THE PROBLEM SOLVED!

Newsletter 299 June 10, 2012
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ACTS 6:1-8

In any gathering of people, there are certain to be differences of opinion. The larger the group, the more likely is this to e expected, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. The sincerity of the people, makes a great difference. If they are all of the faith, and that faith is in the divinity and authority of Christ and his recorded word, the Bible, then the solution can make the bond even greater. In the early years of my service for the Lord, when I was to listen and learn, but not to contribute, there arose a major problem in one of the African churches. It represented probably the largest circuit of believers in the country, and was composed people from two major ethnic backgrounds. The minister was a Coloured man, while the problem arose in the Xhosa side of his people. At the time the leader among the missionaries, was a man of considerable experience, but who led primarily by exerting his own strong leadership personality. During the discussion under consideration, the building was filled with Xhosas, whom came, every man among them, with his walking stick, called a “knobkerry.” I do not remember even one reference to the Bible in that hours long session. Needless to say, no solution was agreed upon, The Xhosa women called down evil spells upon us, and we eventually left the building under the threat of being stoned.

Be thankful for occasions dealt with in the Bible such as this one. God directs how to speak in His word.

1 And in those days, when the number of disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily administration.

There were two ethnic groups here. This was a large body of people. There could have been as many as twenty thousand men by this time. The Hellenistic Jews were primarily Jews from other parts of the Greek Empire. The others represented the Jews of a strict background, having grown up under the instruction of the temple authorities. Both parties were suspicious and looking for trouble. Have we ever heard of that before? Of course. Reasons may differ, but this is the way it was handled then.

The elders and leaders may well have been negligent of this particular matter. The problem existed, and it could have festered and gotten much worse.


(Acts 11:26, Acts 2:47, Acts 6:7, Acts 9:29, Acts 11:20, 2 Corinthians 11:22, Philippians 3:5, Acts 9:39, Acts 9:41, 1 Timothy 5:3, Acts 4:35, Acts 11:29)

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

They were busy in the field of prayer, evangelism, teaching, persuading, winning souls. That is not to say that this was a less worthy work, but that it should be done by persons who can give their time to it more freely.

3 Wherefore brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

Several of the deacons, servants, were also evangelists. Philip, for example, was busy converting many in Samaria, when he was called of God and sent to meet with and convert the Ethiopian. This conversion is a masterpiece. It starts with an unprepared African and step by step presents the process of his conversion until, at the end, the Holy Spirit caught Philip away, and the Ethiopian continued on his way, rejoicing. We know, as we look back, that he must have shared as he had taught, for the church in Ethiopia still exists today.

In the case of Stephen, another, we have much of his sermon on record, ending with his vision of heaven and his stoning.

These, two of the seven, reveal that to be a Deacon, a servant of the church, is something to be taken seriously. They were not chosen to fill an “office.” They were chosen to supply the answer to a need. That need might be short termed, or it might be continuing. They might be to be in charge or preparing and serving the Communion; they could be greeters welcoming at the door, they could be visiting the sick, or perhaps they could be all these things at the same time.

(John 21:23, Acts 1:15, Acts 2:4)

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

But the work of the elders, is to teach, to pray, and to minister or perhaps all of these.

(Acts 1:14)

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

It is interesting to note, that the complaint had arisen from the Helenistic members of the church. Every name in this list is a Greek name, not a Hebrew name. When there are problems and complaints, perhaps of those from whom they come, mature men of wisdom of that background should be set aside to provide the answer.

(Acts 6:8, Acts 11:19, Acts 22:20, Acts 6:3, Acts 11:24, Acts 8:5, Acts 21:8, Matthew 23:15, Acts 11:19)

6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

In a public act of worship, they were set aside with prayer and set to work. One does not select these men by the term or year, but by the task.

(Acts 1:24, Numbers 8:10, Numbers 27:18, Deuteronomy 34:9, Mark 5:23, Acts 8:17, Acts 9:17, Acts 13:3, Acts 19:6, 1 Timothy 4:142 Timothy 1:6, Hebrews 6:2)

7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of priests were obedient to the faith.

Do this and the word planted among men will flourish. We do not “win souls,” we plant the seed on well prepared ground and God blesses it, even to the point in Jerusalem, of converting the “opposition.”

(Acts 12:24, Acts 19:20, Acts 6:1, Acts 13:8, Acts 14:22, Galatians 1:23, Galatians 6:10, Jude 3:20)

8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

(John 4:48)
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READ THE BIBLE THROUGH AGAIN IN 2012

JUNE

10th. Sunday – 2 Samuel 18, Acts 8:1-24, Psalm 71:19-24
11th. Monday – 2 Samuel 19, Acts 8:25-40, Psalm 72
12th. Tuesday - 2 Samuel 20, 21, Acts 9:1-22, Proverbs 73:1-14
13th. Wednesday - 2 Samuel 22, Acts 9:23-43, Proverbs 14:26-35
14th. Thursday - 2 Samuel 23, 24, Acts 10:1-18, Psalm 73:15-28
15th. Friday – 1 Kings 1, Acts 10:19-48, Psalm 74:1-9
16th. Saturday - 1 Kings 2, Acts 11, Psalm 74:10-17

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THIS WEEK'S SCRIPTURE

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” - Acts 20:7
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School Smarts...
A college pizza delivery boy arrived at the house of Mr. Smith. He delivered the pizza to his trailer.

After giving it to him, Mr. Smith asked: "What is the usual tip?"

"Well," replied the youth, "this is my first trip here, but the other guys say if I get a quarter out of you, I'll be doing great."

"Is that so?" snorted Mr. Smith. "Well, just to show them how wrong they are, here's five dollars."

"Thanks," replied the youth, "I'll put this in my school fund."

"What are you studying in school?" asked Larry.

The lad smiled and said: "Applied psychology."


OUR 62ND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WAS LAST SUNDAY
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PRAY FOR GUIDANCE:
As you know, the computer was down. We had to call in a Geek from Best Buy to come get it up and going again, apparently a firewall was in conflict with another firewall, but he recommended that I either have them clean up the files to eliminate all the bad files that have built up over the years or get a new computer and reserve it for email and these studies on the web as the desk top machine is going slower and slower and may quit at any time. An alternative would be to buy a new portable machine and dedicate it only to on line things. As we have Verizon, it would not add to our on line costs, so we are “thinking.” The cost would little different between the two choices but the latter would be a fresh start on a new machine..