Paul Email -2Oct2013- Acts 6 (Spirit and Wisdom)

How you doin? After yesterday, I don't feel like I have anything left. That's a good thing. I fell peace to the point of feeling numb and methodical. Fear is no doubt my biggest nemesis, but rejection is right behind fear. It creates so much havoc in my mind and so much defensiveness in me. I know that fear nor rejection are words/spirits associated with God. God gives me a Spirit of love. Like Toby Mac says, "I'll keep my eye on it". Acts 6 today.

Acts 6 is only 15 verses. 3 of them stood out to me. Verse 3 stood out the most... "Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom." The apostles gathered the disciples together to choose 7 men to help them with the "work" of the church/body of Christ. The actual physical work or in this to "wait on tables". I like the 2 criteria for choosing the workers/servers... fullness of Spirit and wisdom. I have to admit that the criteria for servers at my restaurant doesn't include fullness of Spirit and wisdom. But, perhaps it should. Fullness of Spirit implies love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. In the dictionary at the back of my Bible wisdom is defined as, "the ability to make good use of knowledge; ability to recognize right from wrong; good judgement". Perhaps we should add these 2 criteria to the list at the restaurant.

Verse 4 tells us why they needed workers, "and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." This points out the importance of the different working parts of the body of Christ. The apostles needed help with some of the labor. They had the disciple choose more disciples that would serve God in the capacity that was needed. I'm guessing based on the criteria that there was plenty of ministering being done by the workers. The extra hands of help allowed the apostles to focus on what they were called to do.. I'm guessing that the 2 parts didn't interfere with each other very much. Same purpose... different function. That's a good word.

Verse 15 stood out because it's a great description of fullness of Spirit. "All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel." WOW!!!!!!! Not much to say about that. It speaks for it's self. COME ON!!!!!!! Have a face like an angel today.