The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Acts 27-28
Act 3: God’s New Covenant People
Scene 4: Christ’s Church: God’s People Advance the Kingdom
Background Information: Acts 27-28
Though God did not prevent Paul from suffering he protected his life over and over. A life-threatening shipwreck, soldiers intent on killing him, and then a bite from a deadly snake and this was just one of many similar series of events. He finally arrived at Rome and was incarcerated for two more years. He went from mobile missionary to stationary evangelist, but his purpose never changed, and his impact never diminished. From his house arrest in Rome, he welcomed visitors from around the empire and proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. Paul lived resolutely in the right column and committed the left column to God. Circumstances that were out of his control were often difficult, but he took them as the will of God. In those difficult circumstances he leaned into using hardship to learn to trust God more fully and to make the gospel known. The choices of others were out of his control, but they did not remove his own choice to be found faithful. His life purpose was personal and portable. It was who he was, wherever he went. This is a life void of empty despair and full of meaning and impact. His life was in the hand of God; he never lived at the mercy of circumstances or at the whims of human actors. Tradition says that Paul was beheaded by the vile Roman emperor Nero. It was Nero’s will to kill Paul, but Nero had no power that was not given to him by God. Paul died when he died and how he died, because that was God’s will for Paul. Paul knew that nothing in his life was left to chance. His purpose was fixed, and it continually rose high above his circumstances. If your life purpose can be blocked by external circumstances or the choices of others it is too small. What would happen if you embraced the life purpose of making Christ known wherever Christ puts you? How would this change how you think, plan, pray, and live your day-to-day life? It’s unlikely that God would lead you to a different job, home, or maybe other life circumstances. What would happen is that you would live in those circumstances with a consistent gospel focus that would rise high above them all.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for Tajik believers to faithfully gather around the Word in house churches countrywide. Ask God to give them wisdom to know how to welcome non-believers into their gatherings.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.