The church of Jesus Christ is going to recover and discover their strength in God alone. For too long we have been too strong. We can be confident in our ability to a certain point until we face something that’s beyond our ability. When we get to a place where we have nothing left but a confidence in God, He will take us in our weakness and become our strength. Victory comes when in our feebleness we enter into His victory.
The church in Acts lived in an hour of crisis, much like today's church. It isn't an ungodly culture or even persecution that hinders the church; but when complaining, fighting and worldliness creep into the church, its testimony and anointing are diminished. God's answer is to raise up servant leaders full of the Holy Spirit, and empty of self, who live wholly for Jesus. These leaders aren't standing behind a pulpit, but sitting in the pews. Church, let's believe God's promise to pour out His Spirit on all flesh!
Pastor Gary Wilkerson urges the church to run from corrupt community. Run from churches who promote comfort and ease. Run from false teachers who preach only self-help and prosperity, rather than conviction and repentance of sin. Our best life is not now, but with Jesus in Eternity. Cling to the cross tightly and be encouraged. God will bring you into biblical gospel community.
Paul was imprisoned, shipwrecked and bit by a viper, but he never murmured or complained. He pressed on in the calling that God had placed on his life. You too probably feel shipwrecked at times with the vipers of fear, anxiety, addiction, etc. trying to poison you. Paul was able to shake off the viper and so can you. When you fully rely on the truth of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit, you will see God bring you through every situation that arises in life.
There are no coincidences with God, His hand is in every situation. Through the life of Paul, we learn that we have been captivated for a divine purpose and if Christ is in us, then God’s purpose for us cannot be stopped by hard circumstances. When we stop asking God to get us out of where we are and allow Him to show us the reason why He’s positioned us in difficult situations, our lives become a lighthouse that guides others out of danger and darkness. Don’t think what you’re going through is strange, like Paul, use your place of captivation as an opportunity to spread the Gospel and free those around you from their chains.
They wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
The altar in the modern church is a place, whether physically at the front of a church or spiritually in our heart, where we go to draw close to God and commune with Him—often petitioning God for some personal need. We make the altar about us; but in Matthew, Jesus shows us that the altar is also about our brothers and sisters in Christ. He instructs us to leave the altar and go be reconciled to anyone who may have something against us. True intimacy with God, will birth in us a genuine concern for those around us. When the church is unified, God can move and bring revival.
“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you’” (Genesis 12:1). In spite of this incredible promise, the descendants of Abraham ended up in another place and in another spiritual condition serving their taskmasters. Like many of God’s people, you may have settled in a place that is far short of what you’re called to be, and you’re doing things that you know you shouldn’t be doing. A little bit of sexual play, a little snort; a little peek, what can it hurt? Then these things that offered you comfort become your taskmaster.
God in His mercy would not leave His own people in captivity, and neither will He leave you in captivity when you make the choice to cry out to Him. So cry out to Him. God will free you and take you on an incredible journey. It won’t be a journey where you’re always running from your former enemies, but a journey with a song and a vision that will give you endurance to get through even the hottest fire and the deepest river.
God always prepares His people for what is ahead. We see this in John when Jesus is preparing the disciples for his death and departure. How did Jesus prepare them? He changed the relationship. Jesus tells them they are no longer servants but friends. A servant is one who follows with blind, unquestioning obedience. A friend submits to authority with understanding. God knows you have questions, and He longs to answer them. Some of those answers will come in solitary times or from the pulpit, but many of our deepest questions are answered when we, like those in the book of Acts, devote ourselves to fellowship.