Thank You Father for a great day! It was wonderful to get together with my family this afternoon. I am so grateful for opportunities taken and safe travels for all!
Acts 19:1-7 (<<click here to read the passage)
Apollos needed the full story of Jesus, and now other believers are dealing with the same issue, but this time Paul is the revealer of the entire truth. As he filled them in it was like Paul Harvey used to say, “Now you know…the rest of the story.”
The greatest thing was once that happened, they embraced what Paul had said and they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them… vs5-6
The notes regarding this passage in my Life Application Study Bible in essence say that the Holy Spirit’s filling of these men was delayed because they needed the “rest of the story” to make it complete. Coming into a knowledge of the Holy Spirit’s existence filled in the gaps making it possible for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. His doing so made them aware that they were a part of the church and endorsed them as believers.
The final sentence about verses 2-4 definitely needs to be heeded. The mark of the true church is not merely right doctrine but right actions, the true evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work.
One of my greatest concerns today is the fact that many Christians (not all), are quick to spout off doctrine, that is, scriptural teaching on theological truths. In and of itself that’s what we are supposed to do. But where the problem arises is the fact that in a lot of cases, we can preach and harp all we want but if we don’t live out the entirety of our doctrine it doesn’t build up the cause of Christ…it tears it down.
The political environment in our country today is toxic. We scream for our rights – which by the way, if we are true followers of Christ, we don’t have any – but screaming for them nine times out of ten excludes the greatest commandments we are told to abide by.
When asked in Mark 12, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” vs28b-31 NLT
So, where…is…love… I see plenty of anger. I see plenty of hate and disgust and disdain and abhorrence…but where is love.
I’ve said it time and time again. Every. Single. Time. in the Gospels, which speak of Jesus’ life here amongst us, when he interacted with “sinners” there was only love. It may have been hard love, but it never included anger or hate, disgust, disdain, or abhorrence. It may be hard to comprehend a holy God who embraced the sinner…but He did…He surely did.
And He did the same for every, single one of us. Now there is love and as Jesus commanded at the end of the story of the Good Samaritan…go and do likewise. Luke 10:37b NIV
The mark of the true church is not merely right doctrine but right actions, the true evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work.
June 26th, 2022, Sun, 9:02 pm
