Day 6: Acts 6:1 – 7:16

By this point in our readings in Acts, we have come to the understanding that the early church is growing at a very healthy pace. This is because evangelism is taking place on a daily basis.

In our reading today I want to have a brief look at Stephen, the early church’s first fiscal administrator.

In the early part of chapter 6, we realize that the growth of the church has caused the emergence of other issues which was absorbing more of the apostles’ time than was expedient for the continued growth of the church. The solution was to look to others among them “of good reputation, full of the Spirit, and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.”  Note that it was both natural and spiritual qualifications that were necessary.

Heading the list of successful candidates was Stephen, “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” After this, there is no more mention of the complaints that had initiated this appointment of additional “leaders”.  Presumably these servant leaders performed their tasks well.

The next mention of Stephen is a mere two verses later in Acts 6:8: “Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”  Before we go on, let me point out that being full of faith AUTOMATICALLY means full of power. It is faith that engages the power of God in our lives.

Wait a minute! Has Stephen forgotten his place? How did he get from “serving tables” to “signs and wonders”? Did a promotion come along that someone forgot to mention? Perhaps Stephen didn’t know that this kind of thing brings unwanted attention to the church, specifically from the local magistrates and religious leaders, who take a very dim view of it. Anyway, isn’t this somebody else’s job?

It seems that somewhere along the line, we started to get the notion that only a few elect were qualified to “minister”. According to the scriptural record, the qualifications for ministry were “of good reputation, full of the Spirit, and of wisdom”.

The reality is that we can only give out of what we have. If we are going to minister into the needs of another, we must have a source from which to draw. That source (if our ministry is going to be effective) must be Holy Spirit.  

A religious degree is not necessary for you to minister to the one near you that has a need. I do not suggest that education is a bad thing. I AM saying that our qualifications for ministry are found, not in the letters after our name, but in the person found in our spirit. Our education in the things of the Spirit come from Holy Spirit Himself, as we engage with Him to learn of Him.

Holy Spirit uses individuals who have been willingly infused with Him, to impart to others what they need. God can and will work through persons who will yield themselves to be conduits through which He can flow. We are not limited to our own abilities. We are limited to what we have, and what we have is an infinite, unlimited God who wants to partner with us.

Does this make sense to you? Can you understand that this was the purpose for creation in the first place. God wants to share who He is with us, His creation, that we might enjoy the fullness of Him.  That enjoyment of Him includes the opportunity to share the goodness of who He is with others who have not yet discovered Him. We need to be like Stephen, full of the spirit, faith, grace and power, and do signs and wonders among the people.

Day 6: Acts 4: 23-37

I find myself in awe at the simplicity of faith demonstrated in the early church. We have simple men, not educated, being brought before rulers and authority figures, threatened, beaten, threatened some more. Yet they are able to patiently endure, and respond in such a bold manner that the authorities were at a loss as to how to respond! Then, after their suffering, they returned to the body of believers to report all that had been done.

What did they do, then? Did they modify their outreach program to make the gospel more palatable? Did they endeavour to alter the doctrinal statements to ensure so no one would be offended? No! They lifted up their voice, in UNITY to Almighty God. They honoured Him as Creator, remembered the prophecies about persecution, and acknowledged that regardless of all else, God was still in control!

Then they come to one of my favourite passages in the entire scriptures–pardon me while I quote it.

“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

Did I read that right? Did they REALLY just ask for MORE boldness? When being threatened about their faith activities, they requested God to intervene–not to protect them–but to grant that He would give them more boldness, and to lift up the name of Jesus even further through healings, signs, and wonders in that marvelous name.  When they finished praying, Scripture records that the place was shaken, and “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

Let me repeat that last part, it says they “spoke the word of God with boldness.” I want to bring your attention to that phrase. It has always been my opinion that the reason they were taken before the authorities was because they were speaking in boldness, certainly not fear! When they returned to their fellow believers and began to pray and ask God to grant them boldness–I thought THAT was bold! They requested an increase in what they were already doing, knowing fully well, it meant certain difficulties ahead.

