When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
What a comforting sentence. Paul and Barnabas recognized that each local congregation needed elders to oversee the spiritual health of the church; and that these men were committed to the Lord in whom they had faith/belief/trust/commitment/obedience.
Is the lack of committed oversight one of the causes of the spiritual malaise that infects so many congregations today? A church that is subject to one-man rule runs a terrible risk.
Today's readings in the Psalms:
Morning: Psalm 125
Mid-day: 119:17-24
Evening: Psalm 50
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