August 23, 2010

Good morning Grace Calvary Chapel and friends! This morning’s devotion comes from the Book of Acts and reads as follows, Acts 2:42-47, “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Beloved, the early church was built on four principles. Those principles were the Apostle’s doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer. It was those four principles which allowed the early church to endure the great persecution which came upon them in Jerusalem. It was this persecution which forced the early church to move out of Jerusalem and to Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.

As important as those principles were, the most important principle is found in the beginning of Acts 2:44, “All the believers were together.” Whether in good times or bad, the believers held together. They helped each other, they met with each other, they ate with one another and they praised God with each other. The result of this was glorious, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Beloved, we must beware of what Hebrews 10:25 tells us, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Have a blessed week. I love you and I will be praying for you!
 
In Him,
 
Pastor Joe Marquez
Grace Calvary Chapel