The Daily Dose

You are a disciple

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”  Acts 9:10

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be one of Jesus apostles in today’s world?  How cool would it be to do the signs and miracles that Peter, John and the others did?  Maybe you have never considered this at all because you think those great works were only done through those who walked with Jesus in the flesh?  However, today I want to ask you to consider the possibility of being a vessel that the Holy Spirit can move through to reach the world around you.

In today’s reading, we see a man name Ananias that was moved by the direction of God’s Spirit.  Ananias was not an apostle and he never walked directly with Jesus when He was doing His earthly ministering.  At least it was not written in any of the gospels.  However, this was quite an awesome thing that God asked Ananias to do.  First of all, the Spirit of God gave Ananias very specific directions that were actually an address of a place that he had never been before.  Then the Spirit told Ananias to go there and find Saul that had been blinded by an encounter with Jesus on the way to arrest believers.

Here is the part that really gets my attention, Ananias actually has a conversation with the Spirit of God about the man and his concerns about what Saul’s original intention was for coming to that city.  True to the character of God, the Holy Spirit comforted Ananias by filling him in on the plan for Saul’s life now that he had been converted.  After that conversation, Ananias went to Saul and laid his hands on him then Saul was able to see again.  Amazing!

Ananias was not a leader of the people; he was not one of the 12 and he wasn’t even one of the deacons that were chosen in Acts chapter 6.  He was simply a follower of God’s way and born again into the kingdom of heaven.  A disciple just like we are today.  Ananias was able to accomplish this great assignment simply by listening to and following the direction that the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart.

We have access to the same Holy Spirit today and when we yield to Him and listen for the mission, He wants us to accomplish each day, we can do the works of God toward others.  So the next time you feel impressed to reach out to some one or hear about a need, take some time to talk it over with God.  Don’t just tell Him what you know and why you are not the one to do something about it, ask Him for the plan and what the steps are to get there.  Ananias didn’t do everything as once; he simply followed the step-by-step plan and let the Holy Spirit do the hard part.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 9:10-19

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 

12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 

14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 

16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 

18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

We should pray        

_{Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  Acts 9: 1-2}

Can you imagine if you had an enemy hunting you and with power to arrest and put you into prison because of your faith in Jesus?  What would it be like if you had to hide out and be on watch 24/7 wondering if a brigade of soldiers was coming for you because you told others about the love God?  It is beyond our comprehension and hopefully we will never have to experience such an atrocity of being the target of a leader that was breathing threats and murder against those who call on the name of the LORD.

This is what was happening to the Christian people in today’s passage.  Saul was actually out on the road rounding up Christians and going into their homes and dragging them off to jail.  It is a disturbing picture for sure and after his conversion, I don’t think the Christian people were lining up to receive Saul as their brother in the Lord.  They were skeptical to say the least, and with good reason.  It took a lot of faith for those who first brought Saul into the meetings and vouched for his conversion to Christianity.  Yet, the Christians of that day received Saul and eventually even recognized him as one of the twelve.  God completely changed his heart and Saul’s life changed so much that eventually the leaders of Israel were trying to not only arrest him but kill him.

When I read these accounts of the New Testament Church in Acts, it is so hard for me to imagine.  I cannot comprehend the feelings of fear and anxiety that the believers must have felt.  Not only the fear for their own lives but even more so for their families and those they loved.  I am so thankful for the time we live in and the freedom we have in our nation that God has prepared for us here.  Sadly, it is not the case all over the world.  Even now in the nation of Israel, they are being attacked and surrounded on every side.  We can watch from afar, and hopefully we are all praying for their peace and protection, but we will never understand what it is like to live each day not knowing when the next missile will be launched or bomb to be dropped.  All because they believe the promise of God to give them the land that they rightfully conquered so many millennia ago.

Thankfully, as we read through today’s reading, we will see how God intervened and gave some relief to the Christians that day on the Damascus Road.  He turned things around for the first believers and we are praying that He will do the same today in the nation of Israel.

