DAY 19: Mission to Accomplish

Read: Acts 13:42-14:7

Think: The people begged Paul and Barnabas to come back again to speak to them. Acts 13:44 says, “The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord.” Acts 14:1-2 says, “The same thing happened in Iconium. They. . . preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.” The Holy Spirit, from the moment He was sent by Jesus until today, has given believers a mission to accomplish: preach the Good News!

Act: The believers in the early church knew the mission they were to accomplish. Acts 13:47 says, “For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’” Charles Spurgeon, 19th century preacher and evangelist wrote in his book, SoulWinner, “the chief purpose of a Christian is soul winning!” With whom have you been sharing the Good News regularly? Identify someone God has put in your life to reach for Him: ___________________________. Identify one way you can be intentional in accomplishing the mission of sharing the Good News with this person this week _________________________________________________________.

Pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for the Holy Spirit who gives me power to witness! Give me Your relentless love for sharing the Good News with my family and friends.  Give me specific opportunities for sharing with them. Help me to be thoughtful, prayerful, and intentional in accomplishing the mission You have given to me. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 18: Forgiveness of Sin

Read: Acts 13:16-41

Think: As Paul preaches the Good News, he explains to the listeners, “We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness of your sins.” It is natural for many of us to shrink away from talking about “sin” when we share the Gospel. A cultural Jew and former New York Times columnist, when asked why morality has changed in America, answered, “When you lose awareness of sin and start thinking, deep down, human beings are pretty wonderful, you lose the struggle of character building. Building character is not like being better than someone else. . . it is conquering weakness.” Forgiveness of sin is at the core of the Gospel. Sin is what separates us from a Holy God. It keeps us from coming near to Him. How amazing is a God who would send His only Son to pay the price for our sins that we might be reconciled to Him!? We just can’t ignore sin.

Act: One of my daily practices, for over 30 years, is to confess my sins in writing each day. I have a section in My Partner Prayer Notebook called “Admit.” Daily, I pray two scripture verses that set my heart and mind in motion to ask God to forgive my sins.  Today, I encourage you to do the same. Pray Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me…know me…test me…lead me…” Then silently wait for God to show you any area of your life where you are resisting His counsel, hurting another, hiding a fault, or running from conquering a weakness. Consider making it a habit to daily confess your sins and weaknesses in writing—they become more real when you record them! 

Pray: Dear Jesus, forgive me. In this moment, touch my heart with the courage I need to “come clean” in my life. Show me the areas of my character that need rebuilding. Allow me to hear Your gentle conviction. Cause me to admit my faults and sins to You that I might receive the freedom from guilt and the release of joy that comes from forgiveness. Oh how I need You, Lord. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 17: An Invitation to Encourage

Read: Acts 12:24-13:15

Think: The Greek definition of encourage is “Paraklēseōs” which means to urge, comfort, console, exhort, or appeal. The word, “Paraclete,” means advocate or helper. In Christianity, the term “Paraclete" most commonly refers to the Holy Spirit. In Acts 13:15, Paul and Barnabas were asked, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.”

Act: Encouragement comforts the soul. Encouragement lifts the spirit. Encouragement consoles the troubled, and beleaguered. Encouragement brings help to the hurting. People—all people—are hungry for encouragement. It is a gift to give! God’s Holy Spirit works through us to encourage others. Today, be generous with words of encouragement toward those you know and love, even to those you meet for the first time.

Pray: Dear Holy Spirit, give me words of encouragement for others today. Show me who needs to be consoled, who needs to be comforted, who needs to be exhorted. Give me words of hope, inspiration, and consolation for them. Speak words of encouragement through me today to family, friends, and co-workers. Use me to encourage…  Help me, Lord. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 16: Gathered for Prayer

Read: Acts 12:1-23

Think: The early church was dependent upon prayer. As if Jesus was in the room with them, they talked to Him about their needs, concerns, fears, and requests. Whether it was a prayer for healing—in Jesus’ name—or a prayer for release of an imprisoned disciple, prayer was the way the early church gathered to seek God’s help.

Act: What is your experience with prayer? Do you see prayer as your first resource or last resort? Have you experienced a recent answer to prayer that has fueled your faith? Do you have a prayer request list that you bring to God daily? Do you regularly attend a prayer meeting? Do you have a designated daily time to pray for yourself and others? Do you keep a record of answered prayer? Ros Rinker, author and former InterVarsity staff worker said, “Prayer is a conversation between two people who love each other.” Gather for prayer with that quote in mind…

Pray: Dear Jesus, I look to You today for every need, every hope, every concern, even in every difficulty, I look to You to give me guidance. Give me new thoughts, fresh ideas, and a deep humility to bring my requests to You. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 15: Christ is for All!

