EVANGELISM
Suggested Reading: Acts 8-9
(click scripture link to read online)
Key Verse: Acts 9:5
And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…”
What a team of the Lord’s servants in today’s reading! Stephen’s broken body is buried. Philip heads out to evangelize. Peter and John join him in Samaria. The Ethiopian treasurer heads home to witness for Christ. Saul of Tarsus is converted and boldly witnesses for Christ. At Joppa (present day Jaffa), Dorcas is raised from the dead as a witness for Christ. Aeneas of Lydda (present day Lod where the International Airport is located) is healed. What is the result of all this? Exponential growth of the churches. “Multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip” (8:6). “The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria…were multiplied” (9:31). “All at Lydda, and Sharon…turned to the Lord” (9:35). In Joppa, “Many turned to the Lord” (9:42). God’s purposes have not changed. God’s power has not changed. Let us move out in bold faith to see the same happen today. Amen!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, we have a word today that I don’t find in the Bible. It’s “retirement.” You are filling me with new energy as I do this blog daily. Show me, and all who read this, how we can be a part of the dynamic growth of Your Churches. Amen! and Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I believe in, and seek to put into practise, outreach ministry beyond the church walls. In villages where I was a pastored, I sought to take the lead in mobilizing some members of the congregation to visit every home. We would ask if there was a need for which we could pray. We would enquire about children for Sunday School, or teens for the youth activities. In the large cities this was more challenging, but we would stake out areas to visit. Just a month ago I offered to the new Pastor (at the country church we attend near our home north of Kingston, Ontario) that I would like to visit on behalf of the church all the farms and homes around the church. I trust that I will have the health, strength, determination and the blessing of the Pastor to do this in the Spring. By gently asking about needs for prayer, I’ve never been turned down. People know when they are cared for, not like the door to door cults that try to indoctrinate people by visiting them to add points to their religious record.
Yours for consistent growth, early church style, in Jesus’ Church today,
David