When the disciples focused on seeking the Lord, they enjoyed His divine presence in very tangible ways. At the outset, they did as the Lord bid them; they tarried in Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high. Day after day, they gathered as instructed by the Lord and prayed. Then, on the day of Pentecost, they had a dramatic experience that birthed the church. It was an experience of tangible and impactful divine presence. It was an exciting and memorable experience.
However, they did not allow the euphoria of Pentecost to derail them. They continued with their devotional practices. Day after day, from house to house, they worshipped and shared fellowship. As they did, they continued to enjoy experiences and encounters of divine presence. Then they stepped out to witness to the Gospel,and the Bible says,
Mark 16: 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
It was not hard for the early disciples to experience God’s presence because they kept busy doing God’s will and God’s work. Severally, in the book of Acts, we see episodes of encounters with the divine that were co-incidental with devotional activity or missionary activity. At the Beautiful Gate, Peter said to the crippled man:
Acts 3: 6 …“Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
In Acts chapter 6, there were complaints because some people felt marginalized in the daily distribution of food. The apostles refused to abandon their devotional habits to serve tables, but rather chose deacons to serve, so that the leaders could concentrate on devotion. As they did this, it was recorded that “the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith”. (Acts 6: 7)
Interestingly, even the process of selecting deacons threw up highly devoted disciples who walked closely with the Lord. One of them was Stephen, of whom the Bible records:
Acts 6: 8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Stephen it was who stood on earth and told us where Christ stood in heaven:
Acts 7: 54 – 56 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
The disciples did the will and the work of Christ, and they experienced His presence. Let us also get busy doing His will and His work, and we shall experience His presence in tangible and impactful ways.
*to be continued
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