November 16th daily blog devotional
Read:
Acts 2:42-47
42And they continued steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
A Pastor said one day that the church would be alright if it were not for people. This sounds kind of humorous, but the way we act sometimes, including some ministers, we would think that the church is all about me and not we. Someone said one time, "To live above with those we love will be full of glory, but to live below with those we know well, that's another story." God never attended for us to be that Lone Ranger type Christian who sits in their 8X8 closet and that is the only fellowship that they have. For so many years I spent more time by myself just in my own little world studying. There is nothing wrong with this when done in balance. We need that quality time in our prayer closet. The secret to a successful life of a believer is the success of there secret life in the prayer closet. This will build character and cause the anointing of God to increase in our lives. But we need the fellowship of other believers in the church. This is how God builds. God builds in three ways. He builds by revelation, relationally, and by generation. Throughout the bible, God was looking after His holy seed for the coming messiah. After Christ came He was a seed for all of humanity through all ages, and that seed was by generation. God also builds by revelation. Jesus asked His disciples one day, "Who do men say that I am?" Some said this and some said that, but Peter spoke and said with power and revelation, "You are the Christ the Son of the living God!" This was by the revelation of who Jesus was as God the Son. The third way God builds is very important for us as believers. He builds relationally. There is such a power in small groups, prayer meetings, and bible studies branched from the home church itself. I can remember back two years ago when we had a prayer meeting, worship music, and bible study in the basement of a minister friend of mine. God moves miraculously. There were some healed, delivered, and set free by the power of God. The minister's wife prayed for a young girl who had breast cancer. The young girl's mom comes running into her office crying. She said I know you believe in miracles, and I'm pleading with you to pray with us. Will you? She said yes let's pray. She laid her hands on her and the mom took her young daughter to the doctor and they couldn't find a trace of that cancer. Many other things happened there. I can remember just leading worship and lifting Jesus up in worship, and when you lift Jesus together in unity, things will happen. So many Christians get caught up in putting too much emphasis on miracles and other things instead of lifting Christ Jesus up in unity, and we need each other. I want to encourage you today to get connected and plugged into your home church like never before. Yes, it's going to make your flesh go crazy. One revelation that helps when I feel the pressure of connecting to believers more powerfully is realizing that it's the enemy that doesn't want you to get connected. He knows the power in it. Don't try and fight the body of Christ when this happens. This is how the enemy works. The devil hates relationships and always will. Will you say with me today, "I am a part of the body of Christ, and I will get connected like never before with bible studies, corporate worship, and other ways in the church." I want to encourage this day to re-focus on how God builds.
prayer:
Lord, we come to you in your mighty name. We know that the enemy hates anything to do with you Lord and the fellowship of believers. We know that we need to bind together as a body of believers like never before. Help us, Lord, to plug in greater than ever with the body of Christ and help us pick up a stone as living stones and carry it back with the other stones of other believers if we have strayed away with our little stone. We long to be a part of the building of the temple. Lord, we also pray for our youth. We understand Lord that if you tarry the youth will be the next generation. God, we lift our youth pastor's today, and we pray protection upon this generation in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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