We've completed looking at the Resurrection and post-Resurrection accounts, the Ascension and Pentecost. It's also a new month and I like to move on to a new topic. However, we are going to stay with the Acts of the Apostles for a bit to experience life with the early church.
At the end of chapter 2 we find this one paragraph which summarizes the day-to-day life of the disciples after Pentecost. If not for this paragraph we wouldn't know what "normal" life was like, because from here on Luke tells the stories of Peter and then Paul as they preached and suffered for the Gospel. Verse 42 says, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Teaching/learning, fellowship, communion and prayer marked their days. These are obviously the things they saw as immediately important. They continued to do what Jesus had done with them. He taught; he fellowshipped; he broke bread and he prayed. The things they had thought mundane when Jesus was alive, they now realized were essential. After Jesus had risen, they recognized him in the breaking of the bread. How many times had he done that with them before he died? After Jesus had risen, he explained to them again the Scriptures and how the promises and the covenant applied to him and to them. Flowing from the understanding of the Scriptures and what God had done came prayer. He spent time with them in their everyday lives in prayer and in showing them how to live in good times and in bad, in acceptance and rejection. And so they began to do as Jesus had done.
For reflection: How much of my time do I devote to the teachings of God, to fellowshipping with other believers, to communion and to prayer? How important are those things in my life? Do I need to make adjustments?
Let us pray. Jesus, you did so much for me. I do so little for you. Help me to arrange my schedule so that there is a good balance of time for your teaching, fellowshipping, communion and prayer.
At the end of chapter 2 we find this one paragraph which summarizes the day-to-day life of the disciples after Pentecost. If not for this paragraph we wouldn't know what "normal" life was like, because from here on Luke tells the stories of Peter and then Paul as they preached and suffered for the Gospel. Verse 42 says, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Teaching/learning, fellowship, communion and prayer marked their days. These are obviously the things they saw as immediately important. They continued to do what Jesus had done with them. He taught; he fellowshipped; he broke bread and he prayed. The things they had thought mundane when Jesus was alive, they now realized were essential. After Jesus had risen, they recognized him in the breaking of the bread. How many times had he done that with them before he died? After Jesus had risen, he explained to them again the Scriptures and how the promises and the covenant applied to him and to them. Flowing from the understanding of the Scriptures and what God had done came prayer. He spent time with them in their everyday lives in prayer and in showing them how to live in good times and in bad, in acceptance and rejection. And so they began to do as Jesus had done.
For reflection: How much of my time do I devote to the teachings of God, to fellowshipping with other believers, to communion and to prayer? How important are those things in my life? Do I need to make adjustments?
Let us pray. Jesus, you did so much for me. I do so little for you. Help me to arrange my schedule so that there is a good balance of time for your teaching, fellowshipping, communion and prayer.
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