“As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
Acts 4:31 (NIV)
The acts of the apostles left a trail of miracles everywhere they went, even though the early church lived under the constant threat of persecution. Peter was imprisoned for preaching about Jesus, and after getting out of jail, he went straight to church. He reunited with his congregation, they lifted their voices in prayer with praise, and the ground they stood on literally shook.
Scripture says that they were of one heart and mind. There’s no limit to what God can do when His church is united in heart and mind. Peter and John were just two of many who were rocking the world with the message of Christianity in those days. They healed paralytics, resurrected the dead, and the sick were healed with only Peter’s shadow passing over them. The church kept growing with new members added daily. Governing authorities were powerless to subdue the excitement of that new faith.
While Peter and John did those awe inspiring wonders, Philip was visited by an angel, telling him to go on the road headed towards Gaza. Then the Holy Spirit told him to join a man up ahead, who was riding in his chariot. The man was an Ethiopian government official, who received the gospel message from Philip with joy, and became a believer. Ethiopia has an ancient history of Christianity, which probably all began with Philip that day.
Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, recorded all these ground shaking miracles. When the church prayed, the ground shook, the Holy Spirit spoke, angels visited and spoke to men, and a chariot ride brought Christianity to an entire nation.
We’re the same church today and we have the same Holy Spirit, who still gives the same divine guidance. We may not see angels or audibly hear the Spirit’s voice, but the Lord is still leading us every day to influence the world for Christ. It starts with the simplest acts of kindness, which may not seem ground shaking, but it’s exactly what Jesus taught us to do. I know of many people today who are impacting the world by showing compassion and doing simple acts of kindness, on a one on one basis.
I noticed that a certain resident at the NH had not been in the Day room for a few days. I asked about him but no one knew why. At my next visit, I saw him and he came over to our table. He seemed confused, muttering phrases that made no sense. He told us that he just received an ECT treatment. (Electroconvulsive therapy for people with an extreme form of depression.) He looked very anxious and told us he didn’t know what year it was or his last name. He was visibly shaken and could hardly get his words out. All of us sitting at the table were surprised to see him this way.
I wondered what I could say or do to help him find some peace. I picked up his hand and showed him his wristband and read his last name to him. He nodded in agreement, as if to recognize his name. I told him the year is 2025 and asked if I could pray for him. He said yes, so I prayed a simple prayer asking God to heal him and give him peace.
The ground didn’t shake, an angel didn’t appear, but I’m sure the Holy Spirit was there. It wasn’t a very spectacular moment but he was very receptive to being prayed for. I don’t know how he is doing since that prayer, but I trust that God will help him in time.
God doesn’t need our help, but He wants us to touch lives and be involved with the people He sends our way. Jesus once said that He desires that we show compassion to others more than offering sacrifices to God. (Matthew 9:13)
Small acts of compassion are what God has always called the church to do, whether it was with the apostles of the first century, or any one of us today. Instead of expecting ground shaking miracles, we need to return to the basics, showing small acts of compassion, which can be ground shaking for some, and might even transform a life.
Lord, keep us aware of the value of every small act of kindness, which can touch lives and show your love to others as we are led by your Spirit each day. Amen
