Pastor Joynt's Devotionals

Belong & Become, Week 4, Day 26

ACTS 2:44-45 | ⁴⁴ All who believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵ they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.

ACTS 4:32-34 | ³² Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. ³³ With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold.

One of the contagious features of the early church was awe. Another was generosity. In a selfish world without charities or non-profits or social welfare, they used common resources to meet urgent needs. Now these two passages together might seem to indicate a kind of primitive communism, a society without property or individual possessions. But we must remember the actual historical situation.

The church needed pastors and teachers and missionaries and had no existing resources. Many of the 3000 converts needed food and shelter because they were pilgrims who lived elsewhere and had come for Passover. Radical generosity launched the church, regular generosity sustains it and expresses a powerful truth about our gracious God and his people.

Is generosity contagious?

Do you ever pay it forward?

Belong & Become, Week 3, Day 17

JOHN 14:12b | ^12b and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.

In fact, the Christian community in total has done greater works than Jesus. A few came to faith in him in the course of his ministry, though most abandoned it. Billions have come to faith over the last 2000 years. Dozens, probably hundreds were healed by his word and touch in the three years of his ministry. But all over the globe Christians bring healing to friends and neighbors.

Jesus taught as no one ever did but never ventured more than 30 miles from his home. His teaching, through his disciples, is known in 1548 languages and has spread all over the globe. Measured by extent and scale, his disciples have done “greater works,” although not one simple deed happened without his agency and aid.

Are you inspired by Jesus’ promise and the church’s impact?