Unbreakable, Unshakable, Unity
“And all that believed were together…” (Acts 2:44).
“Now Peter and John went up together…” (Acts 3:1).
An old Arab proverb teaching the importance of unity says,“One hand alone does not clap.” No one is a whole chain. Each one is a link on the chain. No one is a whole team but each one is a player. We need each other. It has been rightfully said, “No man is an island unto himself.” We must have each other in order to survive. An Akan proverb says, “Hands go! Hands come!” We must have each other! Another proverb says, “It is the right arm that scratches the left arm.” Both of these proverbs expose our need of one another. Read more 
Protecting Your Church
- Ephesians 4:3 (KJV) Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
- Ephesians 4:3 (LB) Try always to be led along together by the Holy Spirit and so be at peace with one another.
- Other translations: “make every effort, being diligent, striving, take every care, do your best” … to keep UNITY!
- If you are a Christian, it is your responsibility to protect the unity of your church. Unity in the church is so important that the New Testament gives more attention to it than to either Heaven or Hell. Unity is the very soul of fellowship. Destroy it and you rip the heart out of Christ’s body. It is the very essence of how God intends us to experience life together as His people. Read more
Working Together on the King’s Team
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common” (Acts 4:32).
Teamwork means many people become one. They come together to work toward a common goal.
When David wanted to face the giant, he proclaimed, “Is there not a cause?” (1 Samuel 17:29). A team working together will accomplish more than if each person was working on his own (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). When a group of people come together to form a team, each person brings his strengths and weaknesses. As we work together our strengths complement someone else’s weaknesses. We use our skills to compliment the overall effort of the team. Read more
Fathers as Family Leaders
“Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek.” (Acts 16:1)
“…We entered into the house of Philip, the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.” (Acts 21:8, 9)
Men With A Mission
The Book of Acts is the story of “Men With A Mission.” As you read through this story you quickly see how men with a mission to reach the world accomplished their vision. In the midst of mass evangelism, miracles, and the Word of God spreading to the known world, it is easy to overlook an important point. Hidden within the pages of the twenty-eight chapters of Acts, there is also the hint of “men with a mission” that did their part to be Fathers; family leaders. Read more
Mentoring: The Ministry of Multiplication
“And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:26-27).
Mentoring is a relationship between two people, the mentor and the one being mentored.
Long ago when the Greek warrior Odysseus went off to battle in the Trojan War, he left his young son in the hands of a man named Mentor. The father was away from his son for twenty years and when he returned home his son had grown into a man. He had been trained by Mentor. Read more
Here I Stand! I Can Do No Other
“But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
When the Jewish leaders relayed their decision to Peter and John it was a blessing of God. When told not to preach or teach in the name of Jesus they made a bold decision they would rather obey God than man. Because of opposition, the convictions of the Apostles and the church were strengthened. Acts 4:29-33 reveals what happened as a result of their decision. Lloyd Ogilvie said, “Problems are only a prelude to a fresh discovery of the Spirit’s potential.” The Psalmist David said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67). “I will…transform her Valley of Troubles into a Door of Hope” (Hosea 2:15, TLB). Read more
Dreaming Dreams, Seeing Visions
“And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).
Helen Keller was a woman suffering from being both blind and deaf. She overcame these handicaps and raised money for the blind through the sale of her books and lectures. She was once asked, “What is worse than being blind?” She quickly responded, “Having sight but not being able to see.”
As Peter, on the Day of Pentecost repeated the Old Testament prophecy concerning the visitation of God’s Spirit upon all flesh, he reiterated that young men shall see visions, and old men shall dream dreams. The Wise Man in the Book of Proverbs 29:18 wrote, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Read more
The Tests of Leadership – Part 2
There are many different tests God uses to uniquely prepare His servants for their various ministries. Many of them are seen at the time as dark and deep valley experiences, but when later regarded in retrospect they are seen as some of the most precious times in one’s spiritual life.
THE TIME TEST. By all outward appearances, God does not seem to be fulfilling the word He gave you in the past. This tries your patience, forcing you to trust God to fulfill His promise in His own time and way. A time of delay gives you the opportunity to grow in faith and purifies your motives and attitudes like nothing else can. Don’t forget that God is always faithful! (Abraham) Read more
Don’t Look at Us! Ministering with Humility
“And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” (Acts 3:12).
As Peter and John prayed for the lame man, strength came into his feet and ankle bones. He stood, walked, and leaped as he went into the church praising God. The people were surprised to see him since many of them had passed him as they made their way into the church. What a great time for Peter and John to try to impress others with their spiritual power. Perhaps, they could have had someone take a few pictures so the story could appear in the daily newspaper. What if the local television station could have gotten in on the story? Their fame would have spread and they would become famous with people calling them to minister in their assembly. They could have boasted over the healing that had just taken place. However, they asked, “Why marvel at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” They basically were saying, “Don’t look at us! We didn’t do it, Jesus did.” Read more
The Tests of Leadership – Part 1
Job 23:8-10 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
In the ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured into moulds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honour who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such men were called “dokimos” or “approved.” That is what New Testament writers meant when they used this word, which is translated in the King James Version as “approved” or “tried” … Read more
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