https://odb.org/MY/2022/11/01/better-together
The book of the Acts of the Apostles written by Luke who also wrote the Gospel according to Luke, documents the journey of the early church and how its people were empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit and spread the message of Christ in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. It was community living devoting themselves to the apostles’ teachings, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. They sold their possessions and had everything in common, helping those in need and the Lord added unto their number daily.
In history, there have been communities who had emulated the common living of the early believers but most did not flourish after some years or at most lasted one or two generations. I guess the demands of modern living makes it difficult for large communities to continue living in common indefinitely.
But I think the life example of today’s ODB devotional reading is something every modern church community can emulate with different ones among us chipping in to help a struggling family to live a normal life. Someone giving the mother a job, another renting them a home with reduced rent and yet another lending them a refurbished car to use. I witnessed that before in my own life when the lay pastor of my former church passed away leaving behind a widow with 5 growing children. It has been 12 years since and the family is doing well with two of the elder children having finished college and already working now.
Chip in to help a brother or sister in need. That’s the spirit of the community living in Acts. We don’t need to do it exactly how it was done as the world then and the world now is quite different. But that doesn’t mean we can’t emulate the spirit of togetherness and community giving that they practised. Maybe we could help a family with a small monthly allowance of RM300. It is small but could help them buy groceries for a week or two. Do what we can to help each other especially if we have the means as that is us storing up our treasures in heaven where moss or rust will not destroy or where the thief will not break in and steal. Every good deed that we do, every helping hand that we extend no matter how small is growing our riches in heaven that will be our inheritance in Christ. We should use as much as we have on earth that is within our power and influence to help others as ultimately it is our treasures in heaven that we will have when we leave this world behind.
Ronnie's Thoughts 