“You ever read something in the Bible,” Stan asked one morning, “and have the sense of it jumping off the page?”
“I’m not sure about that?” I replied, “Why do you ask?”
“I saw something like that earlier this morning,” Stan said. “I was looking in the Book of Acts and saw part of a single verse that was like it was written in big bold letters asking ‘Why not here?’”
“Why not here?” I repeated. “What were you looking at?”
“In the sixth chapter,” he replied, “there’s a statement that the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem.”
“So?”
“If it was happening in Jerusalem,” Stan replied, “why not here? Why is the word of God not spreading and why isn’t the number of disciples continuing to increase?”
“Oh,” I replied. “I guess those are important questions.”
“Good guess,” Stan said with a smile. “I think those are important questions that can be answered only by each individual making the choices to spread God’s word and to follow what Jesus said when He said to go and make disciples.”
“If we do that, will happen here?” I asked.
“It will happen here,” Stan replied, “wherever ‘here’ happens to be!”
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Bible verses to consider:
And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem. Acts of the Apostles 6:7.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20.
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Luke 9:23-24.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the truth of your word that you sent Jesus into the world to provide salvation and redemption. Thank you for those people you sent into my life to bring me to that truth, and that truth to me, so I could accept it. I confess that too often I don’t seek to spread your word to those who do not know it — and I don’t seek to make disciples as Jesus said I am to do. Please forgive me, and please hep me in following every step of your lead so I do, in fact, spread your word and make disciples. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you accepted the truth of God’s word so you know you will spend eternity in His presence when it’s time? If no, why? What’s in the way of accepting His free and gracious provision? If you are a Christian, how are you doing with spreading God’s word and making disciples? If you sense the need for change in that spreading and making, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 