datethewordtest

Tag: Acts

  • Verse to DATE the Word on January 14 (1/14) is Acts 1:14

    Verse to DATE the Word on January 14 (1/14) is Acts 1:14

    Our verse to DATE the Word on January 14 (1/14) is Acts 1:14
    Acts 1:14 says, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”
    The Priority of PRAYER

    The book of Acts begins with the conclusion of the visible ministry of the risen Savior, Jesus Christ.  Luke will introduce his 2nd letter by letting his friend Theophilus know he will be telling what happens after Jesus Christ ascended.  He then writes about the ascension and how Jesus tells His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, and that they were to be witnesses first in Jerusalem, then in Judea, then in Samaria, and then to the utmost parts of the world.  (Acts 1:8) 

    With the assignment of taking the gospel to the world Jesus ASCENDS to heaven and his disciples return, as instructed, to Jerusalem to wait.   Acts 1:13 tells that they went back to the UPPER ROOM.  Many believe this to be the same UPPER ROOM where Jesus had observed the Passover and instituted the Lord’s Supper and washed the disciples’ feet as well as shared what we read in John 14, 15, 16, and 17.  One can imagine if it is the same place how special it must have been for the disciples to return there.  Acts 1:14 reveals that not only were the disciples there but also some women, especially Mary, the mother of Jesus. And His brothers were there. 

    As we look closer at Acts 1:14 Luke tells us more than the place and the people in the Upper Room, he tells us how in unity (one accord) they PRAYED.  Don’t read this too quickly.  Let this settle in your heart.  The first action we read of the disciples after Jesus ASCENDS to heaven is to PRAY.   Assuming they were in the same UPPER ROOM the last night Jesus had with the disciples they may have been flooded with memories of Jesus telling them to pray.  For instance, in John 14:12 Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  13 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”  Now, whether or not they were in the same room or not, they are PRAYING.  Prayer was the top priority.

    Let us consider our priority of prayer.  I repeat that the first action of the disciples after the ascension was to gather together to pray.  It would not be the last.  A reading of the Book of Acts finds one prayer meeting after another.  Here are a few examples to prove my point.
    Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
    Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
    Acts 6:4 “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
    Acts 6:6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
    Acts 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.
    Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
    Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

    Jesus told His disciples, and I believe He told us, that we would do greater works than He did because He went to His Father.  He then said ASK.  My take is He said ASK WHAT YOU NEED TO DO THE GREATER WORKS!   

    The question then is ARE WE ASKING?  Are we PRAYING?  What is the priority of prayer for your life and ministry and work and service for the Lord?  Is your life being marked with “AND WHEN YOU/THEY PRAYED”….?  

    Verse to DATE the Word on January 14 (1/14) is Acts 1:14.  It says, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”

    Prayer is not a waste of time.  It is the first work that allows for your work for God to work!

    Continue Strong with prayer as a priority.
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on December 5 (12/5) is Acts 12:5

    Our verse to DATE the Word on December 5 (12/5) is Acts 12:5
    Acts 12:5 says “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”
     
    The POWER OF PRAYER

    Acts 12 tells of the RISE of persecution by King Herod.  For the context of our verse to DATE notice Acts 12:1-4. Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2  Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3  And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4  So when King Herod had arrested Peter, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.”

    The scene is FRIGHTENING.  James is dead, the first disciple to be a martyr. Peter has been arrested and is in prison so that soon he can be executed.  Church leaders and members have to be asking what should and can we do.  There are numerous answers that we might consider.  For the early church, the answer was PRAYER!  The answer to the problem was PRAYER! And Acts 12:5 tells us that as Peter is kept in prison the church is in constant prayer!

    I have to tell you that Acts 12:5 is one of my favorite verses on the subject of prayer.  As a college student, I read The Power of Prayer by R. A. Torrey and he had a whole chapter on Acts 12:5.  In Acts 12:5 you find 12 powerful words about prayer.  BUT  CONSTANT  PRAYER  WAS  OFFERED  TO  GOD  FOR  HIM  BY  THE  CHURCH.  

    Now R. A. Torrey wrote a full chapter in a book on those 12 words.  I will not attempt to do so here. I do however want you to consider WHAT was done here.  There was PRAYER.  Someone said PRAYER is POWER RELEASE AT YOUR EARNEST REQUEST.  

    Not only notice the WHAT was done here but WHO DID THE WHAT.  The CHURCH prayed.  The PEOPLE of God took the problem of Peter in prison to God in prayer!   