Today I want to encourage you to thank your heavenly Father for His provision of salvation and protection for His people all over the world.  Thank Him for the safety you experience on a daily basis and that we would continue to live in this protected land.  Ask Him to watch over that land of Israel and to give them wisdom and strength over the enemies that are gathering against them.  Then pray for those who come against them, that even some of those would come to the love of God.  There will always be enemies, but it is up to God to save or avenge.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 9:1-9

1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 

2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 

4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 

8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Prophecy

To another the working of miracles, to another prophecy.  1 Corinthians 12:10

The Holy Spirit’s gift of prophecy is a message of encouragement through one person to another person.  The purpose of this gift is to minister and encourage others.  Many people think that the gift of prophecy is for being a prophet.  That you receive revelation about coming events or future occurrences and proclaim warnings to people whom the message affects like the Old Testament prophets did.

1 Corinthians 14:3 says that he who prophesies speaks edification, exhortation and comfort to people. Also, in 1 Corinthians 14:31 it says that everyone can prophesy so that all can learn and be encouraged.   This gift is for encouraging people.  We all have those moments when someone randomly comes to our thoughts, but what do we do when that happens.  In the past I have taken those opportunities to pray for that individual, but now I recognize that the Holy Spirit is “tapping me on the shoulder” so to speak, to not only pray for them, but to also encourage them.  In the times we live in, it is easier than ever to get a message to inspire and build up a friend.  We have email, text, phone calls, social media and various methods of reaching out.  Begin to recognize those times and pause for a minute to connect with someone that needs to hear some good news.  This is a gift that you don’t need to worry about getting wrong.  If you message someone some words of encouragement and it wasn’t the Holy Spirits direction?  All you did was speak good words over someone and that will not cause much damage, right?

Lastly, I want to talk about encouraging vs. discouraging.  Encouraging words are simply words that put courage into another person.  When you edify and build others up, you are actually putting courage into them.  They begin to believe their life has purpose and they can start to have faith to take steps in a direction that leads them into all God has planned for their lives.  In contrast, when you speak words of discouragement, you are taking courage out of someone.  Your words to others are so important that you can actually be paralyzing others from taking action to change their circumstances.  Consider this when you want to motivate people to grow in their walk with God.

Today I want to encourage you to prophesy over others.  Be a voice of encouragement to all those around you.  When you see others who are struggling to get things right in life, take some time to pray for them and ask the Holy Spirit for a word of encouragement to give that will propel them forward in life.  It can be easy to see other people’s problems and then criticize and complain that they brought the problems on themselves.  The most helpful thing to do is to pray and prophecy over them.  Ask God to show you that person as He sees them and then tell the person with the issue that there is greatness inside of them just waiting to get out!

Today’s scripture reading:  Acts 27:13-26

13 When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete.

14 But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon.

15 So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.

16 And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty.

17 When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.

18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.

19 On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.

20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.

21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.

22 And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,

24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.”

Working of miracles

_{To another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  1 Corinthians 12:10}

It occurs to me as I have been writing about the Holy Spirit and His gifts, that the reason we don’t see more of them or recognize when they show up is because we do not ask Him.  At least that is what I am noticing in my own life.

Today the focus is the working of miracles.  A miracle is defined as divine intervention that alters our natural circumstances or the trajectory of the direction we were headed.  A good example of this is when Jesus turned the water to wine at the wedding in Cana.  Also feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  The Holy Spirit also performed miracles through the disciples.  Acts 19:11 says: Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul.

I believe I see miracles every day, but I call them answers to prayer.  I guess the answers I see do not seem that extraordinary, but they are to me.  I know when I pray, and I know when He has come through for me.  He never ceases to amaze me when I call on Him and He always answers me.  It may not look so great on the outside, but to me, I am continually in awe!  Like the time I asked Him for a new truck to drive at work.  That’s not important to anyone but me.  Yet within that year, our entire station got a whole new fleet!  I believe it was just because I asked Him!  What about the time I was at one of the lowest points in my life as a single parent and the company I was working for gave every manager a $10,000 raise in their salary.  Nobody knew why, but I did.  Then there was the time that I asked Him for help with one of my children’s school tuition and the laws in the entire country changed the week before school started just so he could be eligible.

