Monday: Receiving the Promise
The mission of sharing His love and truth with the entire world must have seemed overwhelming to this small group of disciples.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
The challenge was enormous, the task immense. Its accomplishment in their lifetime might certainly have seemed impossible (as it can in ours). The best estimates are that the population of the Roman Empire in the first century was approximately sixty to seventy million. According to the first chapter of Acts, one 120 believers met in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. This is a ratio of 1 Christian to approximately every 500,000 to 580,000 people in the empire. From a human standpoint, Jesus’ command to preach the gospel to the world seemed unthinkable.
Read Acts 2. What were the results of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the mission of the early church?
The results were astounding. The Christian church exploded in growth. Tens of thousands were converted. The message of Jesus’ love was carried to the remotest parts of the empire.
Pliny the Younger, governor of the Roman province of Bithynia on the northern coast of modern Turkey, wrote to Emperor Trajan around A.D. 110. Pliny described the official trials he was conducting to find and execute Christians. “Many of every age, of every social class, even of both sexes, are being called to trial and will be called. Not cities alone but villages in even rural areas have been invaded by the infection of this superstition” (Christianity).
This quote is remarkable. It reveals that in a few generations Christianity had invaded nearly every level of society even in the remote provinces.
Ninety years later, around A.D. 200, Tertullian, a Roman lawyer turned Christian, wrote a defiant letter to the Roman magistrates defending Christianity. He boasted that “nearly all the citizens of all the cities are Christians.”
The story of the book of Acts is the story of a revived church committed to witness for its Lord. Spiritual revival always leads to passionate witness. Sharing is the natural outgrowth of a transformed life. Jesus said to His disciples, “ ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’ ” (Matt. 4:19). The closer we follow Jesus, the more we care about what He cares about. If we have little interest in sharing His love with others, it may be because we are following Him at a distance and need a personal spiritual revival.
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I have had days where I needed a Spiritual revival myself, and then I have had days where I wanted to share the "GOOD NEWS" with everyone I see. With technology and the internet today, Im able to share with so many people, and even those in person. The message is still the same but mass delivery process, can speed up the soon coming of Christ.
Lord help me a nobody to tell anybody about somebody who can save everybody.
Revival means that Christ character has been indelibly entwined with ours. If we only submit ourselves to Him, letting go of our doubts and instead giving our selves fully to Him, nothing can hinder us fulfill His task.
Personal relationship is where it starts. The whole Plan that God has is about relationship. He loves us all individually and collectively. Telling others that they were born to be a part of this Kingdom is an essential privilege, but we must have the connection, know God and know our true identity. For me it must happen by thinking much about God, His deep Love and all He has done and is doing for me. That focus and connection transforms me into the means of God reaching to others.
I think almost all of us are aware of Jesus' parting commission but the issue is that we are delaying.The speed at which we are to take message out in order for us to turn the world upside down is not materializing. Counsel for the church pg 1374 'danger of delay' Ellen white admonishes us of a vision in which she saw a ball of fire descending on a beautiful mansions and causing its destruction and she heard a voice saying ''we knew that the judgements of God were coming upon the earth, but we did know that they were coming so soon'' from one side and on the other side she heard ''you knew! why did you not tell us? we did know''. Those with whom we associate day by day need our help and guidance. Tomorrow some of these souls may be where we can never reach them again. Jesus is saying we are the light of the world but we are saying we are the light of the church. Brethren let us arise from sluggishness and outreach others both personally and collectively.
Revivial and Reformation is all about having a transformed heart and mind filled with a love for a risen saviour nd Lord, then its fruit being witnessing and service for God first and secondly humanity. Remember is on a condition of having an intimate relationship with Jesus then he gives u the pow'r to become fishes of men (Matt 4:19). I pray that we just don't study bt ask God to help us apply these in our life... amen God be with us
How can someone tell a story he/she does not believe convincingly? it is usually difficult because in the process people will find out that you truly don't believe the story you are telling.Similarly, The story of the gospel is sweeter if we truly believe it and if we believe it we will tell it passionately. It will reflect on how we tell it. We will tell it not only for people to believe it but because we cannot but tell it because we believe it. Leaving out and preaching the gospel of christ should not be an obligation but our purpose for living
Sometimes i do wish for a physical touch/evidence of the Holy Spirit like the small group of disciples experienced according to Acts chapter 2, The rushing winds and divided tongue of Fire etc. Consider the stupendous results! I feel i have not have an encounter with Jesus because i fail to tell a story about him despite daily studies of His word and never missing church services, my faith is not growing, please help.
Our prayer life is the connection we need along with study of Gods word and attending church. This is where my relationship with God becomes personal. Faith then grows when it is practiced or exercised. Start out by telling people how you came to know Christ as your savior, or you can be a kind word or a helping hand to someone in need. Pray that God will show you some opportunities or assignments for the the day for a chance to be His witness. Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged.
Elias, when your faith is challenged, it will grow. Your faith will be challenged when you witness to someone about Jesus, or after trusting in Him through a trial. Ask God to send you someone whom you can witness to, each day. You will discover throughout your day opportunities to witness to someone. The opportunities will be very small at first, and as your faith grows, bigger opportunities will come. For example, someone may ask you to attend an event on Saturday. Your reply would simply be, “I can’t; I go the Church on Saturdays.” This could lead to a short discussion about the Sabbath. God admires your current condition because you are willing to witness for Him. Now He can use you because your heart is in the right place. So pray for opportunities and witness the people God will send your way each day.