Good morning Jesus, I need you to place in me a need to reach out to others….
Two passages Spoke to me in my prayer time this morning reading and reflecting over Acts chapter 28.
First was Paul quoting from Isaiah 6:9-10;
"Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, but will never perceive.
For the heart of this people has become dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them". v 26-27
I prayed repentance over my life and our church where ours hearts have become "dull" and complacent. Any ways my ears have been hardened and I fail to take time to hear you in prayer. Where I have become lax in seeking your voice in areas over my life. How I have isolated myself from hearing the voice of my spouse, those in my church, and others who care about my character and faith. Days I neglect to open my Bible and hear your words of truth. I prayed for areas I have closed my eyes of put blinders on to areas of sin, complacency, apathy, and laziness in my life. How I have closed my eyes to the suffering of people and those victims of injustice. Closed my eyes to those around me without Christ in their lives. I prayed for a rekindling of zeal, passion and love in my heart. I prayed for a heart that yearns and seeks after God and understands that you are worthy of everything. I prayed for a heart that falls deeper and more madly in love with God.
The other passage was;
"Paul lived there two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction." v 31
Acts ends with this note: Despite all the attempts to stop the growing of the church and spreading of the Gospel, the message goes forth. Despite all attempts of social media, fear, wars, civil and political unrest, “wokeness,”and acts of the enemy to stop the church, the spreading of the Gospel through us must go forth! I prayed that if we honestly seek and remain in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we will go forth as well boldly proclaiming the Gospel of grace and the gates of hell will not prevail against it! (Matt. 16:18.) I prayed we would all finally see our homes as Paul did. That our homes are a gift from God to be used for the glory of God and not built with doors to keep our neighbors out but to welcome them in. I prayed we would all see our homes as outpost of the kingdom of God in our neighborhoods where God has placed us for a season. Places to welcome people into and proclaim the gospel, read the Bible, and train disciples. That we would see our diner tables as “church”, a simple yet Holy and the preferred place to share our Christian faith as both Jesus and Paul did.
May it be so!!
My family, as we close our time together in Acts today I pray the stories we have read of the birth and growth of the church through the everyday lives of people will encourage you to use your everyday life to reach others with the love and grace of Jesus as well. I pray you will sit down and intentionally plan and put in your calendar how and when you will begin sharing the gospel in the neighborhood God has placed you, in Jesus’ name. Please share you thoughts and reflection not only on Chapter 28, but also on our past 28 days together going through Acts and what it has meant to you and/or what are you major take aways. We read though the Book of Acts, as with any book of the Bible, not simply as something we think we should religiously do, but as something we earnestly desire to become, true followers of Jesus and to apply to our lives and lives of others.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower