Use Your Mouth/Say Something; Proclaim Jesus!

Heidi Eva Jones
Dec 8, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Dec 31

Volume 14 Issue 10

Greeting in His Name,

We must choose to boldly inspire active faith and encourage believers to step out in evangelism. It's time! So, with that being said, today's blog is entitled Use Your Mouth... Hope you find some inspiration, conviction, and queries.

shalom and love,

heidi

Acts 4:1 – 4 NIV

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

Proclaim: to announce or declare officially or formally, declare something one considers necessary with due emphasis. Our society needs some proclaimers. Folk who will unashamedly declare the truths of the Gospel. People filled with the Holy Ghost, ready to set the atmosphere on fire with God's presence. We need a Spirit led, Spirit fed revival!

Proclaiming Jesus causes good conflict (vss. 1 – 22)

15 - 18 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name." Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

The late Senator John Lewis once stated, "When you see something that is not right or fair, say something, do something, get in trouble… Good Trouble." It is often said that he was an effective leader because he truly embodied this principle. LLG readers, will you take this challenge to heart? Will you embrace constructive conflict? By "harnessing" conflict, I mean engaging in positive, constructive conflict rather than negative, messy, or hostile confrontations. Just as Peter and John were courageous leaders of their time, will you step forward in the same spirit? Nothing could stop them, not even death.

Let us press on in this season to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Many people know of Jesus, but they don't truly know Him. The harvest is ready. Let us pull out the winnowing hooks, because if we don't act, we may miss the opportunity to reach those whom God is calling to higher ground.

Proclaiming Jesus increases the need to pray (vss. 23 – 31)

23-24, 31 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

In that prayer, you didn't hear anything about me, mine, or I. Instead, you heard a fervent plea for Jesus to be proclaimed powerfully, for the Gospel to reach the masses, and for Christ's plans to be set in motion. The first-century church was not only filled with the Spirit and powerful; it was a church committed to prayer. Let us say together, "Lord, teach me to pray!" This is where the true power lies, enabling unconverted men, women, boys, and girls to come into the knowledge of the truth.

What if we, as a united community, dedicated the next 30 days to fervently pray for those who are lost, the unsaved, and individuals who feel disconnected or neglected in their spiritual journeys? What if we channeled our prayers specifically toward those who have yet to experience the warmth and guidance of a church community? What if, during this month, we reached out in love and support, seeking to make a difference in their lives through our heartfelt intercessions? What if?

Proclaiming Jesus kills you. (vss. 32 – 37)

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

The defining characteristic of a truly praying church is its unwavering commitment to selflessness. Years ago, I delved into DL Moody's Prevailing Prayer, where a powerful section on unity, shared by Luther, caught my attention. Martin Luther's analogy of two goats meeting on a narrow bridge is striking: neither can maneuver around the other, nor can they turn back. If they clash, both risk falling into the depths below, yet nature shows these goats that by one lying down and allowing the other to pass over, both can successfully cross. Luther compellingly argues that individuals should be willing to endure some inconvenience rather than engage in fruitless debates and conflicts. The first-century church exemplified this principle; they came together, unified in their mission to proclaim Christ's work of saving the lost. It's time to ask ourselves: has the church lost its true focus?

Story Title: It Was Only A Quarter.

I want to express my love for this story, which highlights the importance of our character and how our proclamation of Jesus is reflected in it.

Several years ago, a preacher from out of state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. A few weeks after he arrived, he had an opportunity to ride the bus from his home to downtown. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, "You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it." Then he thought, "Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet."

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver. And said, "Here, you gave me too much change."

The driver, with a smile, replied, "Aren't you the new preacher in town? Have been thinking a lot lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday."

When the preacher "stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the "nearest light pole, held on, and said, "Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter."

You never know...

LIFE QUOTE

“Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock."

-Author Unknown

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