Author: looking2jesus13

July 3

Bible Reading: Acts 6:1-7

Acts 6:2, “And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.”

Acts 6:4, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Her days on earth were drawing to an end. In fact, her son had doubted she’d make it through the previous night.  She hadn’t eaten but a few bites of food in the preceding weeks.  I had come to visit, and after talking with the son for a bit, I asked if I could enter her room and pray for her.  Her eyes opened when I greeted her, and I reminded her I was the chaplain.  She reached out her hand, and I held it as I read a few Scriptures passages and talked about the saving work of Jesus.  I spoke of His readiness to draw near and bring her safely home to heaven and reminded her that nothing mattered more than trusting in Him.  I sang a hymn, “Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” and I prayed for her.  I found out later that she was actively dying.  She’d hardly eaten a thing for weeks, but God had, in His Word, something better for her.  We can’t live long without food or water, but we can’t truly live (in a spiritual sense) apart from the “words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

It was necessary and right that the church should provide food for its widows, but Jesus commissioned the twelve to a more vital task.  When Jesus exhorted Peter three times to “feed My sheep,” (John 21:15-17), he set forth what is to be the number one priority for all subsequent shepherds.  The twelve understood their need to prioritize devotion “to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).  And we do well to establish that same priority for ourselves.

“First of all,” Paul instructed Timothy, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1).  Prayer is a “first of all” priority.  Likewise, he charged Timothy to “preach the word,” understanding the strategic role of the teaching of the Word in the spiritual health and growth of the church (2 Timothy 4:1-2).  The church has a responsibility to care for the physical needs of its members, but the supreme task of a shepherd is to keep the flock well-fed with the powerful-to-save-and transform Word of God.  There will come a day for us all when physical food will no longer matter, but “the words of eternal life” will never lose their power or appeal!

We can’t live long without food, but we can’t truly live (in a spiritual sense) apart from the “words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE
Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty
Teach me faith and duty.

Refrain:
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words,
Wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessed one, gives to all
Wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call,
Wonderful words of life;
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven. [Refrain]

Sweetly echo the gospel call,
Wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all,
Wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior,
Sanctify forever. [Refrain]

July 2

Bible Reading: Acts 6:1-7

Acts 6:1, “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”

The early church exemplified compassion by providing daily food distributions to its widows. A society’s virtue is reflected in its care for the most vulnerable. God, who “executes justice for the fatherless and the widow,” deeply cares about our treatment of those who need protection and provision (Deuteronomy 10:17).

We’ve a God-given responsibility to honor the vulnerable, including the bereaved. Often, a widow receives considerable attention and help immediately following the loss of a spouse. However, what happens in the subsequent weeks and months? Unlike today, there were no social security benefits, government programs, or social agencies in ancient times to support those in need. The church, motivated by love, took on the responsibility of caring for all its members, especially those without visible means of support, like widows and orphans (James 1:27).

As a hospice chaplain and chairman of South Morrow County Seniors Matter, I frequently interact with widows and observe varying levels of care. Our society is aging, and many older adults, both men and women, may not need financial assistance but deeply desire someone who cares. They long to hear from or see their loved ones, but too often, nobody calls or visits. The church has an obligation to provide practical help, and we all have a duty to show compassion. God cares about the bereaved and lonely; so, should we.  When we treat widows and widowers with the loving care Jesus has shown us, we help meet their needs, help the church, and please the Lord Jesus!

The virtue of any society can be measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable citizens (James 1:27).

MAKE ME A BLESSING
Out in the highways and byways of life,
Many are weary and sad;
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife,
Making the sorrowing glad.

Refrain:
Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing.
Out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.
Make me a blessing to someone today.

Tell the sweet story of Christ and his love,
Tell of his pow’r to forgive;
Others will trust him if only you prove
True, ev’ry moment you live. [Refrain]

Give as ‘twas given to you in your need,
Love as the Master loved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed,
Unto your mission be true. [Refrain]

July 1

Bible Reading: Acts 6:1-7

Acts 6:1, “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”

My friends and I manage a senior meal site here in Heppner, Oregon. Each week, on Tuesdays, we feed about 75 older adults.  Though we are in Heppner, we have folks coming to us from all south Morrow County.  Imagine what would happen if we showed preference in feeding the Heppner folks and neglected those who came from out of town?  There’d be a lot of complaining!

