MONDAY, MARCH 21
And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
Acts 15:36 (NLT)
WHEN BROTHERS FIGHT
You may have heard about the two brothers who were wicked, ungodly, lewd men. They were perverts, adulterers, drunkards, thieves, brawlers, blasphemous- you name it. One of the brothers died, and the other brother came to a preacher and said, “I will give you a thousand dollars if you will preach my brother’s funeral and call him a saint.” The preacher said, “You’ve got a deal.” At the funeral, with the other brother sitting up front, the preacher stood up and pointed to the deceased. “The man in this casket was a liar, a thief, a drunkard, a pervert, an adulterer, and a blasphemer. But compared to his brother here, he was a saint.”
The Bible uses the picture of brothers to describe the relationship that Christians have with one another. And just like most families there are times when our Christian family doesn’t agree or get along. In Acts 15:36, the Apostle Paul and Barnabas set out on their second missionary journey to check on the condition of the believers from their first missionary journey. Along the way, they had a strong disagreement, but they continued to do ministry. God’s church and God’s message have been resilient through the ages even during family conflict.
Reflection
God’s plan is that we see the church as our spiritual family and that we check on each other. Who have been the people that have checked on the condition of your soul? Who do you know that might need to be checked on spiritually this week?
Prayer/Praise
Praise God for giving you a spiritual family to be there in the good times and the bad times. Ask God to lead you to someone who needs to be checked on spiritually.
