Blog On

Blog On

January was a fun month for blogging. Going through the Book of Acts gave me something to write about every day. It was often a challenge to get it done. There were often several things calling for my attention. It was fun to read the chapters of Acts, to read commentaries from various sources and figure out what I would write for the day. At the end of the month I found another source of commentary and I almost wanted to start all over again. Almost.

Now, we are in a new month. I trust that you are continuing to read your Bible. Keep reading till you know everything there is to know about the Bible. I hope you are still thinking about what it says and using the questions we used. They are:
1. What can we learn from the church in Acts?
2. What should be normative for the church?
3. How can we apply what we see in Acts?

As you read from any book of the Bible, you can adapt these questions and use them to think about and apply the Bible to your life. Think about what you read.

The title of this writing today is Blog On. Or, we can say, keep on keeping on. Never give up. Just as we are not to give up reading the Bible because the emphasis for January is past, we are to not give up doing all we can in our service to the Lord. Press on.

Keep the calling of God in your heart. Keep the eternal reward in your focus. Keep moving forward. Keep your eyes on the Lord, not the circumstances around you. Keep on.

Acts Chapter Twenty Nine

Acts Chapter Twenty Nine

OK, I know what you are thinking. There are only twenty eight chapters in the book. What is going on?

Acts is written to document the history of the early church. Luke started the book this way.

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

The former book was the Gospel of Luke. He wrote that to document the life of Jesus. He wrote Acts to tell the continuing story of the church. We can learn much about God’s plan for His church through Acts. As we have been reading I trust you have paid attention to the supernatural. I trust you have paid attention to what was normal in the early church.

We study history to learn. We learn what to do and what not to do from history. We study church history in Acts to learn what God wants for His church. As we study and learn, we must strive to apply.

Why am I calling this Acts 29? Because the history of the church is still being written. Acts cuts off abruptly. There is no farewell or ending. It just stops. I believe this is because the history didn’t end there. Luke only wrote up to a certain point, knowing that the church would go on. Paul’s life continued. He eventually was released from prison in Rome. He did much more to advance God’s Kingdom.

Today, we are active in helping write chapter 29. Or, maybe it would be chapter 2,000. Whatever the case, the church is very much alive today. How productive it is depends on the believers.

What was normal in Acts? People got saved. People were baptized in the Holy Spirit. They had powerful prayer meetings. Believers were fully committed to God and His work. People sacrificed. The church had great power and many miracles happened. The church was persecuted. The world knew the church was alive and impacting society around it.

What should be normal today? The list should be the same. The power of God is always the same. God is always the same.

Chapter 1
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Chapter 2

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

More than ever, we need the fullness and the power of the Holy Spirit. The church today must be Spirit-filled and impacting the world. The only hope for all the anguish around us is the change that Jesus will make in the lives of people. We have that power in us. Having read Acts again, I trust that you are inspired and challenged to be used for God in greater ways than ever before. You? Yes, You. Maybe it might help for you to read it again, looking for the inspiration that comes from seeing God do His great work. I trust our prayer is “Lord, do it again.”

Acts Chapter Twenty Eight

Acts Chapter Twenty Eight

It’s hard to believe that we have reached the end of this book. When we started it looked like a large project to get through. But then, day by day, we have come to the end. It reminds me of what has been said about eating an elephant. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

How do you get through a book of the Bible? A chapter at a time. Maybe even several verses at a time. How do you get through the Bible? One book at a time. By consistent reading and study, it is possible to learn much. I trust that this exercise in Acts will help you to be a reader of the Bible. I trust that it will help you to be a student absorbing the truths of God’s Word. There is so much more to what is proclaimed than simply passing words before your eyes to say you have read it. In this Divine text we find simple truths to guide. We also find deep principles of life to take us through all the challenges we face.

What do we find in chapter twenty eight? We find the end of the journey for Paul that started in Jerusalem and ended in Rome. We left him in a shipwreck at the end of the last chapter. They all made it to the Island of Malta where they were well received by the people who lived there. A few interesting things happened.

The first was when Paul was helping out gathering firewood so they could get warm. A poisonous snake jumped out of the pile of wood and bit him. The people saw that and immediately thought he must be a murderer. Their mentality of justice said that, even though Paul survived the shipwreck, he must be guilty so the gods are getting him. Paul didn’t panic, he simply shook of the snake and kept working. When he didn’t die, then the people thought he was a god. Paul was trusting God for His protection. He knew God promised him to be with him and he simply accepted it. Good lesson here.

The second event worth noting was that the leader of the island, Publius, had a sick father. Paul went to his house and prayed for him. God healed him. Paul was always ready to minister to anyone anywhere. Even though he was a prisoner there, even though he was falsely accused, he was always open for an opportunity to minister for the glory of God.

They all had to winter at Malta. Eventually they got on a ship and made it to Rome. At Rome he was allowed to rent a house and live in it under house arrest. He invited the local Jewish leaders to come in for discussion. He had good discussion and teaching time with them. Some became believers in Jesus.

Paul was in Rome under house arrest for two years. The wheels of justice moved very slowly. Many came to see him and he preached boldly and without hesitation. Luke doesn’t say it, but it is assumed from history that Paul was eventually acquitted of the charges.

Luke very abruptly ends the discourse. There is no, “well, that’s all folks” or anything like that.

I want to ask you to think about what we have read this month. Can you think of some things you have learned? What did you see about how they functioned as the early church? What have you seen that will work in your life today?

While they were human with all their human failures and weaknesses, they lived in the power of God. The presence of the Lord was evident as they faced many obstacles. Many times it was – if God doesn’t come through, we’re sunk. We face those similar kinds of situations. At those times we must be sure to stay focused on, and obedient to, HIM. Getting sidetracked causes one to miss out on the best that God has for us. Remember to always stay close to Jesus.

This is the last chapter of Acts. Please come back again tomorrow to this blog for some follow up comments. Also, this blog will continue. Not as a discussion on Acts, but other topics of interest (at least of interest to me). Let’s stay connected in this form as well as other ways we know each other. Remember, come back TOMORROW.

Acts Twenty Seven

Acts Chapter Twenty Seven

There are only two more chapters in the book of Acts. I think this time has gone by quickly. Thanks to all who have been following along with this blog. Please note that this blog web site existed before I started using it to write about Acts, and will continue afterwards. Please be sure to check on February 1 for some more thoughts.

Now, chapter twenty seven.

This chapter would make a great TV special. Coming, Friday night, the story of shipwreck and intrigue. Will the criminals make it to trial? Did the military guards fail in their mission? Will all 276 on the ship survive? Don’t miss it. Friday night at 9.

After the long and drawn out debacle that started with a mob scene in Jerusalem, murder pacts, political games and languishing for two years in Caesarea, Paul is finally sent on a journey to Rome. We don’t know the exact setting in Caesarea, we don’t know exactly how much freedom Paul had there. There is speculation that he was held right near the Mediterranean Sea. There are ruins of a major building right on the shore and there is speculation this is where he was held. If he had a window view it would have been an amazing location. I’ve seen the location and it is beautiful. He was finally ready to head across those waters.

