Are you as bold in your Christian witness as you should be?

These words of Jesus show how boldly He opposed misguided leaders. His words and example show that meekness and boldness work together in witnessing of the Heavenly Father. Many leaders were offended that Jesus would meekly proclaim His unique position. "I am the Son of God" was a bold statement. They expected the Messiah to force all people to do as he directed. Claiming to be the Messiah while submitting to the needs of beggars, harlots, tax collectors and gentiles was more than they would accept.

Jesus tells us: His followers will be, Bold and meek while taking the message of salvation to the entire world. Jesus rules His kingdom and those of us who follow His teaching, His core values are the basis for our witness. Boldness becomes a natural characteristic for His followers whose lives exhibit those values.

How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my father's business?

Explaining scripture in the midst of the doctors of law was indeed a bold act.

Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.

Bold action, bold teaching. What would we think of this teaching if Jesus joined our worship services today?

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. …sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised: To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

But I say unto you, that in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.

It took boldness to confront priests about their rules for Sabbath use. Jesus repeated this several times.

The men of Ninevah shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in judgment with the men of this generation and shall condemn them; for she came from the uttermost part of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. Why reason ye these evil things in your hearts? Whether is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be for given thee; or to say, Arise and take up thy bed and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man has power to forgive sins, I say unto thee, Arise, take up thy bed and go thy way…

Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, not corrupt fruit. Neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down … Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them, for every tree is known by his own fruit. … A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Christian heads of families are to, boldly decide, who will influence their families.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they shall deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you. … And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Bold Christians allow Jesus to guide our thoughts through the Holy Spirit.

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Christians witness of our Savior's love, even when witnessing is not popular.

Rise take up thy bed and walk. Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son and showeth him all things that himself doeth, and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickened them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the son, that all men should honor the son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Verily,verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the son of man shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father sealed. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Ye hypocrites, well hath Isaiah prophesied of you as it is written, 'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.'Howbeit in vain do they worship me…

… O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times? … A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. There shall no sign be given unto this generation but the sign of the prophet Jonah.

When ye have lifted up the son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always those things that please him. And I seek not mine own glory. There is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my Father that honoreth me, of whom ye say that he is your God.

Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Jesus boldly proclaimed and miracles prove, that He had a special position.

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the son of man also confess before the angels of God. But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

Christians are to meekly, boldly proclaim the position Jesus fills today.

Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations, the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves. Have faith in God. Verily, I say unto you, If ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. It shall be done.

Boldness is necessary if we are to meekly fulfill this prophesy. Christians will ask for that which will benefit our witness and encourage fellowship of Christians.

Did ye never read then this that is written in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

But woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut shut the kingdom of heaven against men. For ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayer. Therefore, ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides which say, whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind. For whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind. For whether is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith. These ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides. Which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, and say if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

We must witness carefully, but with the same bold attitude Jesus used.

Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ and the time draweth near, and shall deceive many. Go ye not therefore after them. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer. But whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye. …

Witness boldly against false teachers; and allow Jesus to defend us when they retaliate.

Go ye unto all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned.

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.