In these days of celebrity preachers, which follows the pattern of the world, God wants to emphasise again that He wants us to be ‘no name brands’, declaring the One who gives life and holds the universe in place.

God uses ordinary people to shine for Him. Acts 4: 13:“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus”.

We need to be focused on Jesus if we want to be an Acts community. The evil one wants to distract us with many seemingly important things that cannot produce fruit that will remain. We need to be the good soil that receives the Word and brings forth thirty, sixty and a hundred-fold.

God has a long- term vision for us. Let us keep our eyes on Him, the author and finisher of our faith. Focus on the things of eternal value, don’t get distracted by things that don’t matter, but seem important at the moment. He wants us to see people, to touch those around us with the good news.

In order to do this effectively, not just as individuals, we need to focus on being connected and not become dislocated or isolated. When a bone is dislocated it may still be joined to the body, but it cannot function as God intended it to work.

As a body of Christ, we can only function effectively if every joint supplies. Jesus’ purpose for His disciples was not to entertain them but to train them and transform them to fulfil His vision for a lost world. Our connectedness is evident by how much quality time we spend with each other in homes and in corporate meetings, not forsaking the gathering of the saints as some are in the habit of doing.

We need to stand shoulder to shoulder and encourage one another to move forward as one body in taking new ground as we take the Word of God seriously. In our Life Groups we grow in our faith as we apply the messages we have heard on a Sunday. We are accountable to and for each other as one body and bear one another’s burdens. It’s in our connectedness that we see God’s promises fulfilled.

Living life united, and not divided, will ensure God’s anointing and empower us to walk in His favour as in Psalm 133, “for there the Lord commands a blessing, even life forevermore”. Jesus Christ is our only superstar.