These are little things compared to the huge problems in the world.  Also, seemingly little compared to the great miracles recorded in the New Testament.  However, the point is I believe we will see miracles when we ask and believe He will do it.  Many times, we don’t pray for something big because we just don’t see any possible way for it to happen.  So, I will ask you . . . Do you believe in miracles?

Today I want to encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit for some miracles in your life.  Don’t try to figure out how it can happen, just believe He can do it.  Better yet, let’s all start asking the Holy Spirit for some miracles in our world.  We are living in some pretty messed up times.  If you take a look around, you will see many opportunities for miracles to take place.  Start talking to God about all these things and believe that in asking, He can and will make a difference.  He is still in the miracle working business, but we will only recognize them when we believe.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 19:11-20

11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,

12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.

19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

He makes it all fit

Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.  Acts 8:39

 You probably have a busy schedule.  In the day we live in most people are stretched to their limit with activities and busyness.  My life is no different than the majority of busy people.  Each day I have meetings, appointments, commitments and family time.  Overall, I pretty much fill up every minute of every day.  There are many times that I get up in the morning and wonder, how am I going to fit everything on my plate into this day? 

There are often times throughout the day I sense a nudge or prompting to reach out to someone or go out of my way for someone that may need help.  I will be honest and say that I have not always been eager to do this.  I sometimes wonder how that will fit into my plan or I have even thought I cannot do that today because I am too busy.  Before I understood that these nudges were from the Holy Spirit, I ignored many opportunities to step into these blessings.  Now I understand and I do not want to miss out on the blessing of helping people, especially when directed by His Spirit.  So, I created a habit in my routine to stop for a minute and ask the Lord to empower me to accomplish whatever it is that He is telling me and then that He will make everything else fit in around it.  It is simply amazing how He does this.  In fact, when I pray this way, it is almost like I have extra time and get even more accomplished.  It is truly a supernatural work.

In today’s reading, Philip was busy ministering in one place when God told him to go to the desert.  Philip was not told why he should go there, but he followed that lead and even though it was a deserted place, he met someone there.  It was actually someone who was seeking out the scriptures and Philip was able to minister to him and baptize him.  When all the work was done there, the Holy Spirit supernaturally transported Philip to the next place he needed to be.  In Philip’s obedience to go where God had sent him, he was able to get to the next appointment right on time.

So the next time you remember or think of someone that may need encouragement or prayed with, do not worry about fitting it into your busy schedule.  Take time for God’s work and He will make it all fit in.  After all, that is what we are in this world for and if you take the time to answer the calls from the Holy Spirit, you will walk in the blessing path that He originally planned for you.  Don’t worry about how you are going to fit another thing into your business schedule, just talk to God about fitting it all in and trust that He will supernaturally make a way.  You are going to fill up your time slots, anyway, why not make God’s plan your priority.  Those are the activities that will last for eternity.  Everything else is going to just fade away.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 8:26-40

26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 

27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 

28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 

29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”

30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 

32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”

34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 

36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 

39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 

40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

He’s not for sale

And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”  Acts 8:18-19

Since the beginning of the world there have been people, religions and even nations that have tried to get to God through works, through sacrifices and through gifts.  It is something that was created on the inside of each person to desire that God connection.  Through the ages people have made numerous attempts to fill that void within each one of us with some kind of material or physical possession.  Humans have tried for millennia to get to God in their own way and by their own methods.  However, the truth is, that you cannot get to Him by what you can imagine.  It’s not because God doesn’t want you to, it is simply because it was not your idea, so you must come to Him in His way.  The way He made it possible to connect with Him.  It is the most amazing plan that no human would have ever come up with.  His design is supernatural, and it makes perfect sense that God would set it up His way since we are His creation.  Doesn’t it stand to reason that He would know the best way to reach and rescue us?