After all the political games and legal jokes played on Paul, he was given to the custody of a centurion named Julius for transfer to Rome to make his appeal to Caesar. This would be a long and arduous journey. It started out fine and Julius was kind to Paul. He allowed friends to provide for him along the way. They passed through a variety of ports. Eventually their trip started to slow down because they were dependent on wind to move the ship along. The shipping season was winding down and they had to find a safe port for winter.

This trip was not one where they bought a ticket and had a guaranteed time of arrival. It was a journey at the whim of wind and wave. It would take a long time. We are spoiled these days with travel options that can take us any where.

They reached a point where they were way behind what they should be. Travel was slow. Paul warned that they needed to stay put for the winter as it was getting too risky to travel. The place where they were was not good for the winter, so they thought they would try to make it to Phoenix.

When it looked like the weather was giving them a break, they took off. Soon the dangerous winter storms hit and they began to fight for their lives. Luke records that at one point some had given up hope and expected to die.

This was not just a quick storm and then it passed. It lasted for two weeks. Eventually everything was lost, the wooden ship was torn to pieces, and they all had to survive and make it to an island. There were those on the ship who wanted to kill all the prisoners being transported, but that was prevented.

I have a hard time imagining what this must have been like. I have seen bad storms. I have been at and on the ocean. Those wood ships were not that big and were propelled by wind. They had two weeks fighting the storm 24 hours a day. Then it hit a sand bar and broke up. Everyone grabbed for a piece of the ship and hung on.

Why was Paul on the ship? Lies told about him. There was a strong spiritual battle to keep him quiet about Jesus. Often the spiritual battles are hard and mean. Spiritual battles have caused many Christians to give up. Not Paul. This is the man who wrote:

For me, living means opportunities for Christ, and dying – while that’s better yet. (Living Bible)

The New Living Translation puts it this way.
For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.
Philippians 1:21

Just think, Paul’s purpose in his daily life was that it continually provided an opportunity to do something for Jesus. Storms at sea? Shipwreck? People trying to kill him? Yes. Besides, he had an amazing retirement plan for eternity.

Opportunities for Christ. That’s the way to live.

Acts Chapter Twenty Six

Acts Chapter Twenty Six

Paul was brought in before King Agrippa who had entered the room with great pomp and ceremony. He entered along with other leaders who showed how important Agrippa was. As Paul was given opportunity to speak, he gave another account of his conversion and ministry, a history of his life and beliefs.

I assume you have read or plan to read this chapter. Instead of any more specific review of the details, I want to take the opportunity to direct your thinking to a few specific verses in this chapter. Chew on some thoughts. Maybe you will have a few of your own you will want to post them on the blog. Please feel free to do so.

V. 19 So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.

Here is an important statement for all believers. I did what God called me to do. I was obedient to God. Please grasp how important obedience is to God. The Bible reveals that God fully expects obedience from His children. Think about what God has revealed in the Bible and what He has spoken to your heart. Then live your life so that you, too, can say, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.”

V. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

Proclaiming repentance. Turn to God and prove that you are the genuine article by the life and lifestyle you live. Repentance. Turning around and going the other way. Repentance is not only sorry that you got caught, but sorry that you did “it” and don’t plan to do it again. Paul preached repentance, get your life turned around. I am convinced that our modern world desperately needs to be challenged with repentance. People need to know that their lives are going in the wrong direction and they need to turn to Jesus. Like Paul, the church today needs to not be afraid of declaring the CHANGE THAT JESUS WILL MAKE.

V. 22 But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane."

In his speech, defense before Agrippa, Paul again declared the resurrection of Jesus. Agrippa was very familiar with everything Paul was saying, Festus was not. Festus said that Paul was crazy because of all his education. Who would believe the resurrection? There are those who would say the idea of the resurrection is insane. Paul defended it. The king knew Paul’s background and education. Paul’s continual reference to the resurrection shows how important it was. It is still important. Never doubt it and never be afraid to proclaim it.


V. 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"

As I read this I don’t see anything that is specifically saying, “King, you need to get saved”. Because of the king’s background, Paul stated to him he believed the prophets, he was sure of it. The power of Paul’s speech and the convicting power of the Holy Sprit, caused the king to respond this way. Some translations have Agrippa saying that Paul almost persuaded him to be a Christian. While it is not up to us to convince someone to believe, we must have strong convictions that we will do all we can to persuade, point people to a personal relationship with Jesus.

V. 29 Paul replied, "Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."

Paul boldly spoke that, yes, he really did want Agrippa and all who were there to be just like him, simply not in the chains. He wanted them all to know the joy of having Jesus. He wanted them all to get past the spiritual blindness and bondage and know Jesus. Nothing was more necessary and important.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that the most important ingredient and decision in life is to make Jesus Lord and Savior of your life? Do you believe that is true for EVERYONE IN THE WORLD? Think about that.

Acts Chapter Twenty Five

Acts Chapter Twenty Five

At the end of chapter 24 – the story was left hanging again. I hate to tell you this, but chapter 25 doesn’t finish it either. Paul had already been held without evidence for two years. The case dragged on. When Paul stood before Felix, he probably felt that Paul was not guilty of the charges, and yet he delayed his decision. He should have released him. He was trying to gain favor with the Jews and so he kept an innocent man in prison. Felix eventually returned to Rome and Festus replaced him as Governor.

Upon his taking the governing position, the Jewish leaders came to Festus and again brought their charges against Paul. They requested Paul be brought to Jerusalem for a trial. Their real motivation was to have an opportunity to kill him along the way. Instead they are invited to Caesarea for the trial.

Charges are again brought against Paul. Now they had a problem, the charges were two years old. They had a hard time having witnesses and putting a case together.

Paul again declared that he had done nothing against the Law. V. 8. Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”

Again, Paul declared his innocense. One wonders how many time he would have to say that.

We saw political games with Felix. We now see them again with Festus. Read V. 9.
9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

Paul refused to play the game and go back to Jerusalem for some kind of a trial. He finally used his rights as a Roman citizen and appealed to Caesar.

A few days later King Agrippa arrived in Caesarea. In talking about Paul and his situation with Festus, he said he wanted to meet Paul and hear his story. So, on to chapter 26. As we have been saying, more tomorrow.

We don’t know exactly what Paul’s attitude was over all of this. God had warned him of the things coming up. He knew he would have to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. Paul pressed on serving the Lord from a prison cell. Again, I encourage you to think about this – pressing on in the face of impossible situations.

Acts Chapter Twenty Four

Acts Chapter Twenty Four

Paul waited in Caesarea for five days till the high priest, Ananias got there. He was going on trial before the Governor, Felix.