    May I ask you if you are part of a PRAYING church?  I am in agreement with a quote from Dr. Jerry Falwell in which he said, “NOTHING OF ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE EVER HAPPENS APART FROM PRAYER.”  Are you a part of a church that when there is a problem the first thought is let’s take this to God in prayer?  I hope so but if not then you should lead the charge to prayer!

    Notice also who the prayer was OFFERED TO.  It was offered to GOD!  It was offered to the One and only who could do the miraculous!  

    Where do you go for help?  My go-to is the LORD based on Psalm 121:1-2 “I will lift up my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? 2  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”  Don’t you love how David added the part about the Lord making heaven and earth?  What a reminder that there is NOT ONE THING you will bring to God that He will be unable of handling!  Friend, your help is the LORD!

    12 words tell the response to a crisis.  God’s power was released, and Peter was miraculously delivered out of prison.  The answer was so powerful that it was shocking to the level of unbelief for when he showed up at the prayer meeting Rhoda could not believe it out of excitement and when she told the prayer warriors he was at the door they could not believe it.  Now don’t get upset with this group because I am sure you have had prayers answered that you responded with “I just can’t believe it.”  The bottom line is the church prayed to God and God answered in a mighty way!

    Verse to DATE the Word on December 5 (12/5) is Acts 12:5.  It says “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”

    With Peter in danger, the church believed in the POWER OF PRAYER!

    Continue Strong by taking EVERYTHING TO GOD IN PRAYER!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 26 (11/26) is Acts 11:26

    Our verse to DATE the Word on November 26 (11/26) is Acts 11:26
    Acts 11:26 says, “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.
    So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

    Living up to your Name

    Our verse to consider speaks of three actions.  First, we read of Barnabas going to Tarsus to search for Saul (soon to be called Paul), and when he finds him, he brings him to Antioch, where God is working and blessing. Barnabas will be a tremendous encouragement to Saul in his spiritual development.  With Saul now in a place where God is working, we see the second action in which Saul and Barnabas start teaching.  And then a third action takes place as people begin to notice that people who follow the teaching about Christ are living like Christ and they are called CHRISTIANS.  A CHRISTIAN is one who is a FOLLOWER of CHRIST.  This name or title comes after a time in which those who followed Jesus had been called followers of THE WAY or Galileans or Nazarenes.  Now in Antioch, those who follow Christ are called CHRISTIANS.

    I would like to present two questions to you based on this word “Christian.” 
    First, are you a Christian?  In Acts 26:28, “Agrippa said unto Paul, you almost persuade me to become a Christian;” While King Agrippa knew the truth, he still was not a CHRISTIAN.  Are you almost persuaded to be a Christian?  Are you still considering the claims of Christ?  Or has there been a time when you understood you are a sinner in need of a Savior and that Jesus Christ is that one and only Savior and you called on Him for salvation?  I respectfully but seriously ask are you a CHRISTIAN?  

    My second question is for those who said yes to the above question.  Are you living like a Christian?  Are your beliefs and behavior like that of Christ?   Are you living up to your new title of being a Christian?

    A story is told of Alexander the Great that there was a day in which after a battle he saw a group of his men being marched to the back of the lines to be executed by his men.  The rules of battle from Alexander the Great was that if you deserted during battle you were to be executed.  Upon seeing the deserters Alexander the Great noticed one very young man, basically still a boy.  Alexander the Great rode up to him he asked the young man what had happened.  Trembling the young man said how he was in the very thick of the battle and seeing men die all around him he became fearful and he turned and ran.  

    At this moment Alexander the Great has compassion and extended a pardon to him.  Alexander the Great then asked the young man what his name was.  The young man lifted his head to say proudly that his name was like his, Alexander!   At this moment the smile on Alexander the Great’s face disappeared and he spoke firmly to the pardoned young man, “Either live up to your name or change it.”

    Are you living up to the name Christian?   The apostle Paul would write to the Philippians in Philippians 1:27, “Only let your conduct be WORTHY of the gospel of Christ.”

    I trust you are a CHRISTIAN because you have been born again!  I trust that you are living up to the name Christian, giving clear evidence in belief and behavior that you are a follower of Christ!

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 26 (11/26) is Acts 11:26. Acts 11:26.  It says, “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

    Continue Strong Living up to the name Christian!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 24 (11/24) is Acts 11:24

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 24 (11/24)
    is Acts 11:24
    Acts 11:24 says, “For (Barnabas) was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”
    HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
    Our verse to DATE the Word on November 24 (11/24) is Acts 11:24. Acts 11:24 says, “For (Barnabas) was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

    A Life Verse!

