It's time for Acts

 

The book of Acts could very well be the most important book in the Bible for the Church of the living God at this crucial point in it's history, for it is full of insight into how the Church was born and grew. This model revealed to us in the Book of Acts should never have been deviated from, yet sadly, the churches of our day have wandered far from it, and the fact remains  - we must get back to it, and remodel ourselves after it, or we will never fulfill our corporate destiny. We should all be studying the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts very carefully,  line upon line.

In Acts 2:42, the scripture testifies they "continued stedfastly in the apostle's doctrine" z- to be blunt, a lack of apostle's doctrines has directly led us to the weakened, emancipated, shell of the church we read about in the book of Acts. Simply put, pastors cannot replace apostles in the lives of the believers, they are a poor substitute. Since God is well aware of this, He is raising up and releasing apostles to the nations today, to teach doctrine that reflects his heart and mind, not man's. 

It also says in verse 42, they continued stedfastly in fellowship,  by breaking bread together. Who you eat with is who you will truly draw close to. The unique thing about their fellowship then, as opposed to ours today, was that they met together daily. Verse 46: "AND THEY CONTINUED DAILY WITH ONE ACCORD in the temple, and breaking bread FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart". The apostles treated their disciples like Jesus treated them. They made themselves available for the people to meet and fellowship with daily. If leadership did this today, the people would mature 7 times as fast as they normally do ( if they do at all) because they would have 7 times the amount of spiritual food and fellowship they're used to getting. 

"They met daily in the Temple and house to house" is a key aspect of the early church that virtually no one is following today. Sadly, the ones that are, are usually cults. We haven't truly given our lives in service to God and one another, not really. We typically meet only once or twice a week - and then only for a few hours, with those hours spent staring at the back of someone's head, not their face. Haven't you noticed you often get more out of a shared meal after the service than you do the service itself? The church in Acts met every day, in the church building of their day and in their homes. They broke bread and ate meat together daily, in this way every belly and heart was satisfied.  Could the "daily bread" in the Lord's prayer be fellowship with the Lord in each other?

In acts 5:42 we again see that the Apostles never ceased to teach and preach Jesus Christ, daily in the Temple and house to house.  They never took a day off. Their lives did not belong to them anymore at all. If we actually did this today, if we actually met with each other daily, if we actually became family to one another, we would all be so much healthier. We say we're a family, the family of God, but we don't live like it. Temptations and satanic attacks would have a much harder time getting to us, and be much weaker when they did, if we were constantly surrounded by each other's love and care. Look at any animal on earth, they all guard and protect their young, fiercely. God wants us to guard each other this way. Satan's time worn strategy to isolate us from one another as much as possible.  It's the banana that gets seperated from the bunch that gets peeled. 

We desperately need Acts 2:43 today. We need fear to come on every soul - a holy fear and reverence for God and this will happen as a result of God's apostles moving in the miraculous the way the early apostles did. We need mighty signs and wonders, like Elijah displayed when confronting Baal's false prophets.  Or Peter and Paul, who confronted sorcerers and governments and all in authority with the Universe ' true authority. We need more confronting and less capitulating. We need more "acts" and less facts i.e. talk.

2:44 - In every city, we need ALL THAT BELIEVE to be together as one in Christ, not in any man-made, man led organizations.  This is the workbof God's Spirit and a sure sign he is among us for this kind of unity can only be achieved supernaturally, when all flesh is submitted to him and him alone. NO MORE hundreds of churches in each city all seperate and autonomous, identifying with their denomination more than Christ, identifying more with a man, past or present,  more than Christ. For while one saith I am of Wesley, and another, i am of Luther, are ye not carnal? Divisions prove you are carnal and walk as men. Once we fulfill John 17:21, then we will have "all things in common". Like a healthy marriage,  when i am in Christ,  living in his kingdom,  all i have is not mine, it's ours. We do not condone laziness but we do meet all legitimate needs with love. No one should ever be uncared for, whether it's clothing, food or a warm hug. There are no homeless or fatherless in the Body of Christ. Our attitude should always be " if i can help, i will". We cannot claim to love God if we do not love one another. 

Look at Acts 4:32-37. They even sold their land and homes out of obedience to God and love for their brethren. What do "things" gain us but temporal pleasures anyway? Their hearts and minds were on things above, as Jesus instructs us all to do. Ohh how wise they were! Because a few years later, the Romans took or destroyed their homes and lands. They laid the money from the sale of their lands and homes and laid it at the apostle's feet, for God knew he could trust them. He had previously sent them out with "no money in their purse" and they obeyed him and went, proving they weren't motivated by money. They could not be bought. They refused to turn God into a commodity to be bought and sold. This freedom from a lust for worldly wealth is a hallmark of all who flee from Babylon.  Love for the poor and needy among them compelled the apostles to give awayvthe wealth they were receiving.  They were doing the Word, not just preaching it. You too will gladly give your worldly wealth and possessions, if you truly do esteem your brethren higher than yourself.  When Jesus testified he had "nowhere to lay his head", he was not lamenting but rather showing us as our example,  the life he chose to lead. He could have easily bought homes and land but chose not to. He trusted completely in his heavenly Father to care for his needs each day, as should we all, when we are walking in obedience to his will. 

Part two soon...comment below