How do you recognize abusive leadership? Abusive churches and Christian leaders characteristically: Make dogmatic prescriptions in places where Scripture is silent. Rely on intelligence, humor, charm, guilt, emotions, or threats rather than on God’s Word and prayer (see Acts 6:4). Play favorites. Punish those who disagree. Employ extreme forms of communication (tempers, silent treatment). Recommend courses of action which always, somehow, improves the leader’s own situation, even at the expense of others. Seldom do good deeds in secret. Seldom encourage. Seldom give the benefit of the doubt. Emphasize outward conformity, rather than repentance of heart. Preach, counsel, disciple, and oversee the church with lips that fail to ground everything in what Christ has done in the gospel and to give glory to God.
Jonathan Leeman

64 JESUS

64 JESUS F O O T ================================

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READING

64 JESUS’ WORK CONTINUES

PRAY Lord, please give me the joy that comes from your salvation (Psalm 51:12). —————————————————————- READ Acts 1:1-11. —————————————————————- THINK What does this passage teach us about the Holy Spirit? —————————————————————- FOCUS It’s thrilling to be reminded that Jesus’ work was only just beginning as he left this earth to return to heaven (1). In his Gospel, Luke told of what Jesus had done. In the Acts he tells what Jesus continued to do, through the apostles. His work still goes on through all Christians. PROOF OF BEYOND DOUBT (3). Jesus Christ’s victory over death is the key to everything else – and so he made sure that his followers had plenty of evidence. When Luke wrote these words, many of those who were involved were still alive, and could easily have challenged him if he had claimed too much. POWER TO BE WITNESSES (8). It was not enough to know that Jesus had risen; the tasks he had for his disciples to do would demand superhuman strength, and this was what he promised – the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s presence and power would more than make up for Jesus’ physical absence. Quite a new experience for the disciples. Do you know it? PROMISE OF RETURN (11). Jesus was returning to heaven to control his universal activities. He was to be in the seat of authority – God’s right-hand man, the ascended Lord of the Church and of history. But the word of the heavenly messengers was that Christ would return to earth. We do not know when Jesus will come again, but we can be sure that one day he will. —————————————————————- PRAY Pray that you might have the power of the Holy Spirit to witness for the Lord Jesus.