Author: David Robinson
In chapter one of Acts, Luke speaks of the miracles that Yeshua did to prove He was alive after He was resurrected. He appeared to the disciples and many others for forty days and taught them about the kingdom of Yahweh. This chapter is also where Yeshua tells the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the gift that the Father had promised—the receiving of the Holy Ruach (Spirit).
During my life in ministry, two verses have always stood out to me in this chapter of Acts:
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:7-8)
These verses teach us that we will be Yeshua’s witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. I’ve always found that interesting.
This past weekend, many of us from Freedom Hill Community were blessed to be a part of an outreach to the homeless of Kansas City. We were in one of the worst gang-infested areas of the city. Admittedly, I think we all were a little nervous at first. Who wouldn't be? But as we drove Saturday morning to the first stop on our outreach tour, the Spirit reminded me of the times I had done outreaches like these in my past. I was quickly reminded that He goes before me and makes the crooked way straight. As we got closer, the peace and confidence began to overtake me—not a confidence in myself, but in the Holy One to whom I’ve given my life to serve.
You see, our Father isn't looking for people who are “perfect” at sharing His Gospel. Moses wasn’t eloquent. Scripture says he was “slow of speech and of tongue” (Exodus 4:3). Yet God spoke through him and used him in mighty ways because he was willing to go where God told him to go. Yahweh is looking for those who are willing to go! He is looking for those who are simply willing to tell people what Yahweh has done for them. As Scripture says, we overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of [our] testimony” (Revelation 12:11). We are told in Acts that if you are a believer you will be Yeshua's witnesses. What kind of witness are we if we do not love and share with those in need? There are people living within our own communities who have never heard the Gospel! You might be the only one to witness to them about Yeshua!
The first morning of our outreach tour was amazing: people in our group who didn’t have a lot of experience sharing with others stepped out in faith and were used by Yahweh to bring light to a very dark place. They were boldly sitting and praying with homeless men and women, loving them and sharing about Yeshua. Yahweh manifested Himself and totally subdued the enemy!
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. (Luke 10:19)
The second morning, we had a church service right across the street from where the homeless were fed. There were probably around 150-200 people in the service. Freedom Hill led the worship and the Spirit broke out! Brother Rodney from Freedom Hill KC gave his testimony and then an evangelist pastor from Florida named Jim Locke preached on repentance. It was amazing to watch as many people came down to receive Yeshua. We prayed with them as they turned from their sins and committed to following the Messiah. We also saw healings take place. Yahweh truly filled the room!
We passed out 100 sleeping bags, blankets, shoes, and socks to those in need. After it was over, we all grouped together to recap the weekend. As we stood in that circle, we realized we were not the same people that left St. Louis on Friday. By pouring ourselves out for the poor, we had all received a refreshing of His Spirit. We had a deeper love for our King and for each other. Not only had we grown closer as a local group, but we also had become one with our Freedom Hill brothers and sisters in KC.
We all learned so much this weekend. We went there to give, yet we were the ones that received. So guess what? We are going back, hopefully in six to eight weeks! Not only that, but we also are going to establish the same outreach tour here in St. Louis. Our KC community has agreed to come here and help us, and they are really looking forward to it. I encourage anyone who was not able to go this weekend to try to go on the next outreach. It will change your life! Sometimes we need to step outside of our "church box" in order to really see the power of the One who lives within us work mightily to bring light to a hurting world.
If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. (Isaiah 58:10)
Shalom and love you all,
Pastor David
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Emotions are powerful. Our emotions, like compassion and empathy, often motivate us to do wonderful things like give to charity and help people in need. When we see an injustice, many times it will deeply affect us and move us to take positive action. And yet, strong negative emotions—jealousy, vindictiveness, resentment—can often overpower our better judgment and move us to neglect or hurt people.
The difficulties that we endure in this life are sometimes so painful that we feel stuck in unending sorrow. Many of us have been through tragedies that have left us with a crushing despair, which years later turns into a continuous dull ache that never leaves. We become despondent and therefore reluctant to believe that God could heal us.
Can you recall times in your life when you’ve lost control of your emotions? Perhaps it happens more often than you’d like to admit. We’ve all had heated moments where we’ve reacted out of anger or pain, often provoking others and dragging out arguments. What guidance do the Scriptures give us in these situations?
Is there a danger of leaving Jesus and the Gospel behind in our pursuit of Torah obedience?
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We are told in 1 John 4:1 and other passages to “test” the message of a teacher or prophet to see if what they say is truly from God. The reason is that “many false prophets have gone out into the world” and are leading believers astray. What are some of the identifying marks of a false teacher/prophet?
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Feelings are important and shouldn't be dismissed. But we must not be led by our feelings. We cannot assume that our feelings reflect the complete truth of any situation. Our feelings reflect only how we interpret the truth of the situation. New information or another perspective often leads to a different interpretation.
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Recently my wife Diana and I had the opportunity to travel to North Carolina to attend and speak at a conference. The weekend was wonderful, and I was so blessed by the encouragement from believers around the world. But I admit I didn’t feel that way at the beginning.
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There is perhaps no experience more painful than losing a loved one to death. What does the Bible say about finding comfort and hope in these difficult times?
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In the Bible we often see God speaking to people, seemingly having regular conversations with them, and revealing Himself in very tangible ways. But that’s not the regular experience of many believers today. Did something change?
In chapter one of Acts, Luke speaks of the miracles that Yeshua did to prove He was alive after He was resurrected. He appeared to the disciples and many others for forty days and taught them about the kingdom of Yahweh. This chapter is also where Yeshua tells the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the gift that the Father had promised—the receiving of the Holy Ruach (Spirit).
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