25/07/2021 - UNITY IN PERSEVERANCE

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So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Acts 2.46

The response of our brothers who participated in the birth of Jesus’ Church to His persecutors was the best. Instead of hating them, they loved them with all their hearts. On their own, they decided to sell their property and farms and share the proceeds of the sale with everyone, to provide for their basic needs. Many of those who surrendered to Christ were thrown out of their homes and needed help. 

The saved persevered in unity in everything, fulfilling Jesus’ prayer, answered by the Almighty: that His sheep would be united, just as the Father and the Son are united. There is nothing sadder and more harmful to the Kingdom of God than for people to cause dissension in the divine work. Whoever divides the Church will suffer the consequences. After all, this act will separate him from the love of Christ.

Believers today also need to persevere in agreement in the service of God, according to the Word. In the early Christian Church, there was no partisanship, but unity for the work to be done as planned by the Almighty. The healing of the paralytic at the Beautiful Gate shows us this: Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (Acts 3.1). They went up together to prayer, without division!

The Christians who saw the birth of the glorious Church of the Lord did not leave the temple, because they wanted to serve only God. Peter stood out as the leader, the spokesman, but John, even considered the apostle whom Jesus loved most because he had the commandments and kept them (John 14.21), did not claim the role of leader. He went to the temple with Peter, who was used to heal the sick.

Even the simple act of breaking bread was a cause of joy for those brothers, who wanted to be God’s instruments, doing as He wished. If there is a dispute about who will be the leader, or who is considered the most important, the less the mercy and power of the Lord will operate; if there is a dispute, the Holy Spirit will stay away. The divine work is done in the fear of the Lord, and for this, the vessels to be used will need to be born again. Watch and pray!

Because there was love, the Church grew, and the Lord was able to work wonders. He is the one who leads the people and gives solutions to their problems. However, where there is contention, there are also the dirtiest sins that can be committed. Understand: a soul without the love of God will be the target of demons, who desperately fight to harm the divine harvest. There is no greater betrayal of the Lord than to divide the work begun by true wisdom, under the direction of the Father.

It is beautiful to see the saved standing in faith in Christ, fighting for their rights and their responsibilities in Jesus. The world appreciates seeing us doing God’s will without complaining about anything, helping everyone to get free. Just use your faith and claim the blessing. If Peter and John were disunited, they would not have succeeded in that healing. 

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares