts 5:16). Their miracles were not staged but real. Real power substantiated their ministries.

            They literally prayed and rescued souls out of the fire. They created more than a stir. Wherever they went, you either had a revival or a riot, as borne out in the book of Acts. They shook things up. When they stepped out the earth shook. The enemy powers of darkness were undoubtedly intimidated by them. They ransacked Satan’s kingdom. They turned it upside down (Acts 17:6). The representatives of Jesus represented. They did exactly what they were sent to do. For them, there was no giving up or giving in!

            They made the authorities take notice. When they ruthlessly tried to intimidate and silence them, like true soldiers of Jesus, they refused to be silenced or pushed back. Luke reveals how resolute they were in not being turned around. He declares “And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:18-20). It is still even so today that the enemy still comes after the voice and verbal testimony of the church. The aim is to silence us forever. However, we vouch we will not be silent or silenced.

            I simply want to say to the church today – do not let anyone shut you up! This is not a shutting-up, putting-up church. We intend to remain a vocal, loud, boisterous out-in-the-open church! We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard (v20). We have simply seen too much and heard too much of this amazingly spectacular Jesus to remain silent. We were sent to bear witness. To this end we were born and to this we remain committed. You cannot bear witness with your mouth shut. It is time for the church to speak up! We open our mouths and declare the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom. Pentecost without proclamation is but empty drama! The Pentecostal church is a speaking church – a prophetic church. We stand up and boldly proclaim what we have seen and heard (Acts 5:20).

Leroy V. Greenaway 

Regional Bishop – Northeast Region

August 5, 2023