Acts 13:1-12 NKJV

[1] Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. [2] As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” [3] Then, having fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away. [4] So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there, they sailed to Cyprus. [5] And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant. [6] Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, [7] who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. [8] But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. [9] Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him [10] and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? [11] And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. [12] Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Faith is a beautiful possession that is meant to be used and shared. Being a witness to the incredible experience of salvation and testifying to the goodness of God is one of the believer's highest calls. The grace that I have experienced did not come from a limited supply, so I feel like others deserve to hear about it. Most people feel this way, but not everyone is naturally that bold.

There are parts of me that still feel new to my faith. I don't mind sharing, but I sometimes doubt whether or not I am fully equipped to defend my beliefs. The other part of me (the part that grew up in church) has a tendency to be too comfortable and too complacent to rock the boat. I love Jesus, but I might come off as being "too religious" or a little too radical.

Paul (Saul) was not new to the Jewish religion, but he was young in his faith in Christ. What gave him the confidence and authority to call out a false prophet with such boldness? Paul was not acting in his own authority. He was called by God and equipped by the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Jesus. We are all called just the same. We have the same power, the same authority, and the same Holy Spirit as Paul experienced then.

John 14:26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

If we are obedient to sharing Jesus with others, we don't have to know all the answers. The presence of the Holy Spirit will provide us with all we need to boldly share Christ with the world.