That’s akin to what was happening in the early church as it grew.  There were, in the church, individuals from Jerusalem who spoke in Hebrew and were appropriately known as “Hebrews,” and there were those who had been dispersed among the Gentiles and spoke the Greek language.  These were called “Hellenists,” from a word meaning “Greek” or “Greek-speaking.”  As the church grew, it was becoming increasingly difficult to manage the distribution of food.

The Hellenists complained because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.  Whether this was on purpose, we are not told, but the situation had the potential to cause much harm.  Recall that the church was of “one heart and soul” and shared “everything in common” (Acts 4:32).  God had made them one, but a brewing division had the potential to cause much harm.  Unremedied, the disagreement could schism the church.

A complaint arose.  Sometimes complaints have some underlying legitimacy, often they don’t.  Here there was a matter that needed urgent attention, so the twelve acted swiftly.  It’s sometimes necessary to bring a matter of concern to someone’s attention, as in this case, but there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.  The right way is when it’s done in the right spirit, at the right time, to the right person, and for the right motive.  To do otherwise is to merely complain, and we know what God thinks about that (Philippians 2:14).

It is impossible to thank God and complain simultaneously.  It’s far better to take the right steps to help rectify the concern.

IN CHRIST THERE IS NO EAST OR WEST
In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.

In Christ shall true hearts ev’rywhere
their high communion find.
His service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.

Join hands, then, people of the faith,
whate’er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.

In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north.
All Christly souls are joined as one
throughout the whole wide earth.

June 28

Bible Reading: Acts 5:32-37

Acts 5:38-39, “If this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.  You might even be found to be opposing God!”

The religious leaders conspired to have Jesus put to death.  But they were powerless to keep Him entombed.  The risen Christ sent forth His Apostles to bear witness of Him, but the religious leaders kept trying to stop them.  They were “enraged and wanted to kill them” (Acts 5:33).  “But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel” spoke up and intervened on their behalf (Acts 5:34f).

Gamaliel was a “teacher of the law” and was “held in honor by all the people” (Acts 5:35; 22:3).  He suggested that the Council carefully weigh its decision regarding the apostles, reminding them of other previous revolutionaries that had risen only to perish.  So he counseled the Council to take care. His reasoning?  “If this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.  You might even be found to be opposing God” (Acts 5:38-39)!  After they warned the apostles and had them beaten, the religious leaders “let them go” (Acts 5:40).

“If it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them,” Gamaliel said (Acts 5:39).  So, it has been as Gamaliel predicted, and more importantly, as Jesus Himself had promised: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).  History has proven that which Jesus declared.  In the centuries following the church’s inception, it has witnessed countless spurious causes and even world-wide revolutions taking place.  Some of these revolutions have ascended to incredible heights of authoritative power and influence.  But their man-made causes proved unsustainable—worthless relics in the trash heap of history.  Not so Biblical Christianity.  Despite persecution and opposition, the church continues.  The Roman Empire tried to extinguish its light, but the witness could not be silenced.  The Protestant Reformation burst forth despite intense resistance.  In recent centuries, communist governments sought to eradicate Christianity, only to see the church persevere and grow under oppression.  Even today, in countries around the world, the persecution of Christians only works to strengthen the resolve of Christ’s followers.  It is as the 2nd-century Church Father Tertullian once said, “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

Secular elitists are working to this day to silence the testimony of Bible-believing Christians.  The prince of the power of the air leads many minions (Ephesians 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:26).  Redefining sin and silencing the gospel are their key objectives.  Many are yielding to the pressure to compromise.  But Christ’s true church will never falter or fail (Romans 8:31, 37).  His Word cannot be imprisoned (2 Timothy 2:9).  His plans cannot be thwarted.  Don’t let the growing choir of secular voices that speak ill of His church or His Word alarm you.  The Lord lovingly and faithfully provides for and protects His Church.  He is even now preparing it for His return. The day is coming when the “great Church victorious” will be “the Church at rest!”

“I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18

THE CHURCH’S ONE FOUNDATION
The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word:
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

Elect from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food;
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.

‘Mid toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic, sweet communion
With those whose rest is won;
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.

