Fellowship of Believers

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

This had to have been a great time in history. While deep in mourning, the followers of Jesus were given the gift of The Holy Spirit. They began to move forward, surfacing out of the depths of despair over the great loss suffered and started sharing their gift with all who would listen.

I wonder if these actions helped them find peace. Their new existence, new purpose following the death and Resurrection of Jesus provided a reason to get up in the morning - they had a job to do - just and we do.  "Go therefore and make disciples."

Back up just a bit and read from verse 40, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." These words are pertinent to today's time in history, for we are truly a 'corrupt generation.' How did we get here? What changed to bring us to this point in time, to this place of evil and self-satisfying behaviors? Or better question to ask is how do we return to a kinder gentler era?

It will only happen when we are open to a change of heart. It all begins when we open our hearts to the Spirit and reach out to others in love and kindness - when we practice Discipleship once again.

In Genesis 4:9 God asks Cain where his brother is and Cain responds with the famous line, "Am I my brother’s keeper?"  Today in the second chapter of Acts we learn that Jesus expects us to be just that, our brother’s keeper.'  

As members of a Body of Believers who believe that we are each other's keepers, this body will have an impact on society.  That caring fellowship will be a witnessing fellowship.  Where do I sign up?

 Acts 2:42-47

Cain Murders Abel - Genesis 4

When I read through Genesis 4, I was reminded of a time when I was just a teen and my parents told me I had to watch my little brother.  I remember being rather sassy about the whole thing and asked the question, "What, am I my brother's keeper?"  I quickly learned that, yep, in this case I was.  I won't go into the gory details here, but you can imagine a parent's response to a challenge like this one.

The interesting thing is I felt I was the one being unjustly saddled with a responsibility that belonged elsewhere.  How many times in life do I put on that same selfish attitude?  How many times do I feel your problems and difficulties are just that, yours--not mine.  I wonder too, how often my help could have made things easier for you to bear. 

I will consider faces I haven't seen for some time and just as quickly dismiss them from my mind.  Does God want me to connect with them?  Am I my brother''s keeper?  Then too, I remember my neighbors who don't have a church home, what am I suppose to do?  Am I my brother's keeper?  

These questions remind me of the scripture verses in Genesis 4:9-10. 

"Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother, Abel?"

"I don't know," he replied.  "Am I my brother's keeper?"

The Lord said, "What have you done?  Listen!  Your brother's blood cried out to me from the ground."



Read all of Genesis 4 at Biblegateway.

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