Here is the beginning presentation of the case against Paul. After some polite generalities, the lawyer for Ananias, Tertullus said:

Acts 24:5-9 NKJV
5 For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law. 7 But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands, 8 commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him.” 9 And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so.

Paul’s defense was based on his beliefs in God. He admitted that he was a follower of “The Way”. He refuted some of the claims of his accusers and stated that they had no proof of their charges.

Felix abruptly adjourned the case saying that he would decide the case at a later time. Several days later Felix called for Paul and listened to him speak about his faith in Christ. Note that Paul is not desperately pleading for his release. He is more concerned with the spiritual condition of Felix. V. 25 is an insightful verse showing Felix’s condition, and the dangerous decision he made.

Acts 24:25 NIV
As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

Felix was under the conviction of the Holy Sprit as Paul shared with him. He was running scared. The Holy Spirit working in his heart caused him to be afraid, knowing that Paul was speaking the truth and not wanting to submit his life to God. He said he’d wait for a more convenient time. Many lost people have said the same thing, putting God off. Sadly, they often never get back to God and die in their sins. The more convenient time never comes.

We also see the greedy and political side of Felix. He was hoping Paul would pay him a bribe to let him out of prison. He didn’t care about justice, just getting richer than he already was. He was also courting political favor with his accusers. This imprisonment dragged out for two years. Imagine waiting for two years to be released for something you didn’t do. In chapter twenty five, another trial awaits.

Luke doesn’t record specifics, but based on the general knowledge of the life of Paul, he didn’t just sit around and mope during this time. He saw the time as an opportunity to tell those around him about Jesus. Chew on that thought for a bit.

See you tomorrow.

Acts Chapter Twenty Three

Acts Chapter Twenty Three

Continuing Paul’s saga in Jerusalem. He has been brought before the Sanhedrin. This was the highest judicial and ecclesiastic Jewish council. He was brought there because of the charges against the Jewish beliefs. Paul knew the charges against him were religiously political. He had never spoken against God or attacked the Jewish beliefs.

It was this knowledge, as well as the knowledge of the makeup of the Sanhedrin, that caused him to make the tactical move he made in his defense.

In order to understand what happened, it is necessary to understand some basics about the Sadducees and Pharisees. They were rival factions in Judaism.

A brief description of the Sadducees.
They were a priestly, aristocratic Jewish sect. They accepted only the written Mosaic law. The Sadducees interpreted the Torah literally, meaning that they had a very stringent lifestyle. They ceased to exist after the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.

The Sadducees rejected the existence of life after death, therefore they denied the Pharisaic belief of the Resurrection of the Dead.

They are said to have insisted on a literal interpretation of the teaching of retaliation: “An eye for eye, and a tooth for tooth.” The Pharisees rejected this.

A brief description of the Pharisees.
An ancient Jewish sect that emphasized the strict interpretation & observance of the Law of Moses in its oral and written form. They were one of the major schools of thought in Judaism and were strong in their opposition to the Sadducees.

The Jewish historian, Josephus, indicates that the Pharisees had the support and good-will of the common people. In contrast were the more elite Sadducees, associated with the ruling classes.

They believed in the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead in the coming messianic age as taught by the prophets. The Sadducees rejected. The Pharisees earnestly hoped for the Messiah to come.

With an understanding that the Sanhedrin, made up of 71 men, consisted of two opposing groups, Paul brought the split to the surface by identifying with one of the groups.

Acts 23:6-8 NIV
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

This caused such an uproar that the military leader had to get Paul out of there for his safety.

Now read verse 11 and think about the implications of a personal message from the Lord.

V. 11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

God told him to have courage, he would be going to Rome. Think of what that must have meant to Paul the rest of his life as he suffered and had more false charges brought against him. God himself came and gave him encouragement.

The hatred against Paul was so powerful that a group of men swore to not eat or drink till they killed him. The plot was exposed and Paul was taken under heavy military guard to Caesarea. The last 2/3 of the chapter tell of these various adventure. If you haven’t already, be sure to read them. Lots of information about the process.

Tomorrow we pick up the trial before Felix.

Acts Chapter Twenty Two

Acts Chapter Twenty Two

We are continuing to read the many-chapter-saga of the attacks against Paul and his defense in Jerusalem.

Paul began to speak to the mob in an attempt to quiet them down and give a defense. The crowd quieted down to listen. He began by identifying with them. He was brought up in Jerusalem, studied at the feet of Gamaliel, followed the Law and was zealous towards God. Many in the crowd were probably agreeing with him at this point.

He persecuted people of "The Way". If you are not familiar with this term, we find it in the Bible. It was a description of believes in Jesus. I find it interesting. "The Way" says to me that they were people who had some focus in life and knew where they were going and that outside observers could see that in their lives. Jesus said He was the way to heaven. I like the thought of knowing where I am going and how I am going to get there.

As Paul continued telling of his life’s journey he spoke of his trip to Damascus. He was knocked to the ground and heard a voice. The voice asked why he was persecuting Him and then declared, I am Jesus of Nazareth. Blinded, Paul made his way to the city. Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, came and prayed for him. God restored his sight and told him that he would suffer for His sake.
Paul continued telling his story and everything was fine till he mentioned that God told him to preach to the Gentiles. That caused the riot to break out again. There was an amazingly strong animosity towards Gentiles. Many were calling for his death. The Roman military officer took Paul in to custody and ordered him to be beaten. Paul asked them if it was lawful to beat a Roman citizen without a trial. That stopped the beating.

The next day the Jewish leaders were called in to make their case against Paul.

Hey, we are at the end of another chapter and the saga continues tomorrow.

It is interesting and challenging that God’s plan for Paul included amazing spiritual results and powerful ministry. As well, it included these attacks against him. God said he would show Paul the things he would suffer for God’s sake. God can use what we call the good and the bad. He can use any of His followers in any situation in life. That may be an important lesson to learn.

Acts Chapter Twenty One

Acts Chapter Twenty One

Paul and his group made their way back to Caesarea, on the Mediterranean coast of Israel. This ended his third missionary journey. On a visit to the house of Philip the evangelist, once again people prophetically spoke to Paul about future persecution and bondage if he completed his plans go to Jerusalem. Paul understood this and responded that his life wasn’t that important. He was ready to die for Jesus if that is what it took. Agabus specifically said he would be bound and arrested. When they couldn’t persuade Paul to change his plans, they had to let him go. Paul believed it was the will of God for him to go.

In Jerusalem Paul joined with some Jewish believers in following some of the customs of the Jews. He did this, not to simply participate in them, but to show his love for God. It was in the process of this that some Jews from other areas of the world stirred up the crowd to arrest and persecute Paul, just as had been prophesied many times.

Chapter twenty one is another place in the Bible where the story is cut off right in the middle. Paul is about to make his defense against the mob at the chapter break.

