Friday 24, July 2026

As the believers grew in number, so did God’s favour in their lives. The blessings were both material and spiritual in nature. Is this how we live as believers today? There are lessons for us as we consider Today’s Holy Nougat and its implications for ministry.

Acts 4:33 CEVDCI

[33] In a powerful way the apostles told everyone that the Lord Jesus was now alive. God greatly blessed his followers,

Blessed for and by the Testimony

We’ve been there, or at least most of us. You know, that moment when at a Bible study or a worship service, someone’s words convicted us or blessed our spirits. On the whole, for the one convicted by God’s love or blessed by the testimony/sermon, it is an awesome experience. So much so that we may be disappointed when it doesn’t happen each time we meet in community to worship and spend time with God. And to some extent, we ought to be disappointed, as it should happen. But good works with and through humans, and unfortunately, the message doesn’t always have that kind of impact. It could be that we were distracted, or focused on the human messenger, rather than the message’s Source.

Self-Check

Have there been times when our blessing from a testimony or sermon about God was blocked by our expectations, or by being distracted?

Digging Deeper

Luke suggests that God’s grace (that is, favour and blessings) was added to the believing community because of the testimony of the apostles. This wasn’t just any testimony. Under the anointing of God’s Spirit, they spoke of Y’shua’s resurrection – hope for life beyond death. Their testimony was a blessing in itself as it assured the believers of Y’shua’s integrity – His ability to deliver what He promised. It also confirmed God’s power over death and affirmed Y’shua as God’s only begotten Son. Those who knew of Nicodemus’ conversation with Y’shua (see John 3) would have made the connection immediately. As the apostles’ testimony was powered by God’s Spirit, we know that God added clarity as needed.

You see, siblings, when our sermons, reflections, and teachings are powered by God’s Spirit, God adds the increase to the listener and pours out grace beyond measure. That’s part of the blessing plan. We tend to measure blessings in terms of material assets, and in so doing, run the risk of missing out on other, more potent gifts from God. As the apostles shared about Y’shua, lives were transformed – physically as well as spiritually. That physical element was critical in a society where health services would not have been cheap. That too was a blessing.

It may be an extreme leap, but I believe that God’s grace wasn’t given only to the congregation of believers. I propose that God’s blessings or grace were evident in the apostles’ lives. This isn’t about them pushing their community to give, give and give. Rather, they were also blessed by the outpouring of God’s Spirit in their lives as they preached and performed miracles. The testimonies would have encouraged them in their grief at Christ’s Ascension and absence, yet another blessing to the community.

As we ponder what that means for us as believers today, may I suggest that a) the worker for God is worthy of compensation; and b) our gifts to God should bless the community as a response to God’s grace. It isn’t about personalities If the preacher seems a little less anointed than usual, perhaps that’s God inviting us to pray them up.

As God blesses our spirits through testimonies, sermons and teaching, let us not neglect to be a blessing to the person through whom that blessing came. It doesn’t have to be cash – it could be a word of prayer or encouragement that confirms that someone was blessed. Of course, if the Lord encourages us to bless the messenger financially or materially, let’s not shy away from doing so.

We note that Luke emphasised that the entire community benefited from God’s favour. This suggests that the apostles also shared their blessings with the community. Siblings, we bless as we are blessed, recognising that today we pour into others, and tomorrow we may need to have others pour into our lives. God’s blessing is circular – everyone in the community will have opportunities to give and receive.

Prayer Point

Lord, help us to be discerning and generous as we testify to Your death and resurrection. May we be agents of hope, offering healing, new life and deliverance to others by Your Spirit, dear God. And, as they receive our testimonies, may those who hear be transformed, convicted, challenged, and blessed. Meet us at our points of need as Your grace prevails, dear Lord. We pray in the name of Y’shua, amen.

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May all we seek be found in Christ