Five fledglings are in the nest. Four decide to spread their wings and soar away. How many are left?
Answer: five. Why? Because there’s a difference between deciding and doing! What have we promised God we will do?
The church in Jerusalem not only decided to write a letter. They wrote it and sent it. Imagine the weight that was lifted from the new believers when they found that they were not bound to keep all the ceremonial and calendar laws of the Old Testament. If the letter were not enough, the prophets Judas and Silas, messengers from Jerusalem, encouraged and strengthened the believers in Antioch. The church, in turn, blessed them with peace. Barnabas and Paul remained in the city and joined many others in teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
What have we decided to do for God? Have we done it, yet? Tozer wrote, “Delayed obedience is disobedience.” On the other hand, obedience leads to great blessings for us and others. Encouragement becomes contagious. Others grow into leadership as we equip the saints to do the work of ministry.