June 27

Bible Reading: Acts 5:23-31

Acts 5:28, “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching…”

One of the most rewarding things in my life has been my visits to Uganda, working with Hope and Mercy Mission to assist our fellow believers over there.  I can still recall that first trip; not knowing what to expect, I was both nervous and filled with anticipation. But our friends there were so wonderfully grateful for help, as they have many physical and spiritual needs.  As a member of the mission team, my role was to work with my uncle, Pastor Bob, to assist in the training of pastors.  These village pastors had hearts to learn, but lacked the necessary training and resources.  So, we worked to form pastor alliances so we could provide Bibles and other help and to facilitate Bible Conferences. 

We held a Bible conference on that first visit that was attended by about 25 pastors.  I can’t remember the theme, but we provided some Bible teaching and then spent some time answering questions.  We also visited some pastors in their churches and worked to form a second pastor’s alliance in a neighboring area.  I made eight subsequent trips, the geographic reach of the mission expanding on every occasion.  What began as a call by God for Pastor Bob and Paul Mwesigwa to assist a relatively small group of pastors has since expanded to include over 300 churches in one region of Uganda.  What began as a work of providing Bibles and Bible teaching in conferences, worked eventually to establish an ongoing Bible school in which pastors are well-equipped to shepherd and lead their village churches.  Four well-qualified Ugandan men lead that effort, and they’ve graduated nearly 100 pastors so far.  In a sense, God worked to fill that region with the teaching of the Word!

I remember walking once with my uncle Bob down a trail near to the guest house.  He took me to a place which overlooked some adjacent hills and valleys and told me of how he had spent time at a particular spot, asking God that He might work to open doors so that we might assist those pastors too.  And I remember another occasion, in a visit to a local pastor, who told us of how he and his friends had prayed without ceasing that God would bring them help—as they needed better training and resources.  He was overflowing with gratitude to God for answering their prayers!  Pastor Bob was praying.  And those local pastors were praying.  And God responded!

God did a great work in filling Jerusalem with the teaching of the Word.  It was His work. He privileged the Apostles to be a part of it, but it was the Spirit of God who was leading the way. And it was as the people prayed. You’ve got your own mission field.  There are people in your sphere of influence who need the Lord!  It all starts with prayer.

“Brother, if you would enter that Province, you must go forward on your knees.”—Hudson Taylor

MACEDONIA
The vision of a dying world is vast before our eyes;
We feel the heartbeat of its need, we hear its feeble cries:
Lord Jesus Christ, revive Your Church in this, her crucial hour!
Lord Jesus Christ, awake Your Church with Spirit given power.

The savage hugs a god of stone and fears descent of night;
The city dweller cringes lone amid the garish light:
Lord Jesus Christ, arouse Your Church to see their mute distress!
Lord Jesus Christ, equip Your Church with love and tenderness.

Today, as understanding’s bounds are stretched on every hand,
O clothe Your Word in bright new sounds, and speed it o’er the land;
Lord Jesus Christ, empower us to preach by every means!
Lord Jesus Christ, embolden us in near and distant scenes.

The warning bell of judgment tolls, above us looms the cross;
Around are ever-dying souls – how great, the loss!
O Lord, constrain and move Your Church the glad news to impart!
And Lord, as now You stir Your Church, begin within my heart.

June 26

Bible Reading: Acts 5:17-26

Acts 5:19, “But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, ‘Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.’ And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.”

In one of the most notorious of jailbreaks, three prisoners escaped from what was supposed to be America’s most inescapable prison, Alcatraz, in San Francisco in 1962.  This, despite the prisoners being subjected to 12 guard checks every day.  The trio used decoy heads for their beds, made of soap and plaster that fooled guards into thinking they were in their cells. They escaped through a kitchen smokestack and strung 50 raincoats together to make a raft.

We read of many jailbreaks in the book of Acts.  Unlike the escape from Alcatraz, the apostles were innocent of any wrongdoing and they didn’t escape on their own.  It was Satan himself, working through the religious leaders, who locked them up.  But they were divinely called to bear witness to Jesus, so God sent an angel of the Lord to break them out of jail.  Once released, they returned to the temple and followed the angel’s instructions, speaking “to the people the words of this life” (Acts 4:20).  The “captain of the temple and the chief priests” were greatly perplexed by how their prisoners had escaped (Acts 4:24).