In today’s reading, we are introduced to a man named Simon “the great.”  I call him that because the passage says that he astonished people and claimed that he was someone great.  He had a great influence and the people heeded him because he “wowed” them with his tricks and sorcery.  He was like an entertainer.  When the apostle Philip came and preached the kingdom of God and salvation in Jesus, the people there believed and were baptized.  Simon “the great” also believed but he was taken with the signs and miracles that Philip was doing so he stayed close to Philip to figure it all out.  When Peter and John came, he offered them money to be able to do the things that the Holy Spirit was doing through them. Again, someone who was trying to do God things his own way.  Well, as you will read, that did not go over well at all, and Peter gave him a strong rebuke and told him to get his heart right.  He saw the poison that had grown up on the inside of Simon “the great” through his fame and popularity.  Again, Simon was reverting back to his old way of thinking and desiring to be the “great” one again.  At that point, he had no understanding that God’s way of salvation is through a relationship with Him and by filling the void in his life with the Holy Spirit’s presence.

God’s way is so pure and perfect love.  He desires to walk through this life with each person in a loving and purposeful personal connection.  Yes, He desires to do good works through our yielding to His Spirit, but only so we can show others just how much God really loves them.  Gifts, signs and wonders are not for us, they are for those who don’t know His great love yet.  Our heavenly Father desires to show His love by touching lives in a personal way.  In that way, they will be drawn to His salvation in His perfect sacrifice of His only Son Jesus.  Until others know that love, they will never be able to reach Him.

If you have never had a personal encounter with God through His Spirit, you can do that right now.  All you need to do is start talking to Him and invite Him into your life.  Begin each day by yielding to the Sprit of God and trust Him to lead you in His perfect path and plan.  You can start your conversation with a pray like the one below.  But don’t stop there.  Now the door is open, and you can begin to talk to Him about every aspect of your life.  He will lead and He will comfort you.  You cannot buy the presence of God; you can only humble yourself and make room for Him to live in your life.  He will stay with you as you keep those lines of communication open.  It is personal and it is for you.  Trust Him as your best friend today and if you truly turn your life over to Him, He will lead you in His perfect path of righteousness.

Pray: _{God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me.  Please forgive my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new today.  I know Your Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father through this salvation in the blood of Jesus. I thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to accomplish the things You have planned for my life in Jesus’ name, Amen}

Today’s scripture: Acts 8:9-25

9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 

10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” 

11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. 

12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 

13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 

15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 

16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 

19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 

21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 

22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 

23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

24 Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”

25 So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

It’s good for the kingdom

Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Acts 8:4

Have you ever done something that you thought God was leading you to, but after you were done, you just didn’t know if it made a difference or made an impact at all?  Maybe it was taking a minute to pray with someone or maybe you sent a message to encourage someone?  It seemed like a small thing to do and certainly, since you felt impressed to do it, it must have accomplished something.  Yet in the natural realm nothing seemed to change at all or even the way your act of kindness was received was disappointing.

In today’s reading, there was a great persecution of God’s people was going on.  Saul (who later became Paul) was actually going right into people’s homes and dragging them off to prison if they were a Christian.  You would have thought that because these people were following the Lord and doing good that God would have protected and even made them the heroes of the day.  Instead, the Christ followers were forced to scatter and seek out refuge from the oppression that was coming against them.

While all this was going on, something supernatural was happening that probably no one realized at the time.  As God’s people began to spread out, more people were being saved and reached.  If they had continued to stay where they were, the message of God’s salvation in Jesus would not have reached the entire world at that time.  God was supernaturally using this great persecution to His advantage by raising up future leaders and teacher so that His message of the good news would last for generations to come.

Just because something bad was happening, that didn’t mean that God wasn’t working.  His Spirit is always at work, and it doesn’t matter what is going on, His plans will always be fulfilled and reach those far from Him.

So, the next time you take a step of faith to minister or encourage someone, don’t wonder if it did any good.  Believe that God is working on that individual and those around you in the unseen realm.  The Holy Spirit’s work is like a seed that is planted in the ground and once it is buried, you cannot see it anymore.  However, things are still happening, and growth is occurring even in the places where you cannot see what good is going on.