We are now well in to the Book of Acts and the story of the life of Paul. We are seeing that he was fully committed to the cause of Jesus. His life wasn’t the issue, his comfort wasn’t the issue, material things weren’t the issue. In one of his letters Paul expressed the thought that he, more than anything, wanted to know Christ. (Read Philippians). He wanted to know Christ in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering. The many prophecies about his future persecution didn’t dissuade him and they came true. Paul believed it was more important for him to keep proclaiming the gospel than to hide for his protection. This shows his commitment, his love for the Lord, and his love for the souls of people who haven’t yet made their commitment to Jesus. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth that preaching the gospel was a heavy calling on his life. He said it would be a terrible thing for him if he didn’t preach the gospel.

Our first question in the list of three we are looking at as we read this book is "What can we learn from the church in Acts?" Think about Paul’s commitment.

Acts Chapter Twenty

Acts Chapter Twenty

Paul and his companions continued their travels on this, the third missionary journey. At Troas, something amazing happened.

Long services are nothing new. I always find it interesting that there are those who think that best thing in the world is a really quick, let’s get it over with, service. When there is a hunger for God, when the power and presence of God are felt, time really doesn’t mean anything. Paul was planning to leave the next day, so they kept going.

7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.

Then what happened?

9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.

Having someone fall from a third story window would have a tendency to get your attention. Look at how Luke records it, they picked him up dead. In modern times, that would end the meeting and lead to all kinds of investigations and charges and who knows what. Paul had a different response.

10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!"

The miracle power of God came through. A resurrection. As I have been reading this passage, the thought came to mind: what would we do in modern America if this happened? Luke simply reported the fact that the person came back to life. Today, we would probably call a press conference. It would go on TV and the internet. There would be speaking tours and book contracts. What happened that night? They had a meal. They kept the all night gathering going.

11Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.

They ate. They kept talking. The meeting went all night.

In their travels, Paul met up with the elders from Ephesus. He knew this would be his last meeting with them and told them so. He had some important things to tell them. When people come to what they believe are the final goodbye’s, they speak about what they believe is most important.

What did Paul leave them with?
— I did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful to you.
— I served with humility and tears.
— All must turn to God in repentance.
— My life is worth nothing, only that I may finish the race and complete the task God gave me.
— I proclaimed the whole will of God.
— Keep watch over yourselves and the flock.
— Be on guard against distorted truths and savage wolves.
— It is more blessed to give than to receive.

The chapter ends with a powerful and emotional prayer meeting. Paul had meant so much to them and now he was leaving and saying he would not be back. This is one picture of the extreme value of eternity. The Lord has made some powerful promises about our eternal home. No departure on this earth is really permanent when it is among believers. This is not just something preachers say because it sounds spiritual. It is said because it is true and a divine source of strength. Always hold on to these truths.

One more thought about their prayer meeting. Powerful, emotional, give-it-your-all prayer is so necessary. Don’t wait till the sky is falling and you are at the end of your rope. With God’s help develop a powerful prayer life. It will amaze you.

Acts Chapter Nineteen

Acts Chapter Nineteen

Let’s look at some of the highlights of chapter nineteen.

Paul in Ephesus
5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Again we see an example of when people were baptized in the Spirit. This was normal in the early church. Upon finding some believers in Ephesus, Paul asked if they had received this gift from God. We see that this was very important and that the church leaders understood the necessity of the power of the Spirit to win the world to Jesus. Let our prayer and desire be for the fullness of the Spirit in the church TODAY. In America. In Wisconsin.

A good modern day example is church leaders in Africa. While God is doing many amazing things across what was once considered the dark continent, the church leaders have been realizing the necessity of the Baptism for the church. They have launched The Decade of Pentecost with the goal of seeing ten million believers baptized in the Spirit. This is expressing their realization of the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit in the church. America needs the power of the Holy Spirit to break the spiritual bondage we face.

8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

Paul learned how to discuss and speak the truths of the Word of God. Yes, some people have a greater gift in this than others. But, that cannot be an excuse for any believer to not make an effort to know as much of the Bible as possible so they can discuss it intelligently. Our culture desperately needs people all over to be discussing it intelligently. In Romans Paul said that the Gospel is the "power of God unto Salvation". The Bible is also called a sword that pierces deep in to the life of a person. We really need to know what the Bible says. We need to know what we believe and why. This is not so we can win arguments, but win people to Jesus.

11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,

Since God never changes, He will do miracles still today. Seek HIM for them.

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 (One day) the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

Don’t try to do the work of God by cloning what someone else is doing. Seek God and be filled with His power. Way back in the dark ages when I was younger, there was a T-shirt someone made up that said: "I am Satan’s personal nightmare". That is a good spiritual challenge to think of. Do the forces of darkness know who you are? The more we grow in our walk with the Lord and His power, the more we will tear down the walls of resistance.

Many more things happened in this chapter. I can’t cover them all. Be sure to read them all. See you tomorrow.

Acts Chapter Eighteen

Acts Chapter Eighteen

Paul continued on his missionary journey leaving Athens for Corinth. There he met some new friends, Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. One of their commonalities was the fact that they were tent makers. Paul joined them in their business enterprise earning money to help support himself. You may have heard of someone in ministry who is called a tent maker. Or, you may have heard of tent-making ministries. The term means someone who has a dual career – ministry as well as another job to help provide financially when the ministry won’t pay all the bills.

Paul was not in any way lazy. While it is scriptural for ministers to be supported by their ministry, some times it doesn’t work out. Paul didn’t sit around bemoaning the fact that he needed support, he did whatever he could to get by.

In the mean time, Paul was also ministering in the synagogue. It was here at Corinth that Paul made the decision to take his ministry to the Gentiles. After many accusations in his travels, he finally decided to minister to Gentiles. One night God did something awesome. He specifically spoke to Paul and told him to keep speaking out for the Lord. Don’t be silent. Don’t be afraid. God specifically told Paul He would be with him.

Think about how amazing that is. Fear was coming on Paul. He was probably doubting many things of the ministry. God knew this was only an attempt to sidetrack him from God’s calling in his life. God came and spoke to Paul to encourage him to keep on going. Wow!!! Do you think you could make it if God came and had a conversation with you?

Paul had quite a ministry in Corinth. He stayed there a year and a half establishing the church there. He eventually left Corinth, Aquila and Priscilla accompanied him. His travels finally brought him back to Antioch, completing the circle of his second journey, returning to where he started.

Luke doesn’t record how long Paul was in Antioch, but after a while he started out on his third journey. V. 23 tells us that Paul "set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples." Here we see his concern for converts he won to the Lord. It was important to him to remain in contact with the churches he started and help them grow in the Lord. It wasn’t enough to only lead them to salvation, but to help them continually mature in their relationship with the Lord. That is a good pattern for the church today, as well.

A note: we are over half way through the book. Keep on reading and letting God speak to you.