There is a real devil, and he’d love to keep us all bound by chains.  We are all born sinners and, as sinners, we are born to slavery.  Sin is a harsh taskmaster, and freedom is an elusive dream.  Life in the jailhouse of Satan’s domain of darkness is full of misery and hopelessness.  How beautiful the day, then, when the “light shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).  God worked to “deliver us from the domain of darkness (transferring) us to the kingdom of his beloved son” (Colossians 1:13).  We’ve been set free!  Set free from sin!  Set free to know and love Jesus!  Set free to serve!  Set free to share with others “the words of this life” (Acts 4:20).

As a new student at seminary, I joined the choir.  I can still remember the words to that first song we learned: “To all who are tortured and ravaged by sin. The frail and the wounded about to give in.  There’s news of release and captivity’s end. We’ve been set free, Come and See.” God worked to break us out of prison.  Now we’ve got a message to share with others!

“Come And See, the power of sin has been broken. The gates of your prisons stand open, Come And See!”

COME AND SEE
To all who are tortured and ravaged by sin
The frail and the wounded about to give in
There’s news of release and captivity’s end
We’ve been set free, Come And See

Oh sleeper awake, come out of the night
Throw open the door and step into the light
For sin is undone and the wrong is made right
We’ve been set free, Come And See

Chorus
Come And See, the power of sin has been broken
The gates of your prisons stand open, Come And See
Arise, believe, for the power at work both to rescue and save
Is the power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave
We’ve been set free, Come And See

I, too, lived in slavery, unmercifully bound
Battered and broken, I finally knelt down
And there in obedience freedom was found, I’ve been set free
And now through the dungeons of darkness and night
I run in the freedom of liberty’s light
And shout to the captives, ”Oh prisoners take flight
We’ve been set free, Come and See” [Chorus]

If the enemy’s holding a knife to your chest
Demanding you give up or die
In Christ crucified you’ve already died
And now you are free [Chorus]

Artist: Steve Green; Songwriters: David Huntsinger, Jon Mohr, Bonnie Huntsinger

June 25

Bible Reading: Acts 5:12-16

Acts 5:14, “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.”

When pastoring at Lewis and Clark Bible Church, I found in a closet an old church attendance sign in a closet.  It had a place to display the numbers of people in attendance at the various Sunday services.  You remember the kind?  Imagine what it would have been like to post one of those at Solomon’s Portico?  “Peter, what are we to do? The numbers keep changing so fast we can’t keep up!”

It’s helpful to understand what was happening in the historical and cultural context.  Let’s first consider what the church in that day didn’t have.  They didn’t have any kind of elaborate organization, at least not in how we’d put one together.  Prototypical deacons would come later (Acts 6), but at this point, the organization amounted to Jesus as head, and the Apostles called forth to do His bidding.  They didn’t have any church buildings, the very concept of which lay a couple of centuries in the future.  They had no entertaining music to draw people.  No comfortable seats for them to sit in.  No fancy worship folders.  No hymnals or chorus books or songs displayed on PowerPoint.  [That’s not to say that some of the aforementioned things are wrong. I’m merely pointing out that the early church grew in the absence of them.] The Apostles had read no church growth books and had attended no such seminars.  In fact, they hadn’t even been to Bible school or seminary.  Neither Peter, who had denied Christ three times, nor Paul, who had a history of violence against the church, would have survived the scrutiny of any missionary or pastoral search committee.

But they had Jesus!  And He was the attraction!  They held, as a treasure in their earthen vessels, the precious knowing of Jesus in a personal way.  They possessed a glorious gospel message that had worked to forgive them from their sins and had caused them to be born again to a new way of life.  They had, by the Spirit, hearts filled with love, that revealed itself in their readiness to sacrifice their all for the sake of their brethren.  They held in their changed lives the dramatic proof that Jesus had died for their sins and rose from the dead! 

The church growth that we read about in the book of Acts took place according to a simple formula.  The church grew as the Spirit worked and the people prayed.  All three things were happening simultaneously.  Though the Spirit is surely capable of working independently of us, God has graciously chosen to include us in the work that He does.  Nothing happens apart from prayer.  That same formula has repeated itself countless times in various places around the world.  Next time you look across the pews, yearning to see what those folks saw two millennia ago, keep in mind what drew all those people.  What drew the people was the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.  And it was the Spirit that unveiled that truth to folks.  And it was as the people of that day were praying.  And you can do that too!

