This is the third of a four part series: Why are you gazing into Heaven?

You don’t have time to stare into heaven, souls here need you. So what did they do and what do we do?

They assessed the need (Acts 1:20) – When the time of the Passover was quickly approaching, the apostles numbered eleven, rather than twelve. As Peter details in Acts 1:16-18, Judas had betrayed Jesus, and his suicide left a void among The Eleven. Acts 1:20 harkens back to an Old Testament prophecy concerning that very moment in which an apostle would need to be chosen to take his place. Ultimately, the men considered every person who met the qualifications to be an apostle, and the let fell on Matthias. (Acts 1:26)

The implication of this passage is a simple one to understand, yet it is often difficult to implement. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12 to “work out our salvation.” Paul’s statement should not be misunderstood to mean we “earn” our salvation. We take responsibility for our salvation. Part of that responsibility is a self-evaluation. It has been laid at our feet to look at the complete Word of God and identify where we are lacking, individually and collectively. The apostles lacked in number, and they addressed it appropriately.

It is too easy to gaze into Heaven and ignore our deficiencies. If we are going to be like The Twelve who turned the world upside down in Acts, we must take time asses our needs and address them appropriately.

Let your light shine!