Wednesday, November 28, 2018

ON BECOMING MULTIPLIERS

Today’s Reading: Acts 5-6

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

 

Saint Stephen’s Gate on the northeast side of the Old City walls of Jerusalem. The first Christian to have his earthly life taken from him for Jesus’ sake was the Deacon, Stephen. What an amazing example of faith and courage! Just before he died he exclaimed that he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:56b – tomorrows reading).

 

Key Verse: Acts 5:41, 6:7

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name…Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

 

“Believers were increasingly added” (5:14). “You have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine” (5:28). “The number of disciples was multiplying” (6:1). “The disciples multiplied greatly” (6:7). Here is a theme repeated over and over. This is the way God intends His Church to grow. We should ask ourselves the question, “Are we seeing growth in our Churches?” Here we find the growth came because new believers were added. There are many local churches, but only one Church. Transferring believers from one congregation to another does not constitute growth for the whole Church. The gate pictured above is the traditional site where Stephen was stoned to death. We can expect strong opposition when large numbers are being converted to Christ. We may want to take our spiritual temperature. If we are content to remain as a handful of believers who just bless each other in a local church, we may be almost dead and not know it.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, please grant me the great privilege of bringing new people to You today. May I never be content with just maintaining the numbers of believers as it is presently. Show me in a heart-wrenching way that people are lost eternally without You. Give me a passion to win souls to Yourself and to eternal life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As a teen, I read “Passion for Souls,” a book by Oswald J. Smith. I was never content after that to lavish the blessings of Christ on myself, forgetting about lost people. I felt that I was a most selfish person if I would keep the Good News of Jesus and eternal life to myself. Sharing Christ became an absolute essential. If that was not happening in my personal contacts and eventually in the churches I pastored, I became desperate in my prayers, arising earlier and earlier in the mornings to pray. I knew that I could not do this on my own, and that the power of God came upon me directly in proportion to the way I prayed in my private times with God. If you should ever read my biographical sketch on the internet, please read between the lines and know that everything of eternal value that may be there has been born and has thrived out of a “passion for souls.” [NOTE: After David’s passing on September 25, 2017, a memorial website was created, which includes a brief biography. You can visit it HERE].

Yours to help us become believers like those in today’s reading,

David

6 thoughts on “Wednesday, November 28, 2018

  1. We believe in You, Jesus. Our early morning prayer is deep and rich because of your Spirit that resides in us. We are connected to you in prayer and hold to what David has taught us about its necessity. We praise You, Jesus and glorify Your Holy Name. Stay safe, saints, as snow is everywhere.

    Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! Psalm 99:9 ESV

    He Knows My Name by Maranatha Singers
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXsiWoyjw60

  2. Good day to all this morning.
    Beautiful song, Beverlee.
    Very very cool morning here in Florida, so blessed to be able to spend the winters here. I see it is only 5 degrees cooler in Ontario than here. Brrrr.
    Have a blessed day all.

  3. Amen, David has taught us well and could not survive without prayer. Meditating on the boldness and courage of Peter and the disciples who kept witnessing as they obeyed God rather than man. Love that song Beverlee. Is mild here today. Blessings!

  4. Talk about bringing souls to God. My sister-in-love sent me this link to enjoy so thought I’d share. How my heart aches for all these men who had to travel a wide winding road to get into this prison to find out that the road is narrow and straight.
    Blessings on all saints today and always:

    https://youtu.be/bDnA_coA168

  5. David’s comments and prayer reveal who he really was, a man of prayer, with a great desire for winning souls!

    The scripture today was one in which the Word of God was being fulfilled!

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