“The true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer.” – Leonard Ravenhill

LORD, SEND A REVIVAL
Send a revival, O Christ, my Lord,
Let it go over the land and sea,
Send it according to Thy dear Word,
And let it begin in me.

Chorus:
Lord, send a revival,
Lord, send a revival,
Lord, send a revival,
And let it begin in me.

Send a revival among Thine own,
Help us to turn from our sins away.
Let us draw near to the Father’s throne,
Revive us again, we pray. [Chorus]

Send a revival to those in sin,
Help them, O Jesus, to turn to Thee,
Let them the new life in Thee begin,
Oh, give them the victory. [Chorus]

Send a revival in ev’ry heart,
Draw the world nearer. O Lord to Thee,
Let Thy salvation true joy impart,
And let it begin in me. [Chorus]

June 24

Bible Reading: Acts 5:1-11

Acts 4:36-37, “Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

Acts 5:1-2, “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

A pastor, who had been emphasizing the importance of daily Bible reading, received an invitation to visit the home of one of his parishioners.  While at their home, the Pastor’s wife noticed these words scribbled on the calendar: “Pastor/Wife visit—dust off all Bibles.”

Though all too common, hypocrisy is something that works against the spiritual well-being of the church and its members.  The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek theater and referred to the practice of putting on a mask, conveying the idea of playing a part on stage.  Spiritually speaking, it involves creating a public impression that is at odds with one’s character and motives. 

Satan attempted to hinder the church’s progress through the threats of the religious council (Acts 4).  Having limited success with persecution, he introduced a strategy of corruption, seeking to undermine the integrity of the church. 

It is as Warren Wiersbe has noted: “We must face the fact that Satan is a clever foe. If he does not succeed as the ‘devouring lion’ (1 Peter 5:8), then he attacks again as the ‘deceiving serpent’ or an ‘angel of light’ (2 Cor. 11:3, 13-14). Satan is both a murderer and a liar (John 8:44), and the church must be prepared for both attacks.”

Barnabas, a spiritual man, was motivated by love to sell all his property for the benefit of others.  Ananias and Sapphira, seeking the applause of men without paying the price, sold their land but hid the fact that they had held back some of the profit.  Their lie to the Holy Spirit proved costly, as both dropped dead after being exposed for their sin.  Barnabas, aka “the son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36) lived on, proving himself to be a tremendous encouragement to lots of folks in lots of ways.  Hypocrisy is no small sin.  God hates it.  Satan loves it.  And it is hazardous to our spiritual health.  Barnabas left us with a wonderful example to follow. All that Ananias and Sapphira left to us was a warning.

We lose the approval of God when we seek the applause of men.

PURE AND HOLY
Pure and holy I would be
Worthy of your love for me
Teach me while Your light in clear;
Change me while my heart is near.

Holy, holy, holy Lord
Holy, holy, holy Lord

You are great and I am small,
You are King and God of all.
You are wise in all You do,
Lord I put my trust in You.

Holy, holy, holy Lord
Holy, holy, holy Lord

June 21

Bible Reading: Acts 4:32-37

Acts 4:32, “Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”

You don’t need me to tell you it is sometimes difficult for us humans to get along.  Broken marriages: torn-apart families, communities, and churches; a divided nation—all bear testimony to this sad reality.  It’s been that way for a long, long time, ever since the fall of man.  Cain killed Abel; we humans have been fighting with each other ever since (James 4:1-3).

Though perhaps not as dramatic or obvious as the preceding miracles, what we find here in our text is just as astonishing.  For all “who believed were of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32).  By this time, there were thousands of those “who believed,” including the 8000 who had responded to Peter’s sermons.  These folks, “Jews and proselytes,” were from a long list of various places (Acts 2:9-11).  They spoke different languages and came from different cultures.  They were people just like us, having their own sinful tendencies.  But Jesus had worked to save them, and He had Spirit-united them all in the deepest possible way.  It wasn’t just that they shared with each other all that they possessed, they shared a common identity and a common heart and soul.