Acts Chapter Seventeen

Acts Chapter Seventeen
THREE DIFFERENT PLACES

Thessalonica

Traveling in Thessalonica, Paul spent his Sabbaths reasoning with the Jews that Jesus had to suffer and then raise from the dead. He had many converts of both Jews and Greeks. Those who were opposed to Paul and his message stirred up a crowd and caused a riot. This sounds like we have heard this scenario before.
It is here that we find a famous verse, one that I find interesting and challenging for believers today.
Acts 17:6 NLT
Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. "Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world," they shouted, "and now they are here disturbing our city, too.
Acts 17:6 NKJV
But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world, they have turned the world upside down. What was there trouble? They were spreading the message of Jesus, His death, burial and resurrection. They were be effective in winning hundreds and thousands to the Lord. The church was growing very quickly. The Spirit-empowered church was taking the world by storm. Then they complained that they were there in Thessalonica disturbing that city as well. They didn’t want them there.

I wonder, how many cities really need to be "disturbed" for the Lord? What does it take to do that? Who is ready to step out and work to accomplish it?

Berea

Because of the trouble, Paul and Silas left for Berea. The people of Berea quickly and eagerly received the message of Jesus. In fact, they diligently studied the scriptures to see if the message was true. They give us a powerful example of what we should do when we hear something new. Check it out with the Bible. Study deeply what the Bible says. What does the Bible say? That’s a good question to bring up always. As a child something stood out to me when I remember hearing Billy Graham say often – "The Bible says . . . . ." That’s a solid foundation to stand on. The people of Berea gained a reputation that people still talk about today. They were known as students of the Bible.

While they were having good results in Berea, the troublemakers from Thessalonica came there agitating and stirred up the crowd again. This time Paul left by himself and went to Athens. Silas and Timothy would join him soon.

Athens

Paul waited for his missionary team to regroup in Athens. As he waited he observed the city and was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. Sin and false doctrine upset him. All believer should be upset by anything that goes against God. The city was wholly given over to everything that was against what he knew was pleasing to God. Paul was mingling with the people in the marketplace to tell them of Jesus. Many who considered themselves great thinkers gathered there and mocked him.

He stood up to talk to them. Athens had much religion. Paul had observed that they even had a statue to the unknown God. He took advantage of that situation to open up his proclamation of Jesus. He said that they were worshiping what they did not know, he would enlighten them and tell them about this "unknown" god.

There was some response to his sharing about Jesus. Some became believers.

Here is something to chew on. Paul went out to the marketplace, to the place of discussion and sharing of ideas. He wasn’t afraid to step out where people were proclaiming they knew the answers. He went to where he could talk and put the truths of God up against the philosophies of the world. Be assured that God and His Word can stand up against what people can come up with. He didn’t need to get in an argument, he clearly and boldly proclaimed the truth. The truth of God will stand. The Bible will stand. Let us be ready, willing and able to declare what the Bible says so that the lives of people can be changed. That is how people get saved from the destruction and control of sin.

Acts Chapter Sixteen

Acts Chapter Sixteen

Today I want to pick a few verses from our chapter and comment. Please read the whole chapter, but especially think on the concepts from these verses.
Acts 16:5 Amplified
So the churches were strengthened and made firm in the faith, and they increased in number day after day.

Strong churches. People who are firm in their faith, people who really know God, know WHO He is. Because of their strong connection with Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they are touching many lives with the saving message of the Gospel. God gave the local church as the focal point of ministry. It is the focal point of teaching and bringing people together in Jesus’ name. Strong churches build God’s eternal Kingdom.

Acts 16:9 Amplified
[There] a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from Macedonia stood pleading with him and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us!

Finding God’s call in you life. Paul “knew” where he was to go on this missionary journey. He knew where he wanted to go. God had other plans and moved Paul around till he specifically heard the call. This one day, this one vision was a major key in the expansion of the church. Going to Macedonia opened the continent of Europe to the Gospel. Lydia became the first convert in Europe because Paul obeyed God’s call. Paul literally changed the history of the world by obeying the vision from the Lord.

Obeying the call, may we all say that. “I obeyed God’s call and stuck with it till He sent me somewhere else.”

Acts 16:18 Amplified
And she did this for many days. Then Paul, being sorely annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit within her, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very moment.

There was a demon possessed girl who brought much financial gain to her owners. Yes, she was a slave. Evil people controlled her and she told fortunes. She brought in lots of money that went to her owners. The power of God is always stronger than evil. Paul had the authority of God in him and commanded the evil spirit to leave. The girl was set free.

One would think that this was a good thing to do. It highlighted the battle of good and evil. When evil loses a battle, it gets dirty. Paul and Silas were arrested and brought up on false charges. They were thrown in to jail. Why? For delivering a poor slave girl from a life of demon control. This situation also highlights that evil gives no value to life. Jesus said that evil comes to kill, steal and destroy. That is what was happening to this girl. Jesus came to give life, and that more abundantly. That was her potential after the power of God set her free.

Acts 16:25-26 Amplified
25 But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them,
26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and everyone's shackles were unfastened.

What do you do when the world collapses around you? You can grumble, or you could praise God. Praising God is what Paul and Silas did as they awaited their fate in prison. Do you want to make an impact? Praise God. God inhabits the praises of His people. The presence of God will shake the place, if necessary. This has always been a story that challenges people. How could they praise God in this situation? Because God is worthy to be praised. Period. He is not worthy to be praised because everything is going well. He is simply and always WORTHY to be praised. Circumstances do now impact how much God is worthy to be praised. That’s why Paul and Silas praised the Lord, at midnight, when they faced serious charges in the morning.

Acts 16:31 Amplified
And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.

People make it so complicated. Religion has brought much confusion. Believe on Jesus and let Him make you a completely new person. Believe on Jesus and let Him forgive you of your sins and know that the guilt and destruction of sin has been removed from your life. Focus your faith and commitment on Jesus. Make Jesus the Lord and Controller of your life. You will learn to obey Jesus in every aspect of your life.

Any person will be saved from the destruction and control of sin through faith in Jesus. HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are many more things to write about in this chapter. These are a few of the highlights. Let God speak to your heart through His Word.

Acts Chapter Fifteen

Acts Chapter Fifteen

False teaching. Twisting the truth of the Gospel. What do you do with that? What do you do when teaching happens that you know is contrary to God’s truth?
This happened at Antioch when people arrived and began to teach that they only way to be saved was to follow the Law given to Moses. This would be going back to what they had before Jesus. This would be undoing the accomplishment of the cross.

What did Paul and Barnabas do? V. 2 " Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently." They didn’t just sit back and say it would go away. They understood the importance of doctrinal purity and stood up for what was right. Unchecked false doctrine has a way of worming itself in to wreak much destruction. They spoke out against what they knew was wrong.

So, this leads to the question: how do you know if something is wrong doctrinally? The answer: You go to the Bible. We are blessed by God to have the completed text of the scriptures. God will never tell you something that goes against the revealed word of God. Don’t ever allow someone to build a doctrine on part of a verse, or by twisted logic of this verse and that verse.

