November 13, 2019

November 13

Running with Jesus

Acts 19:25  Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

     I decided to hang here with these men speaking to Demetrius and watch how he manipulated a whole town into a riot. It only takes one with a personal agenda to cause trouble. We learned yesterday his hidden agenda was the drop in sales, money. So he moves forward in the community and appeals to their business and religion, the mask, to get his agenda carried out. He wanted to run Paul and his Christian workers out of town. So he started a riot and got them on his side. 

     People do the same things today to cause confusion in the body of Christ. They have an issue and go person to person working their agendas. Satan loves this activity because he is the author of confusion not God. He will seek to destroy the work of God. He conquers us by division. God’s Word says to seek peace with all men. We have so many people seeking personal agendas and leave out our main goal, to restore relationships and bring healing, however we press our desires and wants until division occurs. We can have oneness by having the mind of Christ. He tells us to let this mind be in you that is in Christ Jesus. 

     In today's story it was lost men causing the division, which we can expect, their response, but we should expect the body of Christ to work in unity and harmony. There should be one agenda and that is to bring salvation to a lost and dying world. We must lay aside personal agendas to reach the lost. 

 Father, help us stay true to each other and seek to listen, know, and understand each other. Help us not solve our differences by dividing but seek to know the mind of Christ and show the world we can work together in harmony.  The world sees Christ by the way we show Your love to each other. 

Encouragement comes in the morning!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015