It was all in answer to what Jesus asked for, when He prayed to the Father, “that they might be one even as we are one” (John 17:22).  The oneness we read of in our text was a supernatural work of God by the Holy Spirit, and it bore testimony to the radical change Jesus made in the lives of those who believed.  And it is no different today.  God has made us one in Jesus.  We have much in common (Ephesians 4:4-6).  Though it is neither simple nor easy, it is our duty and privilege to remain “eager to maintain the unity” God has established (Ephesians 4:3).

Recently, I was part of a search and rescue effort to find a young boy that went missing.  They assigned our team to cover a specific area.   Our team leader lined us up, about ten feet apart, and explained that we were to remain so, as we headed out as one team to search in one direction.  Occasionally, someone would get too far ahead or behind, so he’d line us all up again and we would proceed.  In the spiritual realm, we’ve a team leader in the Holy Spirit.  He’s the One that works to keep us all headed in a “Jesus-ward” direction (John 16:14).  Galatians 5:25 exhorts us to “keep in step with the Spirit.”  It is as we each keep in step with Him that we experience the blessings of the miraculous union we share in Jesus and with each other!  By the way… after being lost overnight, search teams found the little boy!

It is as we keep in step with the Spirit that we experience the blessings of the unity we possess in Christ.

OUR GOD HAS MADE US ONE
Our God has made us one
In Him our hearts unite
When we His children share His love
Our joy is His delight

Our God has made us one
His glory is displayed
For as we build each other up
Our love becomes His praise

Our God has made us one
In sorrow and in joy
We share the cross of Christ our Lord
In Him we now rejoice

Our God has made us one
One church to bear His name
One body and one Bride of Christ
And with Him we shall reign

Authors: Niles Borop and Jim Weber. Copyright: © 1984 Meadowgreen Music Co.

June 20

Bible Reading: Acts 4:23-31

Acts 4:23-24, “When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God…”

The religious leaders could not deny that a miraculous event had taken place (Acts 4:16).  Showing no interest as to how it happened, they charged Peter and John to not “speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18).  Peter refused to abide by their demands, but the leaders let them go “because of the people” (Acts 4:21).  The newly born church faced its first major obstacle.  The ministry efforts of the Apostles extremely displeased the powerful religious leaders.  What was the church to do?

The church was born out of a prayer meeting (Acts 1:14).  In its infancy, it was “devoted” to prayer (Acts 2:42).  It was only natural then, in dealing with this ominous threat, for them to seek God’s help.  Prayer is fundamental to the health and growth of the church.  To borrow from a Hudson Taylor quote: If the church is to advance in its influence, it must do so “on its knees.” 

Those early believers knew what to do in responding to trouble—in one accord, they “lifted their voices together to God” (Acts 4:24).  What did they pray?  Their prayer was not merely a request, but rather an act of worship.  They acknowledged God to be the Creator of all things (Acts 4:24).  They recalled prophetic warning of opposition to “His Anointed” (Acts 4:25-27).  They acknowledged His sovereignty (Acts 4:28).  They asked for but one thing—that He would grant them “to continue to speak (His) word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29).  Their prayer was that God would grant them confidence in the face of opposition, while He continued to make Himself known through signs and wonders (Acts 4:30).

Did God hear them?  How could they know?  The God who created the earth, shook it (Acts 4:31).  Our prayers will not likely meet with such dramatic outcome, but God’s Word nevertheless assures us of His attentiveness (1 John 5:14-15).  Did God answer their prayer?  “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).  The church continued “with great power” proclaiming the truth about Jesus (Acts 4:33). 

The discerning Christian is well aware of the ongoing threats and opposition faced by the church in our day.  What are we to do?  We would do well to follow the example of those who have gone before us!  The formula for the growth of the early church was relatively simple: the church grew as the Spirit worked and the people prayed. Much prayer, much power!  And vice versa.

Much prayer; much power!

I MUST TELL JESUS
I must tell Jesus all of my trials;
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me;
He ever loves and cares for His own.

Refrain:
I must tell Jesus!
I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone;
I must tell Jesus!
I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

I must tell Jesus all of my troubles;
He is a kind, compassionate friend;
If I but ask Him, He will deliver,
Make of my troubles quickly an end. [Refrain]

Tempted and tried, I need a great Savior,
One who can help my burdens to bear;
I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus;
He all my cares and sorrows will share. [Refrain]

O how the world to evil allures me!
O how my heart is tempted to sin!
I must tell Jesus, and He will help me
Over the world the vict’ry to win. [Refrain]