“Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” (Acts 5:12-16)

I am guessing that some of that fear was a direct result of what happened with Ananias and Sapphira, the married couple who withheld some of their money from the sale of their home and lied about it. God took care of them swiftly and fatally. Their execution at the doorposts was not because of they didn’t sell everything or give every penny they had – it was because they lied and hid back some. Had they been honest, there wouldn’t have been an issue.

As shown in that story and after, Peter and the apostles were letting the Holy Spirit be fully in control and following with abandon. Chapter 5 showcases how little the apostles themselves had anything to do with what was going on. Peter did not tell Ananias he would die, he just called him out for lying to God; with Sapphira however, he guessed she would receive the same fate her husband was given. He also had little to do with his shadow healing the sick.

These, to me, are clearly the Acts of the Holy Spirit and show God’s will in bringing people to Himself in a massive way to get this movement started. On our own, we have zero power or ability; it is only with Christ in us that we have the power to move mountains or do all things.

Friends, I implore you to stop trying to be powerful on your own. We all have our thorns in the flesh that prove we rely on the sufficiency of God, so let’s together stop denying that. We are weak and frail (and I know I feel that all the more during this pandemic). God, however, our Creator and Sustainer is most certainly not. He is powerful and vibrant, quickening our spirit and our bodies to accomplish His work. In fact, in Him, we are invincible until He calls us home. So don’t be afraid – but don’t you dare try to do this on your own. Ask for His strength from His Spirit to fill you and flood you with His Power.