Read: Acts 11:1-30

Think: In Wm. Barclay’s commentary on the Book of Acts, he noted that because Luke attaches a lot of “space” to the Peter/Cornelius incident, it had an important emphasis upon the early believers. Barclay suggested that “we don’t realize how close Christianity was to becoming another kind of Judaism.” He adds, “it was a notable milestone on the road along which the Church was feeling its way to the idea of a world for Christ.” 

Act: This story reveals how, then and now, securing and protecting unity in the Church was, and always will be, a constant theme! One of the best ways I have found to embrace such unity is through corporate prayer and worship. The very next time you are invited to a corporate, city-wide, county-wide, or community-wide prayer meeting, don’t hesitate to attend. Make it a priority. Show your unity by praying with other believers.

Pray: Dear Lord, forgive me if I have been too busy, too stubborn, or too lazy to pray with other brothers and sisters in Christ in my community. Help me to make unity in the body of Christ a priority. If invitations have come my way to join with others in prayer for our nation, state, and city, and I’ve neglected to go and pray with them, please forgive me. I ask You to remind me just how much you, Jesus, love all men and women—not just those in my church. Give me a new, fresh desire to come together in prayer with other believers in my area! I love You, Lord. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 14: Pride or Prejudice

Read: Acts 10:24-48

Think: Peter’s encounter with the Roman soldier, Cornelius, and Cornelius’ family displayed how, in the early days of Christianity, the Gospel spread from the Jews in Jerusalem to the Gentiles throughout the region. Initially, it amazed the disciples that Gentiles, when they heard the Gospel, quickly believed, were filled with the Holy Spirit and wanted to be baptized! The disciples had to unlearn much of their Jewish background and rigidity to accept the Gentiles into the faith. But God, through visions and visitations, convinced Peter that the Good News was for all people, until he could say, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.”

Act: Examine your life today. Is there anyone with whom you’ve resisted sharing the Gospel for any reason? Ask God to speak to you about your attitude. Ask God to forgive you of any pride or prejudice. Ask God to help you unlearn any rigidity you might possess that has hindered you from welcoming others into the family of God!

Pray: Dear Lord, show me if there is anyone or people group toward whom I am prideful or prejudiced. Soften my heart so that I might be able to see clearly that You show no favoritism toward anyone. Help me to love others like You love others. Cause the words and stories in the Book of Acts to expose any pride that keeps me from loving and sharing with others the way You would have me love and share with them. Amen.

Be full of faith today!

DAY 13: Prompted by God

Read: Acts 10:1-23

Think: Today’s reading describes an angelic visit. Most of us have not experienced angelic visits, but throughout the Old and New Testaments, angels are consistent messengers who move, prompt, instruct, or bring a word from the Lord to human beings.

Early this year, five firefighters and policemen were interviewed regarding a voice they heard coming from an overturned car that was submerged in water. While still 100’s of feet from the car, the men heard an urgent voice calling to them, asking someone to “Help us.” Because of the voice, they sped up to rescue the passengers, whom they assumed were calling to them. Upon arrival, they found the mother at the wheel of the vehicle, submerged and deceased but her baby was unconscious yet too young to speak. During a national news interview, each of them said they heard a voice prompting them; and they had commented to each other upon hearing the voice, verifying that it was not just a thought in their heads. Each of them also admitted, they had no idea whose voice it could have been—but they all heard it. As a result, though the mother had been dead for many hours, the baby had been saved!

Act: The Word of God reminds us that God is not restricted by human means or human messengers to intervene in a situation. We might not be visited by an angel like Cornelius, or have a vision like Peter, but God speaks to us daily through His Word and by His Holy Spirit, even sending messengers our way to give us a word of hope, instruction or encouragement. Throughout today, watch and listen for God’s voice. Perhaps you have a recurring thought that lines up with a devotional reading or Bible verse? Perhaps God will prompt you to go/do/say something to a stranger on His behalf? Keep a record during the 100 Days of Faith in Action of any unusual way God speaks to you or uses you to speak to someone on His behalf. Send your story to me at becky@viewpointchurch.org. 

Pray: Dear Lord, today I will be listening and watching for You to prompt me to put my faith in action. Give me courage. I love You. Amen.

Be full of faith today!