Today I want to encourage you to keep walking out God’s plan for your life. Don’t be concerned with seeing immediate result.  If you do, then great but ideally you want to see the long-term results so that your obedience to His prompts live on long after you are gone from that day.  Believe that God is doing a good work through your acts of kindness and love for others and even when you just wanted to be a nice person, He will make those seeds grow up to a full harvest.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 8:1-9

1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. 

5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 

6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 

7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8And there was great joy in that city.

Eyes on Him             

But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  Acts 7:55

Persecution.  It means to be harassed, oppressed or even punished for what you believe in.  It is a real force coming against today’s church.  Maybe not as much in America as it is throughout the rest of the world.  God’s word actually tells us as believers to expect it and not to be surprised when it comes.

The good news is that you can actually be so focused on God and His goodness that you don’t even notice when persecutions come.  Imagine walking around life carrying the love of God and even though people around you may hurl judgements, criticisms and maybe even rocks, it doesn’t have to phase you.

That’s what happened to Stephen in the reading today.  In Acts six and seven, Stephen (a man chosen by the apostles to serve the people in the first, New Testament church) was so full of the Spirit of God that even as he was being stoned to death because of his faith, the only thing He saw was Jesus standing to welcome him to heaven.  He was so focused on the things of God and His love, that it was the only thing that was important to him, even to his death.

Today I want to encourage you to walk so close to God and be filled up with His word, so that no evil force around you can sway you in your faith.  Become so full of God’s Spirit that your only priority is to honor and glorify Him no matter what is going on around you here in the physical world.  Keep your eyes fixed on Him and not on insults that may come against you in person, on social media or even through gossip.  Also be praying for our brothers and sisters around the world that are being persecuted even to the point of seeing Jesus standing to welcome them into His presence.  Pray for their eyes and hearts to be fixed on His eternal love and goodness!

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 6:8-7:60

8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 

9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 

10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 

11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 

12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 

13 They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 

14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” 

15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

Acts 7

1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

2 And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 

3 and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ 

4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. 

5 And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. 

6 But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. 

7 ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ 

8 Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.

9 “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him 

10 and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 

11 Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. 

12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 

13 And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. 

14 Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. 

15 So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. 

16 And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.

17 “But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 

18 till another king arose who did not know Joseph. 

19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. 

20 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 

21 But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 

22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.

23 “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. 

24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 

25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. 

26 And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ 

27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 

28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ 

29 Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.

30 “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 

31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 

32 saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. 

33 ‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 

34 I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” ’

35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. 

36 He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

37 “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’

38 “This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, 

39 whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 

40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 

41 And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 

42 Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43 You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’

44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, 

45 which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, 

46 who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. 

47 But Solomon built Him a house.

48 “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

49 ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest?

50 Has My hand not made all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 

52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 

53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 

55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 

56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 

58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 

59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 

60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Church Hurt

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.  Acts 6:1

Maybe your are familiar with the term “church hurt”?  Hopefully it has never happened to you personally, but I would guess that most of us have known someone who has experienced it.  It is a sad thing to happen and especially when it is so unnecessary.

I have just recently had a situation occur where I felt that I had inadvertently “church hurt” someone when my real efforts were actually trying to head in the opposite direction.  I felt as if I was on the offensive side of the “church hurt”.  Let me explain. While working with other believers on setting up a new ministry within the church to reach a hurting group in our community, there were quite a few different expectations of how the set up would play out.  Because I was heading up the project, and even though I was trying to incorporate every member of the team’s ideas, there were some that were disappointed and because of that they lost interest in going on with the ministry.  It broke my heart and especially to think that I had hurt these dear souls that so desperately wanted to help those in need around us.  Thankfully after much prayer and some time, God brought the team back together so that we could move forward with the ministry and begin this outreach that He had dropped into our hearts.

In today’s reading, a similar thing was happening.  Because the apostles were basically in charge of the new church, the new believers were looking to them to provide and care for each person as the church was growing.  With the numbers that were coming in, this was an impossible task for them to accomplish.  They could not keep up and it wasn’t long before some groups were offended and hurt.  When they expressed their concerns, the apostles listened and used wisdom to appoint others to serve and care for those needing help as the church grew. It was a supernatural solution and one that kept the church from splitting, at least at that time.