    Acts 11:24 is a verse that one should use as a guide for their character and their contribution during life.  It should be a verse one would want to have read and used to describe their life at their funeral!!  What an excellent description of a person!  

    Barnabas, the encourager, was a GOOD MAN!! Good instead of bad! Good because of doing right instead of doing wrong! Good as in UPRIGHT!  As well he was GOOD because of his service. He was known for DOING good!

    Barnabas was a good man who was good at doing good work doing many good works! 

    Are you good? As the Christmas season grows closer, we pose the question to children “Have you been good this year?” However, this question is not a seasonal question. It should be a daily question. Are you good in character?  Are you doing good in contributing to others? 

    BTW – It is said that Ben Franklin asked himself in the morning, “What good shall I do today?” and in the evening, “What good have I done today?”

    Not only was Barnabas a good man he was full of the Holy Spirit.  He was empowered by the Spirit of God to be and do good! He was filled – controlled – led by the Spirit of God! He walked and worked by the POWER of GOD!  He was DEPENDENT on GOD to do the GOOD that he did!

    He was a man of FAITH! The faith spoken of here is not faith for salvation but faith to believe God to do what God was placing on his heart to do. He walked and worked by FAITH! He moved fearlessly forward! 

    As a result of such living, we learn that many were saved!  

    What a one verse TESTIMONY! He was GOOD and DID GOOD! He was EMPOWERED by God, being FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! He lived and worked by FAITH in God!  AND many are SAVED! 

    Some might say such a person is rare and maybe so but I would pray that there would be many who are Acts 11:24 people!

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 24 (11/24) is Acts 11:24. It says, “For (Barnabas) was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”

    Continue Strong being good and doing good!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 23 (11/23) is Acts 11:23

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 23 (11/23)
    is Acts 11:23
    Acts 11:23 says, “When he arrived and saw the evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.
    Our verse to DATE the Word on November 23 (11/23) is Acts 11:23. Acts 11:23 says, “When he arrived and saw the evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.

    The JOY of A Testimony

    There are numerous things that bring happiness and yes, true joys to our lives.  If I asked each reader to tell what has brought the most joy to your life, we would get a wide variety of answers.  For some, it would be the birth of a child.  For some, it could be a special celebration with your spouse.  It could be a sports team FINALLY winning a championship.  It could be getting a promotion at work.  It could be getting accepted at a desired school.  As you can see from the shortlist, there are numerous things that can bring happiness and joy to our lives.  I do however wonder if on your list of things that bring great joy is learning of God’s working and blessings. 

    In our verse to DATE for November 23 (11/23) we see in Acts 11:23 that Barnabas was filled with joy because he had learned by seeing firsthand that God was blessing the ministry at Antioch.  Knowing that lives were being changed by God was exciting.  Knowing that God’s people were learning and growing and living like Christ and making Christ known to others was thrilling. 

    Barnabas, the encourager, then did what he did best, and he lived up to his name and spoke words of encouragement to the believers that they might stay true or fully committed to the Lord.   

    May I ask you if you are on the lookout for evidence of God’s blessings?  Do you ask people to share how God is working in their lives and in the ministries where they are involved?  I encourage you to do so!!  

    May I also ask how do you respond when you do hear of God’s blessings in a ministry or at a church or in a person’s life?  Do you find yourself filled with joy (you might need to brace yourself, and put on some steel-toed shoes), or do you find yourself having feelings of jealousy?   It is a real possibility that upon seeing or hearing of God’s work and blessings you can become dismissive or jealous instead of filled with joy.  I hope you will be like Barnabas and be excited and overflowing with joy as you hear of God’s work and blessing!  

    Now may I ask one more question?  Are you sharing with others what God is doing in your life?  As Christians, we do have to balance being boastful with being humble.  I would encourage you to make sure you are bragging about God, not yourself.  And I would encourage you to SHARE what God is doing!! I heard a Christian leader say one time that if we don’t tell our story no one else will. 

    The sharing of a testimony will bring joy to other believers.  I know that you know to share your burdens with one another but also share your blessings with one another!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 23 (11/23) is Acts 11:23. It says, “When he arrived and saw the evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.”

    Be filled with joy when you hear of God working and blessing and share your testimony of God working and blessing so other will be filled with joy!

    Continue Strong looking for the evidence of God’s blessings,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

    PS.  An easy question for Thanksgiving Dinner asking for testimonies of how has God been working in your life this past year.