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Erin Tabor

Every Day

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“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” 
Acts 2:46 NIV

When was the last time you studied Acts? The book is significant because it details the lives of the disciples in the tenuous days after Jesus was resurrected. These ordinary men could have easily gone their separate ways and returned to their former lives, which is exactly what the Sanhedrin expected them to do with their leader gone, but instead, filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to work together to carry out the great commission. Here are seven lessons I believe we can learn from these early disciples which are just as applicable to believers today as they were 2000 years ago.

  1. The disciples committed to each other, knowing that their efforts required teamwork and love. “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” Acts 2:46 NIV.

 

  1. They had not been trained in special schools and they were not religious leaders. They were simple men who had been chosen by Jesus to do His work. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” Acts 4:13 NIV.

 

  1. They shared the word of God boldly, even though they could be persecuted for it. After Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin and commanded by them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, they prayed “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” Acts 4:29 NIV.

 

  1. They selflessly took care of each other’s needs. “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” Acts 4:32 NIV.

 

  1. They were not afraid of what people thought. After they were brought before the Sanhedrin again to explain why they continued to teach in the name of Jesus, they replied “We must obey God rather than men” Acts 5:29 NIV.

 

  1. They did not let fear of persecution stop them. “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” Acts 5:41-42 NIV.

 

  1. They did not serve for any human gain. When a new believer tried to pay money to receive the Holy Spirit, Peter said “You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God” Acts 8:21 NIV.

 

We tend today to stick to our daily routines, not sharing our burdens with others, afraid we are not good enough, afraid of what other people might think, but God has a plan and as believers we are allowed to be a part of it. 2000 years after these early disciples, we are still here following Jesus. Let’s learn from these men and not stick to our old lives but boldly proclaim what Jesus has done for us to bring in new believers to share in the living water that only comes from Christ. Our job on earth is not to be idle but to live every day for Him.

Walking with you in Christ,

Erin Tabor

 

 

Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/bread-farmer-s-bread-crispy-baked-1281053/

Let Perseverance Finish its Work

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“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4 (NIV)

In Arizona there is a scientific research facility called Biosphere 2. It is an enclosed miniature version of earth’s biosphere, but this one is about the size of three football fields. The facility includes a rainforest, desert, ocean with reef, and farmland, complete with plants, animals, and insects. Its original purpose was to study whether an entirely self-sufficient ecosystem with human habitats could be built on another planet. While the scientists carried out their original research, they discovered other curious findings. One was that the trees would grow faster in Biosphere 2 than trees on the outside, but these trees would fall over before they matured. The scientists realized that the problem was a lack of wind. Regular trees grow something called stress wood in response to the wind, and this is what allows them to grow tall and strong. The trees inside the research facility had no wind, so they were unable to stand.

            God created the earth’s ecosystems as part of his plan, and as a result, everything works together perfectly, including the wind and the trees. And since we know that humans are also part of this plan, we can know that God created us the same way. Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV) explains that “as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Just as God has a purpose for the rain to water crops, he has a purpose for us humans to achieve his plans. Everything works together for His glory.

            So just as trees need stress to mature, we too as humans must endure trials in order to grow strong. We may wonder why we have hardships and temptations, but if we did not experience any stress, we would be too weak to stand, just like the trees in Biosphere 2. James 1:2-4 (NIV) says “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” While in the midst of trials, we need to remember that we are living in God’s plan, and that we could be growing perseverance now so that we can stand strong later.

Walking with you in Christ,

Erin Tabor

 

 

Photo Credit: https://www.freeimages.com/photo/tree-1174007

Like a Little Child

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 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 
Luke 18:17 NIV

It is while wearing two of my hats, military wife and mom, that I speak to you today. As some of you have experienced, military life requires going where the Army says to go at any given time. Even if we are happy, content, and rooted where we live, we must go, and uprooting always causes my mind to spin with ‘why’ questions that have no answers. Therefore, when there are unknowns coming up, I like to line up plan A, B, C, D, and then D2, D3, and D4 because of my human need to be in control.  Reality though, will inevitably involve something I didn’t even think of (such as buying a house in Colorado just to find out that our orders were changed to Georgia). I think though, that this military lifestyle is a lesson in how to surrender to God. I must remember that God is bigger than the Army (and if He is sending me to Georgia then there must be important kingdom work for me to do there).

My kids on the other hand, don’t need to worry because they trust and depend on me. As I schedule movers, declutter, change dentists, and transfer school records, they have the freedom to play outside, run, pretend, and imagine without knowing all the answers because it is their job to be curious and enjoy life. My kids don’t need to plan and schedule because they know that I will take care of them.

I need to remember that for me, as a child of God, there are plans in motion that I can’t even see and a future that I can’t even imagine. God has me in his hands. I can trust and depend on Him and (this is the hardest part) surrender my ‘why’ questions, my worrying, and plans A, B, C, D, and even D2, D3, and D4 to Him because He is in control, not me. Hebrews 11:1 NIV says “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Similarly, 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This means that God doesn’t even want me to try to handle it myself, for if I have faith, and admit that I can only succeed with God, then his glory is shown. Luke 18:17 NIV says “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” We are required to surrender our worries, and then enjoy the freedom of not knowing all the answers! (and then go play with our kids)

Your sister in Christ,

Erin Tabor