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The book of Acts reveals a group of people who live in the divine history within human history by continuing steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word; this is to live in the apostolic ministry in coordination with Christ as our great High Priest in His heavenly ministry (6:4; Heb. 7:25; 8:1-2):
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By prayer we set our mind on the things above and become a reflection of Christ's ministry in the heavens; we depend on prayer to do what man cannot do, to understand what man cannot understand, and to speak what man cannot speak (Acts 9:11; 13:1-4; Col. 3:1-3; 4:2; Eph. 6:18; Dan. 6:10; 9:2-3; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Cor. 3:6).
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By the ministry of the word, we impart Christ into others as the heavenly life and power so that they may be sustained with the riches of Christ to live Christ as their heavenly life on earth (Rom. 15:16; cf. Isa. 50:4-5).
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The book of Acts reveals a group of people who live in the divine history within human history seen in Psalm 68, which shows that Christ is the center of God's move on the earth and the reality of God's activities through the church (vv. 1, 24):
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We need to enjoy the processed and consummated Triune God as the life-dispensing and outpoured Spirit day by day (vv. 11-13; Acts 2:46-47; 5:42; 16:5; 20:31; 28:30-31).
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We need to dwell in Christ as the "shore" of the evangelists for the transportation and spreading in the preaching of the gospel; on the day of Pentecost at least one hundred twenty gospel "ships," all of whom were Galileans, set out from the shore to spread the gospel (Psa. 68:27; Gen. 49:13; Acts 2:7; 13:31).
Morning Nourishment
Heb. 8:1-2 ...We have such a High Priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the holy places, even of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.Rom. 15:16 That I might be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, a laboring priest of the gospel of God, in order that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, having been sanctified in the Holy Spirit.
[A minister is] one who ministers as a priest. As a minister of the true (heavenly) tabernacle, Christ ministers heaven (which is not only a place but also a condition of life) into us that we may have the heavenly life and power to live a heavenly life on earth, as He did while He was here. (Heb. 8:2, footnote 1)
Paul's being a priest of the gospel of God to minister Christ to the Gentiles was a priestly service to God, and the Gentiles whom he gained through his gospel preaching were an offering presented to God....They were set apart from things common and were saturated with God's nature and element, and were thus sanctified both positionally and dispositionally (see footnote 2 on Rom. 6:19). Such a sanctification is in the Holy Spirit. This means that, based on Christ's redemption, the Holy Spirit renews, transforms, and separates unto holiness those who have been regenerated by believing into Christ. (Rom. 15:16, footnote 3)
Today's Reading
We were raised together with Christ. We are now where Christ is, sitting in the heavens....We should seek the things that are in the heavens, such as knowing Christ as everything to us, so that we take Him as life and thereby walk in Him. (Col. 3:1, footnote 2)The heavens are linked to Christ and joined to the church. The things above include the ascended Christ and all things pertaining to Him. Therefore, to seek the things above is to seek to live Christ in and with the church. (Col. 3:1, footnote 3)
Zebulun typifies Christ as the "shore" of the evangelists for the transportation and spreading in the preaching of God's gospel. After Christ accomplished all the things that are to be proclaimed as the gospel, on the day of Pentecost at least 120 gospel "ships," all of whom were Galileans (Acts 2:7; 13:31), set out from the "shore" to spread the gospel. (Psa. 68:27, footnote 3)
According to Genesis 49:21..., Naphtali is a hind let loose, and he gives beautiful words. Naphtali typifies Christ as the One who is released from death in resurrection, signified by the hind let loose (Psa. 22 title; S.S. 2:8-9), and gives beautiful words for the preaching of His gospel (Matt. 28:18-20).
In typology Zebulun and Naphtali form a group for the spreading and the propagating of the glad tidings of Christ's redemption, accomplished for God's salvation. The people of both Zebulun and Naphtali were men of Galilee (Matt. 4:12-17; Acts 1:11), from whom the gospel of Christ has been spread, preached, and propagated. (Psa. 68:27, footnote 4)
Paul went to Ephesus and made tents, yet he was still an apostle....Whether one made tents or practiced medicine, all were for the purpose of being an apostle, not that he might not be an apostle. Perhaps he could not be an apostle if he did not make tents. I hope we can see this point clearly before God. Many times, God allowed Paul to do some work to enable Paul to be an apostle all the more.
Whatever I do is for serving God. Not making money is to serve God, and making money is also to serve God.
We naturally have a mistaken thought, thinking that co-workers are those who have given up their occupation and have income other than that which comes from an occupation. This is not so. Co-workers are those who have one heart, one purpose, and one ambition before God and who are serving God to please Him. As long as their purpose is the same, these are all co-workers in the Lord, no matter what jobs their hands are engaged in. (CWWN, vol. 51, "Church Affairs," pp. 190, 196, 198)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, "The Triune God's Revelation and His Move," ch. 12; CWWN, vol. 51, "Church Affairs," ch. 11