LUKE'S RECORD OF 'ACTS' SHOWS US THE BEGINNING OF THE (SPIRIT-FILLED) BEHAVIOUR REVOLUTION, AND WHILE PETER AND JOHN SEEM TO BE GETTING THE MOST MENTION, THROUGH 1000'S BEING DELIVERED, HEALINGS, TEMPLE RIOTS, PRISON BREAKS AND AMAZING SPEECHES ... WE'VE ALSO JUST WITNESSED THE FIRST DIVINE JUDGMENT IN THIS NEW REVOLUTION ...WHERE YAHUAH SHOWS (JUST AS HE DID IN THE WILDERNESS) THAT HE AIN'T PLAY'IN AROUND WHEN IT COMES TO IMPURITY AND SIN ... BEING SO CLOSE TO HIS PERFECT DIVINE PRESENCE.
SO NOW WE COME `FRESH OFF A WAVE' OF GRIPPING FEAR THAT'S ROLLED OVER THE NATION BECAUSE OF ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA'S DEATHS. PEOPLE ARE REALLY CHECK'IN THEMSELVES, SOME STANDING AT A DISTANCE, AWAY FROM YAHUSHA, HIDING IN THE DARKNESS ... BUT MANY MORE ARE DRAWING CLOSER AND RECEIVING DELIVERANCE AND FORGIVENESS FROM THEIR SINS AND BONDAGE, JOINING THE SET-APART COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS.
REMEMBER THE FELLOWSHIP WERE NOW LIVING AND MEETING HOUSE TO HOUSE, EATING TOGETHER AS A CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY, AND NO ONE WAS IN NEED, FOR EVERYONE LOOKED OUT FOR EACHOTHER IN LOVE ... YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE (ORPHANS & WIDOWS).
TRULY THIS WAS A BEHAVIOUR REVOLUTION, FOR NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS EVER BEFORE.
SCRIPTURE UNDERSTANDING :
ACTS. 6
1A lot of people were now becoming followers of YAHUSHA. But some of the ones who spoke Greek started to GRUMBLE about the ones who spoke Hebrew, saying that the Greek-speaking widows were not given their share of food when the supplies were handed out each day.
2So YAHUSHA'S twelve called the whole group of followers together and said, “It's not a good idea for us to leave YAHUAH'S Word (STUDYING & PREACHING) in order to SERVE at tables (DEALING WITH THE FOOD AND MONEY). 3My friends, choose seven men who are respected and wise and filled with YAHUSHA'S Spirit, and we'll put them in charge of organising these things, so that no one will be left out. 4Then we can spend our time in prayer and to continually SERVE YAHUSHA by studying and preaching.”
5This suggestion pleased everyone, and they began by choosing Stephen. He had great belief and was filled with the Set-Apart Spirit. Then they chose Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and also Nicolaus, who had worshiped with the Jewish people in Antioch. 6These men were brought to the twelve, who prayed and placed their hands on the men to show that they had been chosen to do this work.
7And YAHUSHA'S message spread, and many more people in Yerushalim became followers. Even a large number of the Priests put their trust in YAHUSHA.
THE BOOK OF NUMBERS RECORDS WHAT A TERRIBLE SIN GRUMBLING, MURMURING & COMPLAINING IS IN THE EARS OF YAHUAH ... HE ABSOLUTELY HATES IT!! IN THE WILDERNESS, YISHARAL GRUMBLED ABOUT THE FOOD, THE WAY, THE GIANTS, THE MANNA, THE DESERT, THEIR LEADERS, AND THEN ABOUT THE DIVINE JUDGMENTS THAT CAME ON THEM (FOR ALL THE FORMER GRUMBLINGS) ... AND NOW THAT SAME UNGRATEFUL, WRONG BEHAVIOUR WAS CREEPING INTO THE EARLY ASSEMBLY.
HEBREW UNDERSTANDING :
Search results for "GRUMBLE":
Rebel, murmur, complain, twisted, stubbornness.
Paul even said "DO NOT GRUMBLE".
THERE ARE THOSE WHO GRUMBLE AND COMPLAIN (IN THEIR EGO) AND THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO SERVE OTHERS BY DYING TO THEIR FLESH.
Search results for "SERVE":
to treat a person well, to benefit, to ripen (of hard work), to bestow on, to deal bountifully, to do good, to reward, to attain, to find or acquire, to occur, to meet or to be here, present in the moment, to deliver, to light up on, to meet with, to be in bondage, be a bondsmen, bond-service, compel, to dress, ear (pierced in love), to wait upon, to serve tables.
I TIM 3: 8Anyone who wants to SERVE must be YAHUAH-fearing and respectful, not liars, not given to much wine, not greedy or lovers of money, 9holding to the secret of the belief with a clean conscience. 10And let them be tested first before they SERVE, to see if their behaviour will stand. 11Their wives (in the same way) should be respectful, not false accusers, sober and trustworthy in every way. 12Anyone who is to SERVE must be the husband of only one wife, ruling his children and his own household well. 13For those who SERVE genuinely will get a good reputation for themselves, and will have much boldness in the belief that's in Messiah YAHUSHA.
THESE ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED TO SERVE YAHUSHA IN THE FELLOWSHIP ... THEY HAVEN'T CHANGED, AND EVERYONE IN COVENANT IS NOW REQUIRED TO SERVE IN THE TEMPLE AS THE NEW PRIESTS :
ROM 12:1 So I call upon you brothers (through the compassion of Yahuah) to present your bodies as living sacrifices - set apart and well pleasing to Yahuah, which is your reasonable service (worship).
WHEN WE LOOK AT GRUMBING AND THE OPPOSITE BEHAVIOUR OF SERVING, WE SEE THAT OUR BODIES ARE NOW THE TEMPLE/TABLE WE WORSHIP AND SERVE AT AS NEW-COVENANT PRIESTS. WE SERVE YAHUSHA AND OTHERS THROUGH DAILY BEHAVIOURS OF OBEDIENCE TO YAHUSHA'S WORD IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION - BEING LOYAL AND TRUSTWORTHY OF THE COVENANT WE'VE MADE WITH OUR BRIDEGROOM. THIS WAS THE FOUNDATIONAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE NEW SPIRIT-FILLED REVOLUTION AND IT'S THE STANDARD FOR REVIVAL TODAY.
BY NEVER GETTING TIRED OF DOING GOOD WORKS WE WILL RIPEN AND MATURE INTO YAHUSHA, HEARING HIS VOICE FROM THE THRONE THROUGH A DIVINE PORTAL, AND IN BELIEF, WE SERVE AT THE TABLES OF OUR HEARTS, BEING PRESENT IN THE MOMENT (LISTENING AND DOING), FLOWING WITH THE GENTLE WIND OF HIS SPIRIT. OUR FLESH IS DAILY BEING BURNT UP AS A LIVING SACRIFICE, LEAVING NO VOICE FOR COMPLAINT OR GRUMBLING ... NO BITTERNESS ABOUT THE PAST, ABOUT WHERE WE'VE COME FROM OR HAD TO ENDURE ... BUT INSATIABLY HUNGRY FOR THOSE JUICY DROPS OF SWEETNESS THAT ONLY YAHUSHA'S LOVING FAVOUR BRINGS.
NEXT WE'LL READ ABOUT STEPHEN, WHO WAS EXPERIENCING ALL THIS, AND HE OFFERED UP HIS LIFE TO YAHUSHA (LITERALLY) AS A LIVING SACRIFICE ...