The point is, whether you are on the hurt side or the hurting side, sometime “church hurt” will happen but there is a supernatural solution available.  Don’t just leave without trying to work out a solution and don’t end relationships without seeking first the wisdom of God.

Today I want to encourage you to be aware of those you are doing ministry with.  Recognize differences as opportunities to bring many ideas together to work into a better solution.  If your ideas are not readily accepted, don’t get upset or quit the team.  Stay the course and be faithful in what God has you involve in right now.  If you are genuinely mistreated, you can still be the bigger of the relationship and try to talk things out in a grown-up way without getting emotional.  Seek the wisdom of God and when you grow through differences, you will be a valuable asset to the mission that He has called you to.  Realize that ministry is not about you, you are simply there to serve in any way possible.  Ministry is about others so next time you are focused on your hurt feelings and disappointments, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what is most important in the situation. He will give you wisdom and insight and you will experience His peace no matter what the outcome brings.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 6:1-7

1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 

2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 

3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 

4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 

6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

7 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.

Gifts of healing

To another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:9

The gift of healings is simply the supernatural provision of divine health.  Again, these are the Holy Spirit’s gifts, and the gifts of healings is plural because He does it more than once and with more than one person.

God created our bodies to heal.  Much of our healing is a natural process.  For example, if you cut your finger, you clean it, cover it and within a day or two, it heals up so that you can hardly notice there was ever a wound.  However, there are issues that can require a more serious form of healing.  Most people’s first response to this type of ailment is to seek medical assistance.  Thank goodness for those in the medical profession, but it is important to recognize that they are trained in and practicing medicine, they are not healers.  The Holy Spirit has the power to heal, and He does heal.  The gift of healing is available to be receive by all.

I have experienced the gift of healing in my life a few times, probably more than I realize since I pray often and heal up quickly.  However, a particular instance that was especially noteworthy was when my youngest son was born.  I was quite sure he would be born with jaundice since my older son had been.  The day after he was born, I let the doctor know that I thought he was looking jaundice that morning.  To me he looked pretty bad.  Much worse than my older son did when he was born.  The doctor thought that I was probably overreacting until he went to check on my baby.  He came back with the news that he was severely jaundiced and immediately placed him under the beli-light lamp which is the treatment for the issue.  He did not improve in the next couple days, and I had to leave the hospital without him.  By day 5 I was beginning to really be concerned that he wasn’t improving.  I had been praying for him, but finally I prayed through.  Meaning, I prayed until I had the peace of God that everything was going to be ok. 

The next morning, I got up early to get ready to go to the hospital for another day away from my family to be with my baby.  I called ahead to see if he had improved overnight, but the news was not good.  I had resolved that I was just going to trust God to get him well enough to come home no matter how long it took.  When I got to the hospital, I went to the room where he had been staying.  He was in a room by himself so the nurses could keep a close eye on him.  When I walked in, his little bed under the lights was empty.  I looked at the nurse with concern and said “where is he?”  I thought they had taken him out for more testing.  She pointed to the opposite side of the room and said: “He’s already to go home.”  I looked and he was all wrapped up with his things packed and ready to go.  I said, “But I thought he wasn’t well enough yet” She told me the doctor had come in and the blood count had dropped significantly that morning and so the doctor released him to go home.  Glory to God!  It was a miracle.  I remember how it felt as I exclaimed “Praise the Lord!”  I was so overwhelmed with God’s goodness and love!

There were many times when my husband and I joined hands and stood against the enemy and prayed for healing and the Holy Spirit came through.  He has enough power in Him to heal every time.

Psalms 103:3 say Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me, Bless His Holy Name.  He forgives all your inequities, and He heals all your diseases.  God is not trying to keep His healing from us, He wants to give.  We only need to ask and receive.

Today I want to encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to heal anything you may be going through.  Pray for His healing on those you know are suffering and believe He will heal them.  Put your faith out there to receive the gifts that the Holy Spirit has for you.  He wants to give us all His gifts, It is up to us to desire them.

Earnestly desire the best gifts. And I will show you a more excellent way. 1 Cor. 12:31

Today’s Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 12: 4-9

4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,