Reach Out

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You are reading the daily devotion from NotReligion.


November 17, 2008
Key Passage: Acts 9:19-31
Topic: Christian Living
And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple (Acts 9:26, ESV).

If you only read this verse by itself, you might wonder who the disciples were afraid of? And what would cause these Christ-followers to be fearful?

At that time, persecution had begun against the Church. And believers were being scattered across the world. Jesus' disciples, however, remained in Jerusalem.

Then a man showed up claiming to have become a believer. Not an ordinary man. This guy was well-known for persecuting Christians.

The disciples' fear was understandable. They didn't believe him; they thought he'd come to trap them. To say he'd become a believer, gain their trust, learn the names of other Christians and arrest them all.

The man's name was Saul--later he was known as Paul. He wrote much of the New Testament. But fear almost caused the disciples to turn away one of the men most used by God in the Church. Imagine the blessing and insight we'd lack today if Paul hadn't been allowed to be part of the early church!

If we allow fear to be our guide instead of the Holy Spirit, we could turn away from someone God wants to use mightily.

That rough-living teen who attends our church, the ex-convict who's allowed Christ to begin changing him, that young mother who's made a multitude of mistakes--we might hesitate, a little fearful of believing a lie. Or of embracing someone we can't identify with. But we might miss a blessing if we do.

Has fear been keeping you from accepting someone?





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