Speak Out in the Cities

[Acts 18:9-10: Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not your peace: For I am with you, and no man shall set on you to hurt you: for I have much people in this city.] Be not afraid of the magistrates of the city, for they have no power against you but what is given them from above. It is the cause of heaven you should be pleading, do it boldly. Be not afraid of their words, nor dismayed at their looks; but speak, and hold not your peace; Let slip no opportunity of speaking to them; cry aloud, spare not. Do not hold your peace from speaking for fear of them, nor hold your peace in speaking the truth. Do not speak shyly and with caution, but plainly and fully and with courage. Speak out; use all the liberty of Spirit that becomes an ambassador for the Messiah. The same promise that ratified the general commission (Matthew 28:19, 20), Lo I am with you always, is here repeated. Those that have Y’Shua with them need not to fear, and ought not to shrink. G-d will gave him a warrant of protection to save him harmless, and He is not a respecter of persons: "No man shall set on you to hurt you; you shall be delivered out of the hands of wicked and unreasonable men and shall not be driven hence, as you was from other places, by persecution." G-d does not promise that no man should set on him (for the next news we hear is that he is set upon, and brought to the judgment-seat, 18:12), but, "No man shall set on you to hurt you; the remainder of their wrath shall be restrained; you shall not be beaten and imprisoned here, as you was at Philippi." Paul met with coarser treatment at first than he did afterwards, and was now comforted according to the time wherein he had been afflicted. Trials shall not last always, Psalms 66:10-12. G-d gave him a prospect of success: "For I have much people in this city. Therefore no man shall prevail to obstruct your work, therefore I will be with you to own your work, and therefore do thou go on vigorously and cheerfully in it; for there are many in this city that are to be effectually called by your ministry, in whom you shall see of the travail of your soul." “There is to Me a great people here. The L-rd knows those that are His, yea, and those that shall be His; for it is by His work upon them that they become His, and known unto Him are all His works. "I have them, though they yet know Me not, though yet they are let captive by Satan at his will; for the Father has given them to Me, to be a seed to serve Me; I have them written in the book of life; I have their names down, and of all that were given Me I will lose none; I have them, for I am sure to have them;" whom He did predestinate, those He called.” In our cities, though it is a very profane wicked city, full of impurity, yet in this heap of sin, that seems to be all chaff, there is wheat; in this ore, that seems to be all dross, there is gold. Let us not despair concerning any place, when even in our cities the Messiah has much people.