Now in these days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their

widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

And the 12 summoned the body of the disciples and said,

it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute,

full of the spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.

But we will devote ourselves to whom we may appoint to this duty.

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

And what they said, please the whole multitude, And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. And Philip, and Prokress, and Nicanor, and Taimon, and Parmarmenas and Nicholas, a proselyde of Antioch.

These they set before the Apostles and they prayed and laid their hands upon them. And when the word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and the great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

They devoted themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

Let's do it in that order.

Let's pray.

Father, would you pour out your Holy Spirit now upon this people? To give them hearts to hear and to meet their needs?

If there are any here, Lord, who do not trust Christ as Lord and Savior, would you persuade them irresistibly that he is

worthy and that forsaking him another hour is infinitely dangerous. And would you build our church and overcome obstacles to the spread of the gospel and grant

that there would be such liberty and such freedom and anointing and obedience that the word of God runs and is glorified.

Come and do your work now I pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

One of Luke's purposes in writing the book of acts

is to celebrate and to document the spread of the church,

the increase of the number of Christians, disciples day after day after day after Jesus had gone back to heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to empower his church.

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