SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/30/2017
7:57 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Intro to
Acts 8:1b-8
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 8:1b-8
Message of the
verses: “And on that day a great
persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Some devout
men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began
ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and
women, he would put them in prison. 4
Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip
went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. 6 The
crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as
they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. 7 For in the case of many
who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud
voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was
much rejoicing in that city.”
John MacArthur entitles this 18th chapter of
his first half commentary on the book of Acts “The Persecuted Church Reaches
Out,” and in his introduction he begins with telling a short version of the men
who were killed on January 8, 1956 in the Ecuadorian jungle by the Auca
Indians. The story shocked the world as
they look at this is a different way than the mature people who were a part of
this tragedy, people like the wives and children who were left behind. At this point I would like to quote a verse
that I have been using to pray for the church in the Central African Republic
who are and have been going through great persecution. “But to the degree that you share the
sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His
glory you may rejoice with exultation (1 Peter 4:13).” Just as in the case of the people who thought
this was a senseless tragedy in Ecuador so many people who read this verse from
1 Peter 4:13 cannot understand how believers can continue to rejoice at
persecutions. Joy is not an emotional
feeling like being happy for we read in the book of Hebrews and chapter 12 and
verse 2b “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” As you read the accounts from the gospel of
the crucifixion of Jesus Christ you will find joy, but certainly not happiness.
In this first part of our introduction to these verses I
want to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary as he quotes from two of those
who were greatly affected by what happened in Ecuador on that January morning
of 1956. We first will look at what Nate
Saint wrote, who was the son of one of the martyrs.
“As we weigh the future and
seek the will of God, does it seem right that we should hazard our lives for
just a few savages? As we ask ourselves
this question, we realize that it is not the call of the needy thousands,
rather it is the simple intimation of the prophetic Word that there shall be
some from every tribe in His presence in the last day and in our hearts we feel
that is pleasing to Him that we should interest ourselves in making an opening
into the Auca a prison for Christ.” This
quote came from Elisabeth Elliot’s book “Through Gates of Splendor.”
Next we look at another quote from this book and this
time from the author, Elisabeth Elliot’s perspective.
“To the world at large this
was a sad waste of five you lives. But
God has His plan and purpose in all things.
There were those whos lives were changed by what happened on Palm Beach. In Brazil, a group of Indians at a mission
station deep in the Mato Grosso, upon hearing the news, dropped to ther knees
and cried out to God for forgiveness for their own lack of concern for fellow
Indians who did not know of Jesus Christ.
From Rome, an American official wrote to one of the widows, ‘I knew your
husband. He was to me the ideal of what
a Christian should be.’ An Air Force
Major stationed in England, with many hours of jet flying, immediately began
making plans to join the Missionary Aviation Fellowship. A Missionary in Africa wrote: ‘Our work will never be the same. We knew tow of the men. Their lives have left their mark on ours.’
“Off the coast of Italy, and
American naval officer was involved in an accident at sea. As he floated along on a raft, he recalled
Jim Elliot’s words (which he had read in a new report): ‘When it comes time to
die, make sure that all you have to do is die.’
He prayed that he might be saved, knowing that he had more to do than
die. He was not ready. God answered his prayer, and he was
rescued. In Des Moines, Iowa, an
eighteen-year-old boy prayed for a week in his room, then announced to his
parents: ‘I’m turning my life over
completely to the Lord. I want to try to
take the place of one of those five.’”
In our next SD we want to look at the affects of what
happened to lives after Stephen was slain for the cause of Christ, as there
were many in Jerusalem who were affected by his death, both in good ways and
also in bad ways.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Lord I desire to
lift up to you this day those who are being persecuted in the Central African
Republic that as they continue to be under severe persecution that You would be
with them all in a special way to give them the courage they need in order to
bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that in life of death God’s will,
will be accomplished in their lives. For
those who are doing the persecution my prayer is that their eyes will be opened
like you opened the eyes of Saul of Tarsus as we read about in the ninth
chapter of the book of Acts, so they will realize that they are persecuting the
Lord Jesus Christ and will repent of their wrongdoing.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I pray that the Lord will give me wisdom on
what I am to bring up in our Sunday school class this coming Sunday as there
are at this time many things that are rattling around in my head.
Memory verse: Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever
is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever
is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything
worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Pharaoh” Exodus 5:2).
Today’s Bible
question: “Where did Jacob send his sons
to buy corn?”
Answer in our next SD.
11/30/2017 8:40 AM
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