Hello and welcome to Thursday’s foundations podcast. I hope you have been enjoying the podcasts this week. It certainly has been a good challenge to prepare them. If you are finding them useful then do feel free to pass them on to a friend… and ask what they think. But as always, whenever and wherever you are listening to this today. I hope it helps us all meet with God.
REFLECTION:
Acts 5:12-16 is our reading today as we continue into the book of Acts. Do you remember some of the observations from Monday’s podcast? We said that since Pentecost a new theme is coming into focus. That as opportunities to witness begin to increase, so does the opposition. Yesterday’s Bible verses end with informing us that the whole church was seized with a great fear. Today we open with learning that the apostles (some of the early church leaders) are among the people performing signs and wonders in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Verse 12 starts like this.. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.
Verse 16: …and all of them were healed.
Here is a question for us: Do we believe that God is interested in every element of our lives? It’s not like he is finished with us once we invite Jesus into our lives. That is just the start. Gods plan is the renewal of all things and for you and me that looks like body, mind and spirit. If God did it with them, we believe He can do it with you and me.
Our physical bodies matter to God.
In the passage today we read that word has got out that God is on the move. Revival times are here and the Spirit of God is so present in a group of people that even their shadows carry something of the divine imprint to revive what was lost.
The word revive is an interesting word and we will pray into what the revival of our Body, Mind and Spirit might look like. One of the ways the word revive can be used: this word means to give strength. I believe God wants to add strength where we are weak and to revive us physically if we need healing. We can pray for that at the end.
Our minds matter to God.
It’s great that you are taking some time out of your day to listen to the podcast. We have been given the Bible so we can read and learn what God is like. Training ourselves in the discipline of expanding our minds to read stories like this one today so that we might meet with God through the Holy Spirit.
The word revive also means to restore to consciousness. I believe God wants to revive our minds – transforming any thought patterns or behaviour. We can also pray for that at the end.
Our spirits matter to God.
Your spirit is that thing that makes you, you. In Romans 8 (another book in the bible) it says that the Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that we are children of God. Somehow, some way, the Spirit connects with us through our spirit. That we might know God’s ways, be informed with words of knowledge, be able to see what God is doing in the ordinary things of life. In the passage today we read in v16: “[people brought] their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” It matters to God that he would even renew our spirits.
Finally, the word revive means to give new energy. I believe God wants to revive our spirits. Let’s pray for these things now.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, thank you that you care about our whole lives, body, mind and spirit. Where we are weak today I pray that you would bring revival.
Give us strength where we are weak.
Grant us clarity of mind.
Renew our spirits with the energy of heaven.
We pray for a revival again in our lives, our church and in our world. Amen.
READING: Acts 5:12-16
The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought those who were ill into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were ill and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.