Thursday, June 14

THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2018

"Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers." (Acts 9:31)

In Acts 9, we read of Saul's tremendous conversion upon seeing the Risen Jesus.  This summary statement above highlights that the Church flourished during this period, having spread "throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria."  This geographic expansion fulfilled the first two steps from Acts 1:8, setting the stage for the  Kingdom expansion to "the ends of the earth."

Before that expansion, God found His Church "living in fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit." This fear represented reverence and prioritization, putting God in the proper place as No. 1 in their lives.  This fear brought forth obedience and created harmonious relationships between believers.  Their love drew others to the love of the Father, demonstrated in Christ.  They received power from the Holy Spirit.  This flourishing came under the Lord's care.

This early Christian apologetic, the Letter to Diogenes, writes about the ethic in the Christian community:   

"For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. (2 Corinthians 10:3)  They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)  They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. (2 Corinthians 6:9)  They are poor, yet make many rich (2 Corinthians 6:10); they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless (2 Corinthians 4:12); they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred."

May these words desire our Grace Church family more and more so that the light of Christ might shine through us.

Lord God, thank You for expanding Your Kingdom through the faithfulness of believers that came before us and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Give us courage to believe You for great things for our day.  Draw our hearts closer to You so that we may live in fear of You and with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.  We love You and praise You today.  In Jesus's Name, amen.