10/03/2024
Good morning, today I challenge you a little deeper than usual, you see we are in chapter 7 of Acts and we will be reading/listening for eight and a half minutes but the time challenge is the easy part. My tougher challenge to you is to stop being just hearers of God’s word and start being doers of God’s words! What are the two highest commands we were given? To love God with all our hearts minds and souls, and the second of these is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Well when will you start doing such things, instead of just reading the head knowledge, isn’t it time to start making it heart knowledge? Meaning that we are so moved by this love that we act on it? Do you have someone you know who is concerned over their next meal, or clothes for their back as winter is approaching quickly? Well, that is one way to show them some love, as you do for your selves, you do not go without food or clothing, do you? But here is a greater form of love to go along with it!
In Acts 7 we read how Stephen told the whole truth about God’s plan going back in a review over the last few hundred years as God took them out of Egypt and into the promised land. Stephen loved these people so much that he refused to hide the truth about Jesus from them, at risk of death he gave them a history lesson sermon about just who Jesus was and how they had put the Messiah to death. We will then read/listen to how they killed Stephen in a martyr's death for telling them the truth about Jesus. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend. Stephen loved Jesus and followed His commands even onto death. So think about it, what are you willing to do to follow Jesus’ commands, to be a doer of God’s words? In reality, all we Americans face/sacrifice is maybe a little bit of rejection, a loss of popularity for standing up and telling people about Jesus and His love for them! Objectively this seems like such a minor sacrifice, yet it is enough that almost no one actually stands up and tells the truth about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. So because words seem to have little effect these days, be a doer of God’s word for God not for self-gain. Show love to all around you, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and help those in times of crisis.
Last weekend we had maybe the worst natural disaster in our nation's history, and yet so few there have had any contact from the outside in the rural southeast. There are still countless hundreds missing from the floods that Hurricane Helene caused. One way you can help send the love is through Sameritan’s Purse, they need your dollars to continue to serve the community they are based out of. This disaster is so great that their regular coffers will be drained quickly. There are literally tens of thousands of people without clean drinking water and our Government seems to be at idle in so many ways. So as the body of the church let’s support Samaritan’s Purse but also SBTC Disaster Relief and other Christian-based relief organisations. People need more than a government check right now, their banks, and grocery stores are washed away and they have no power or internet to access funds if they could buy groceries. They need food, water, and shelter on a large scale and there are many faith-based organizations that are already on the ground or on the way mobilizing to be doers of God's word! How are you going to help? For you, it might mean dipping into your funds to help or it might be prayer, or for some, it will be rolling up your sleeves and getting to work right there at ground zero. Do what the Holy Spirit leads you to do and serve in this tragic time of need, but contact the experts in disaster relief and see what skills you have that they can put to the best use to be a doer of God’s words!
Talk with you soon!
PS Check the comments for additional links to give!
New American Standard Bible 1995: Acts Chapter 7 @ Blue Letter Bible
