Daily Devotion with Pastor Tong Liu: Today's Passage

Acts 6:1-4

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

The early church encountered some issues during the process of their growth:

First of all, there's the issue of love. When there weren't that many of them, they were like a family that loved one another and shared everything. Then there were more people and they found around them more strangers than people they were familiar with. Perhaps their love for one another didn't change, but slowly the circumstance led to more small circles of people who were familiar with each other, especially among the Hebrews who spoke other languages. Those who spoke the same language took care of each other more and were serving each other a bit more food, but treated those who don't strictly by the rules. Some people felt they were treated unequally, to the point that some felt they were neglected. Today, as our church grows, aren't we faced with the same issue? The Lord's commandment was for us to preach the gospel and love one another; loving one another means that it's not unilateral, but multilateral.

Second, the early church encountered the issue of spirituality. The apostles told the disciples that "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables." It doesn't mean that waiting on tables is not important, but there was actually a spiritual warfare in the midst of all these crises and conflicts. The devil Satan likes to use all means to divert our attention, so that our eyesight will move from Jesus to other things. In places like the Silicon Valley we value professionalism, but also quality of life and even more so human relationships. These things are responsibilities for everyone living in the world, but we need the Lord to help us not to be lost in being busy with all these things. We ought to remember that we belong to the Lord; we need to live for Him and shift our eyesight back to Jesus Christ. May the Spirit of the Lord help us to look upon Him wholeheartedly, because your life can be filled with wisdom and strength only when your priority in life in correct.

Pray with Pastor Tong

Lord, I thank you and I ask that you help us to place our eyesight only on you. In our daily life, help us to follow your commandment to preach the gospel and learn to love one another. Also, help us to proactively get to know some people whom we are not familiar with and love them with love of the Lord. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!