The church in Antioch used great wisdom to send a delegation to the church in Jerusalem to have a conference with the apostles and elders. Reaching out to established spiritual leaders is always a good idea. So, the group went to Jerusalem to discuss the matter.

After a long discussion, Peter stood up and spoke from his experiences when God sent him to be the first to minister to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius. Here is part of his response.
8 "God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus."

Why should we ask them to do something we couldn’t do? Good point, Peter. Often false doctrine and burdensome practices come from people who want to manipulate and control other people. They come up with unbiblical restrictions claiming them to be scriptural requirements. These can come from a confusion between personal convictions and Biblical directives.

As Christians, we will have personal convictions about things that we feel are right for us to do in honoring God. They help us in our walk with the Lord and strengthen us. We cannot try to apply them across the board if the Bible does not command them.

The wisdom and experience of the mature leaders in Jerusalem gave them a good response to not burden the believers with more than is Biblical. They brought the answer back and it was well received.

This chapter ends with a sad situation. Paul and Barnabas wanted to take another missionary trip to see how things were going. On their previous trip they had taken John Mark along. He couldn’t take it and left part of the way through. Barnabas wanted to take him again, Paul refused. It appears that Paul wasn’t quite as forgiving as he should have been. Late in his life Paul recognized the benefits he could add to the ministry. Some times when a believer is young and inexperienced he won’t have the "stick-to-it-ofness" needed. Unfortunately, Paul and Barnabas couldn’t resolve the issue, so they went their separate directions in ministry. This starts the team of Paul and Silas.

Please note: there can come times when two believers can’t agree on a ministry. It’s better to agree to disagree and get on with life than to allow it to destroy the work of the ministry.

Chapter fifteen ends with more missionary journeys starting.

Acts Chapter Fourteen

Acts Chapter Fourteen

More persecution. The early church seemed to face it constantly. Mixed in with the persecution was also the powerful presence of God doing great things. We see that illustrated many times throughout this book. One example is the last verse of chapter thirteen.
"And the disciples were continually filled [throughout their souls] with joy and the Holy Spirit."
Acts 13:52 Amplified Bible

Chapter fourteen starts out with more unbelievers stirring up the pot of trouble. This caused divisions in the places where they were. We still see this evil tactic these days – getting people confused regarding belief in God and taking sides. If believers are confused and fussing with each other, they are not fighting evil and winning people to Jesus. The assaults became so intense there that the missionary troop had to head out to other places.

Paul and Barnabas never lived far from the supernatural in their missionary journey. At Lystra there was a man who was crippled from birth and never walked. Paul said to him, "Stand up". He jumped up and started walking. Another powerful miracle from the Lord.

The response of the populace was different this time. They called Paul and Barnabas gods and started worshiping them. They tried to offer sacrifices to them as gods. Paul and Barnabas realized what was happening and were horrified at the thought of receiving worship. They stopped the crowd and passionately preached that the power was from the true God of heaven, the Creator of the world.

Important thought here: never let any praise go to you for anything that God does through you. Give God all the glory and get on with life. Never let pride creep in to your thoughts, "I really am good, aren’t I." No, it is always God who does the supernatural. We are the conduits through which God does His work.

In spite of the miraculous, there were outsiders who showed up with the specific purpose of stirring anger against Paul. They stoned him and left him for dead. Stoning was common back then. The landscape is filled with an endless supply of ammunition. It was a tortuous way of punishing a person to death.
Again, the power of God came through. As the believers stood around Paul, who was considered dead, he got up and continued his missionary endeavors.

We see their hearts as Luke described their continued journey. They kept going to churches, and as v. 22 says "where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." In spite of their suffering, they continued to strength and encourage believers. Yes, it would be hard, but that was ok, keep on going for the Lord.

Chapter fourteen ends with their return to Antioch where this missionary journey started. They gave reports to the church there of all that God had done. Of particular encouragement was how God was opening the door to reach Gentiles for the Lord.

This concluded their first missionary journey. Let us be reminded that missions is the heart of the Lord. Getting the message out that Jesus is Lord to the whole world is the commission to the church. Let us continue to do all we can to spread the Word. God always blesses a generous heart.

Acts Chapter Thirteen

Acts Chapter Thirteen

How are you coming along in reading a chapter of Acts each day? I trust that you are reading, not just "cuz we’re supposed to read this", but so that the message can speak to your heart. Acts carries a potent message. The story of the church in Acts is a story of power in action. The more we read the more we see God’s supernatural power impacting the world. Let me remind you that God never changes. His power is just as strong today as ever. The battles today are just as strong as they were back 2,000 years ago. The road to victory is the same – the power of God.

Acts Thirteen starts out something that is central to the heart of God – MISSIONS. Verse two includes the statement: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." God called them to missions, to spread the message of the salvation Jesus bought and paid for on the cross. God is still calling people today to go and tell the message of the love of Jesus.

Why is missions so important? Because no one can do anything more important in their life than receive Jesus as their personal Savior. No one will know about Jesus if someone doesn’t tell them. Hence, missions is critical to God’s plan. We must continue our involvement in missions today because the world needs the message of the love of Jesus more than ever. Chapter thirteen describes the beginning of the first missionary journey. The forces of evil are working hard today to stop the spread of the message of Jesus. We must wholeheartedly support it.

We see the supernatural work of the Spirit of God working through these missionaries, Barnabas and Saul. They faced tough spiritual battles and the power of God in their lives is the only way they made it. We must understand that the only way to win the spiritual battles is through the supernatural power of God.

Chapter thirteen has a few interesting transitions. It starts out talking about Barnabas and Saul. Luke begins to refer to Saul as Paul. He changed his name and this is where the transition took place. The reason for the name change is that God was opening up the ministry to the Gentiles. Paul was called by God to minister to Gentiles. Paul is a form of the Latin name that means "little". We see through Paul’s writings that he had no desire to draw all the glory to himself, but to God.

Included in these transitions in chapter thirteen is that the names are shifted around and it became Paul and Barnabas. Paul rose to leadership in the missions ministry. God’s call was on his life from the beginning, from the time of his salvation. Paul became one of the leading apologists for Jesus. We are also seeing here some of the fulfillment of the prophecy given at the time of his salvation, I will show him the things he will suffer for my sake.

Keep reading a chapter a day. Keep letting God speak to your heart. We are on an exciting journey.

Acts Chapter Twelve

Acts Chapter Twelve

Chapter twelve starts out with more persecution of the church. King Herod had James, the brother of John, killed. When he saw this was politically expedient, he had Peter arrested with plans to put him on trial after the Passover. Beware of people who use other people for their own selfish gains. Life didn’t mean anything to Herod, another danger sign. James was the first of the Apostles to die a martyr’s death.

