Daily Reading // Acts 7-8
(Find the daily reading on Pastor Jim’s Blog)
https://jholm5.wixsite.com/pastor-jim-blog
S // SCRIPTURE
Select a verse from today’s reading
Acts 8:8 (NKJV) And there was great joy in that city.
O // OBSERVATION
Why did this verse get your attention? Make a simple observation from the text
This verse is speaking about the city of Samaria. As a result of persecution the disciples were scattered from Jerusalem. Phillip went to Samaria, preached the gospel with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the result was great joy in the city.
Samaria was the place hated by Jesus’ disciples. They wanted to call down fire from Heaven on it. It was avoided by most Jews. But Jesus ministered to a woman at the well there.
Samaria had been the capital city of the northern kingdom, a central place of idolatry, and after the exile where Jews were mixed with foreigners. The prejudices went way back historically.
Yet Samaria was the place of one of the earliest revivals. I wonder how many of those early converts were people who had met Jesus and believed in Him then.
A // APPLICATION
How can I apply this to my life today?
I like the fact that the result of the gospel and the Holy Spirit coming to Samaria was ‘there was great joy in that city’.
We see images of cities in the news and we rarely see great joy. We see problems, conflicts and strife, but not joy.
Even when cities celebrate a big win of their team in football or baseball it is usually destructive.
Only Jesus and the Holy Spirit can overcome long held prejudices and hatred. Only Jesus and the Holy Spirit can bring real and lasting joy to our cities.
P // PRAYER
Express yourself in prayer
Jesus, Bring great joy to Redmond Oregon, I pray. Amen.
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