It's Going to Happen
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
Acts 9:31
Sometimes when things are hard, it feels hard to know what God’s doing. I reckon Aussie Christian’s have felt some anxiety or confusion around God’s plan for Australia in recent decades. In 1900, the majority of the country would have identified itself as Christian. Today, it might be as little as 25%.
Now, you gotta be careful. Just because the majority called themselves Christians in 1900, doesn’t mean that they were. In fact, I would argue, the most significant change in the last 100 years has been the decline of nominal Christians (in name only) rather than actual Christians.
Despite this, it still feels like Christianity and Christian values have been under attack in Australia for quite a while. How should we feel about that?
In Acts, we’ve just gone from Saul leading the persecution of Christians to proclaiming Christ himself and being persecuted for it. We’ve gone from the Church in Jerusalem copping a lot of heat. And now, in verse 31, the church has a time of peace.
Here’s something to always remember. Things can change quickly. This goes both ways. From persecution to peace. Or peace to persecution. There are very few Christians left in Jerusalem today. But how many more are there in the world?
Things may change in any given place. We aren’t promised that the gospel will progress numerically in every place at the same time. What we are promised and has been fulfilled to this day, is that the gospel will keep reaching new people and saving people. And the Kingdom of God will grow.
So take heart no matter what Australia’s situation. Be sober minded. Christianity might become harder tomorrow. But either way, God’s plan will succeed and so we can have joy no matter what the situation we are in.
Today:
Pray:
Acts 9:31
Sometimes when things are hard, it feels hard to know what God’s doing. I reckon Aussie Christian’s have felt some anxiety or confusion around God’s plan for Australia in recent decades. In 1900, the majority of the country would have identified itself as Christian. Today, it might be as little as 25%.
Now, you gotta be careful. Just because the majority called themselves Christians in 1900, doesn’t mean that they were. In fact, I would argue, the most significant change in the last 100 years has been the decline of nominal Christians (in name only) rather than actual Christians.
Despite this, it still feels like Christianity and Christian values have been under attack in Australia for quite a while. How should we feel about that?
In Acts, we’ve just gone from Saul leading the persecution of Christians to proclaiming Christ himself and being persecuted for it. We’ve gone from the Church in Jerusalem copping a lot of heat. And now, in verse 31, the church has a time of peace.
Here’s something to always remember. Things can change quickly. This goes both ways. From persecution to peace. Or peace to persecution. There are very few Christians left in Jerusalem today. But how many more are there in the world?
Things may change in any given place. We aren’t promised that the gospel will progress numerically in every place at the same time. What we are promised and has been fulfilled to this day, is that the gospel will keep reaching new people and saving people. And the Kingdom of God will grow.
So take heart no matter what Australia’s situation. Be sober minded. Christianity might become harder tomorrow. But either way, God’s plan will succeed and so we can have joy no matter what the situation we are in.
Today:
- Check this out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ0dZhHccfU
- How can we grow our confidence in God’s faithfulness?
- How many people do you think there will be in the new creation?
Pray:
- Praise the Father that he is Sovereign over all things.
- Give thanks for Jesus Christ who suffered in victory.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others trust in his faithfulness.
Posted in Acts
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