When Peter was arrested the church did what it is supposed to do, they called a prayer meeting. Prayer should be our first response, not last. We have heard this countless times, and, here it is again – there is great power in prayer. We have also heard that prayer IS the battle. That is so true, especially here in this situation. God stepped in, responding to the prayer, and Peter was supernaturally released from prison. Verse 5 says that the church earnestly prayed.

Earnestly!!! Powerful prayer!!! How many in churches today understand from personal experience what powerful prayer is? Probably not many. We need powerful prayer meetings. We need prayer meetings where there is such a hunger for God that nothing else matters. We need prayer meetings where we pray through. I think that is the kind of prayer meeting they had at Mary’s house in chapter twelve. When the church earnestly prays, there will be more responses like in verse 18, there was no small commotion in the prison the next morning when Peter wasn’t there. Many situations in life need a little commotion that comes from prayer.

There is one more concept in chapter twelve I’d like to point out. King Herod went to Caesarea. In the process of events there he made a speech. The response from the people was "This was the voice of a god, and not of a man". Then the Bible says that because he didn’t give the glory to God, He struck him with worms and he died.

Let’s talk for a bit about who should get the glory in life. When we try to take it for ourselves, we take something that doesn’t belong to us. Colossians 3:23 is a verse that tells us how to work in life:
23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"
All glory is to go to God. If you have talent, use and develop it. Then when you get praise, give it to God. Give all the credit to God, work hard and don’t worry who gets the praise. God deserves it anyway.

Well, those are my thoughts for today. Oh yes, one more thought. Verse 24 tells us that, in spite of all the persecution, the word of the Lord continue to increase and spread. May that happen here, today, as well.

Acts Chapter Eleven

Acts Chapter Eleven

Chapter eleven follows up Peter’s visit to the house of Cornelius. The traumatic part of the visit for Peter and his friends is that Cornelius was not a Jew, but a Gentile. The Jews never had any dealing with the Gentiles. The church was only reaching out to other Jews. But, because of the vision God gave Peter, he went and preached Jesus to them.

There was quite a stir at the church in Jerusalem at the visit. Peter’s defense was the fact that, along with the vision he had from God, the Gentiles were baptized in the Holy Spirit just like they had been. When they heard that God was baptizing Gentiles in the Holy Spirit, they said they had no argument and became very agreeable.

How did they know that God had done that? Reread verses 15-17. Peter specifically says that because they had the same experience in the Holy Spirit, he knew it was God. What was he referring to? Let’s read:
Acts 10:46 NIV
For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

From the beginning the Bible shows that the initial sign of the Baptism in the Spirit is that people, speaking under the anointing of the Spirit, will speak in tongues. The Baptism is the power of God that brought the spark for the phenomenal growth of the church. That has been true down through the ages until today.

Believers today need the power of the Spirit. We must be open to and seeking the fullness of the power of the Spirit. Sadly, this is one topic where fear has come because there are those teaching that this is of the devil, the Baptism is not for today. Acts 2:39 says that “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.” There is no Biblical time limit for the Baptism. This is what we need today. Open your heart to seek God’s gift today.

The early church followed the direction of the Lord to reach out to anyone. In Antioch they reached out to the Greeks and many were saved. It was there that the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Barnabas was sent to Antioch to help and stayed there a year. He brought with him a believer called Saul. This is the first time we see “Barnabas and Saul” in the text. This powerful team first worked together in Antioch.

The church was starting to have a powerful impact on the world. The story is getting more exciting.

Acts Chapter Ten

Acts Chapter Ten

How are you coming with your reading of the Book of Acts? I trust it is going well for you. We are reading this book, not just to say we read it, but to have it speak to us. Remember the first question to keep in mind is "What can we learn from the church in Acts?" And another question is "what can we apply?" We want to be learning and applying.

A long time ago I wrote in my Bible at the beginning of chapter nine, "an impossible conversion". From every human perspective, there was no way Saul would ever be saved. Maybe you are praying for some folk who fit that same impossible category. This is an encouraging story, if God can save Saul . . . .

Acts is filled with stories of the supernatural. I trust that you will let the impact of the many acts of God’s intervention in the affairs of life challenge you to seek the same in your life, as well.
As we get in to chapter ten, I am reminded of the passage that says:
13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
Jeremiah 29:13-14 NIV

When people have a heart to really seek after God, He IS there and they will "find" Him. God is not hiding, He is always anxious to be right where we are and be close to us.

Let’s look at the story of Cornelius.

Without going in to many of the sepcific details, we find:
**God responds to hungry hearts – Cornelius.
**God can speak to anyone – He told Cornelius how to find Peter who would give him answers.
**God prepared the way – Peter had the vision of the animals to make him ready to respond to Cornelius’ request.
**God can overcome long-held and ingrained prejudice – Peter was willing to go the the home of a Gentile. V. 34 "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality."
**God will save anyone who asks – Salvation came to the home of Cornelius, even though most Christians at the time would wonder if that was possible.
II Peter 3:9 says that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. This is very evident in Acts ten. God brought a revival to this household and they were saved. We see something else at the end of chapter ten that was the normative way in the early church, people were filled with the Holy Spirit.

The power of the Holy Spirit outpoured through the Baptism in the Spirit was a major key in the exponential growth of the early church. Church history shows that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit has been key to church growth and the breaking of spiritual barriers. There was nothing unusual about the baptism happening, the church at that time expected it.

As we are reading the Bible and praying, we need to be praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to empower us to see the spiritual breakthroughs we need. I commented about the "impossible salvation" of Saul. Again, church history is full of stories of the hard cases, people who were very stubborn or where there were extremely difficult spiritual battles, where the power of God was displayed and miracles happened. We need to be not only open to but hunger for more of God. That was one of the keys to the revival that broke out in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. That is still the key in 2010.

Acts Chapter Nine

Acts Chapter Nine

Before I comment on chapter nine I want to make a comment on your adding your thoughts at the end. Some people have contacted me saying they were having trouble adding their own thoughts. I have done some experimenting, here is what I have found. At the end of each posting is a small word “comments”. If you click on that word it will open a page with a box for you to write your comments. On the bottom of the page are several options. If you click on “name” it will open a box where you can type in your name. You can click ok and it will send your comments to me to post on the web. I hope this helps. I’m not sure why the designers of the software had to make it so complex.

Now, on to chapter nine .

Here is a story that shows what happens when person has an encounter with Jesus. Saul began his very active persecution of the church. He was on his way to Damascus to find believers and drag them off to prison. He was breathing out murderous threats (breathing out threatenings and slaughter) against the church. I can picture his excitement as he headed down the road thinking of all those crazy Christians he was going to arrest.

On this road he had his encounter with Jesus. When he heard a voice asking why he was persecuting him, Saul had to have the most amazing shock when he heard, “I am Jesus”. Saul was extremely hard against the Gospel. God knew it would take a powerful encounter to get his attention.

