Church Under Construction

          How long does it take to say “good bye” to someone? I remember going up to the big city every Saturday morning to purchase our weekly supplies such as groceries and items for the gas station during the two years that we had one. After we made all of our purchases and got them into the car, we would head out to one of my Mom's sisters and her husband for a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. She always had a fresh baked cream pie of some sort or another piled high with meringue. When it came to time to leave, we would start with a phrase, “Well, it's time to head back to the ranch.” We didn't have a ranch, but we called it that. Then, we would get up and all proceed to the back door, still talking, then outside to the car, still talking, getting into the car, still talking and finally, with the windows rolled down and backing out of the driveway, still talking and finally a beep of the horn as we drove off. Saying “goodbye” could take up to 15 minutes or even more. In many of the epistles of the Bible, we also see the writer, saying “goodbye.” In one book however, there are no “goodbyes” mentioned at the end of the book. Acts 28:30-31 says, “And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,   Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.”

        Luke, the human writer of the book of Acts tells of one of the final episodes in the life of the Apostle Paul and then abruptly stops. It is as if there is no real ending to the Book of Acts. There are no goodbyes nor are there any mention of a team of workers who want to send their regards. It just stops. One commentary on the Book of Acts was entitled, “From Jerusalem to Rome.” It gave the story from the beginning of the church in Jerusalem to the arrest and confinement of the Apostle Paul in Rome. There is no official ending of the book. It could be entitled, From Jerusalem to Roanoke or From Jerusalem to Lawrenceville or from Jerusalem to Punta Arenas. The story of the church did not end at Rome. It is still being built even today in remote places around the world. God is still working miracles in the lives of people today. Every time a person is “born again” it is a miracle. Every time a baby is born, it is a miracle. Every time you give your testimony or do a work for the Lord Jesus Christ in your realm of activity, it is a miracle. Prayers answered are miracles that doctor's can't explain or unbelievers can tell what happened. Acts, the fifth book of the New Testament, is still happening today and you and I are a part of it. We learn about missions when we read the Book of Acts and see Paul's four journeys. We learn about opposition to the Gospel and yet it spread anyway in a miraculous fashion. We learn about trials and God's work in the midst of them even in storms on the sea and being hauled off to court to explain what you are doing. Yes, Acts is still going on. So, praise God today that you are a continuation of the mighty work of God's building His church, the Bride of Christ in the world today.