Apparently God was pleased with their response, because He sent such a download of His presence that the physical building began to shake. That’s my interpretation. Some may say earthquake, but regardless, it was God-authored. This is another infilling of Holy Spirit. Some of these folks were at the first infilling. This passage says they were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost.

Can it be that one infilling may not be enough for us? Perhaps, from time to time, we need to be filled again, for the task at hand.

What was the result of that additional infilling? They spoke the word of God with boldness. Do you understand?

Q. What did they speak with boldness?   A. The word of God.  Now do you understand?

I believe we are looking at the passage in the Scriptures in which the prophetic unction was released to the early church to enable them not just to speak with boldness, and not just to walk in miracles, signs, and wonders, but now also to speak prophetically the word of God, with boldness, along with everything else God has given them.

That boldness implies a certainty in the saying. They KNEW that what they were speaking WAS the word of God.

This too is what we should be boldly praying for; that in spite of opposition, God would grant His servants, that we should speak boldly the word of God, and that He would stretch forth His hand to heal, and that signs, and wonders would be done in the holy name of Jesus.

Day 3: Acts 2: 22-47

Today’s passage tells us about the early church’s first effort at evangelism after the resurrection of Christ. They did not have any tracts, any 5 step plan to salvation, or the “Romans Road” to refer to. I’m not suggesting anything wrong with systems developed for sharing the gospel; I’m simply stating the fact that those tools did not exist when the church started.

There is something significant however that had occurred, as discussed in yesterday’s passage–the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the believers. This outpouring, or infilling as it is also described, triggered a change in the nature of the activity of the believers. From a place where they were passive and unnoticed in the Upper Room, they spilled out onto the streets in a quite an active and noticeable manner!

We see the Apostle Peter, the same one that just weeks before had denied Jesus, now publicly proclaiming to all that this Jesus they had crucified is truly Lord and Christ. It must have been quite a convincing sermon! Our passage describes the crowd as being pricked in their hearts. 3000 souls were baptized and became followers of Christ that day!

What was the trigger point that brought these into the church? Was it Peter’s oratory? Was it the phenomenon of people speaking in other languages they had not previously known? Was it the testimony of who Jesus was?

We should take note that Peter was quick to point out that the miracles, signs, and wonders in Jesus’ earthly ministry were evidence of God’s approval on Jesus’ life.  Now, the people present would have been familiar with the miraculous nature of the ministry of Jesus. It was the reason the multitudes followed Him. But now they have the opportunity to connect this new miracle before them today with those that Jesus had done previously.

Peter also used Scripture to validate the authenticity of his claims. He quoted a prophecy from Psalm 16, written by David, that referred to the resurrection, and pointed out how that applied to Jesus, and that the disciples and numerous followers were witnesses to the fact of Jesus’ resurrection.

So we have four factors combining to present a message that leads to conviction and repentance of the heart.  The early church, through evangelism, was birthed and established with these four active factors:

1)    Miracles, signs and wonders

2)    The Testimony of Jesus

3)    Scriptural validation of claims

4)    Personal testimony

May I suggest that in our efforts to reach people, the most effective way of doing so would be to follow the pattern that was established at the start. All of these steps are still available to us today, yes, every one of them! Although there is not space here to go into minute detail of each step, I assure you that the pattern for the early church is still the pattern for today. It worked then, it works today.

When we use another pattern, we discover that our success rate goes down!

My friend, if you want to have an impact on someone’s life spiritually, they will need to be convinced of the authenticity of what you have to offer.  Jesus Himself advised his disciples that He was going to send “another” like Him, to be their helper and comforter. This Holy Spirit is our source for success!

He empowers us to do the work of ministry, including miracles, signs, and wonders. He connects us to our spiritual elder brother Jesus and his testimony, provides enlightenment of the Holy Scriptures, and gives us a testimony of our own. All these were key elements in “the Lord adding to their number daily those who were being saved.”

May each of us today seek the power of Holy Spirit in our lives to live this way as a testimony to those around us.

(Ron and Nancy Mills are prophetic intercessors with a passion to see Christian believers rise to their calling and God-given destiny. Although they have ministered in many countries, their primary calling is to equip the saints in Canada through prayer, teaching, and prophetic ministry. Married 38 years, the Mills have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. They currently reside in St Thomas, Ontario.)