I would like to challenge your thinking on this concept of a powerful encounter with God. I believe that this is desperately needed over and over again in our modern world. More and more people have no concern or care about Jesus or the Bible. They want to create their own religious beliefs and refuse to hear anything about the Bible. “All this Jesus stuff is too narrow.” They need a powerful experience of the power of God in their lives. I encourage you to be praying for many to experience a powerful encounter with Jesus.

Saul was taken blind to the city and God used one of His followers to reach out to the one who was persecuting the church. Ananias knew all about Saul. Thankfully he was willing to do what he knew God was telling him, even though he was afraid. He went to pray with Saul, who was then baptized in water and The Holy Spirit. There was an immediate transformation and Saul became as zealous FOR Jesus as he had been AGAINST him. He shocked many who saw this complete transformation.

Let me make a quick comment on Saul’s zeal for the Lord. It didn’t burn out after a while. Zeal, enthusiasm, desire to spread the message of the love of Jesus must be a constant part of our makeup. Don’t let the sarcasm of the world keep you from being excited about Jesus.

One powerful statement about Saul: God said He would show him how he would suffer for the Lord. No one wants to suffer. God has an amazing ability to use suffering to advance His Kingdom. Don’t believe the preaching that says the Christian life is always supposed to be a piece of cake.

Chapter nine ends with some stories of how God was using Peter in miracles. Included is a favorite Bible story of the resurrection of Dorcas. As we are reading the Book of Acts we need to let the power of the Holy Spirit that is shown in the early church stir our hearts with hunger and desire to see the same things today. Since God never changes, His power is just as real today. We just had our week of prayer. We’ve been seeking God for the supernatural. Keep on praying and seeking God for more of His power.

Acts Chapter Eight

Acts Chapter Eight

Let me start out with an apology to those who looked for information on chapter seven on Sunday. I had it all written on Saturday and then forgot to post it till late on Sunday afternoon. Sorry about that.

Chapter eight starts out with what could be the last verse of chapter seven. In the context of telling of Stephen’s death, it says that Saul was giving his approval to the death. Stephen is the first martyr. This opened up the door for the first widespread and intense persecution of the church. Believers from Jerusalem were scattered all over Judea and Samaria. Christians were dragged from their homes and put in prison.

One of the results of persecution down through the centuries has been the increased spread of the Gospel. Philip went in the dispersion to Samara where he preached Jesus to the people. There were many miraculous signs and wonders. Through his ministry he brought great joy to the city. Great joy is a common result of the power and presence of God being felt in an area. God does His supernatural work and lives are changed.

We know that there were evil forces working in the area. Simon the Sorcerer was practicing his evil and amazing the people. Philip’s preaching brought many to the Lord, including Simon. Again, the way to overcome the power of evil is through the power of God. God will save anyone who repents. Simon was baptized. V. 13 says that he followed Philip wherever he preached and was very interested in the miraculous. He was probably still attracted to the supernatural and still needing to mature spiritually.

Peter and John came to Samaria to join in the move of God. As they ministered to the new converts they prayed for them, laying hands on them. As they prayed the people were baptized in the Holy Spirit. The revival continued.

It is here we see the fleshly nature that was still evident in Simon. He was excited at the prospect of drawing crowds with this ability and offered money if he could have the same gift in praying for people. Peter harshly responded that he should perish at the thought of being able to buy the gifts of God. Simon quickly repented and asked Peter that none of the evil things he said would come to pass.

The kind of thing we are observing in Simon is what has been seen in the modern church in the last part of the last century. There was a great drawing to the large and flamboyant ministries that flourished as TV was used more and more. People began to flock to the flashiest shows. Much emphasis was put on bigger and better and more expensive. Many of those have faded or been shown to bring disgrace to the Kingdom of God. We always want to be careful that the genuine power of God is being displayed and not just something that will bring praise to a person.

There is nothing wrong with large. 3,000 people were saved on the Day of Pentecost. But, there is a problem with focusing on drawing a crowd through showmanship. Peter quickly jumped on Simon when he sensed that motivation in his request for the power to see people filled with the Spirit. As a genuine move of the Spirit happens, more will be accomplished than could ever be done through manmade manipulation.

After this time Philip was directed by God to go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. There he met an Ethiopian leader who was reading the Scriptures. He asked him if he was understanding what he was reading. This opened the opportunity for Philip to explain to the Ethiopian the prophet who had written about the coming Messiah. He explained that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy.

The Ethiopian was ready to receive and believed. He even stopped to be baptized. He then went on his way rejoicing at what God had done for him. This is an interesting illustration that we must always be ready to both listen to the directions that God gives and also respond when an opportunity arises to share the love of Jesus with someone. We don’t know if they are ready to receive Jesus or the spiritual seed we plant will help them along in the process. In any case, Philip was willing and ready and the gospel went to new areas because of his faithfulness.

Chapter eight started out with Saul. Chapter nine will introduce him in a big way.

Acts Chapter Seven

Acts Chapter Seven

Chapters six and seven run together. At the end of chapter six we saw that Stephen had been arrested and taken before the religious leaders. He had been charged with speaking blasphemous words. The end of Chapter six shows us the kind of person Stephen was. The people looked on him and saw his face as the face of an angel.
When asked if the charges of blasphemy were true, Stephen didn’t try to defend himself of these false charges. Instead, he went in to an amazing history of the nation of Israel, starting out with Abraham. He hit many high points of history bringing them up to the present day.

We should read this chapter carefully, noting the various parts of the history of Israel. God has had His hand on the nation from the beginning. It exists only because God chose to create a nation out of a man who was too old. The supernatural has been evident from the beginning.

Sadly, like so many people, the citizens of Israel didn’t always follow God. Stephen talked about their disobedience. In v. 51 he called them stiff-necked. They were stubborn to listen to God. He also said that their hearts and ears were evil. They had a good cover of religious activity, but on the inside where it counted they were fake. Stephen charged them with resisting God and persecuting the prophets.
When he got to this point, the crowd rose up in anger and rebellion against Stephen. They were cut to the heart by his words. Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and speaking what God had for him. He wasn’t trying to save his skin. In fact, Stephen was given a glimpse beyond this human sphere and saw the Son of God standing at the right hand of the Father. Heaven surely looked better than earth. The glory of God was showing on Stephen’s countenance. The crowd was blocking their ears so they couldn’t hear what was being said.

Luke here records the first of millions of martyrs. Stephen was the first person killed for believing in Jesus as the risen Savior. We see the glory of God in his life right up to the end as his last words were a prayer that God would not charge these people with this sin of murder. Wow, the power of God in his life.

Don’t miss an important historical clue in v. 58. As the angry mob worked its way in to a killing frenzy, they laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. Luke brings Saul very much in to the picture in the next few chapters. This is an interesting introduction to a man who would become so important to the church.

Acts Chapter Five

Acts Chapter Five

Things were beginning to happen quickly for the church. They didn’t just sit around and talk about the things that had already happened. They were expecting God to continue to do great things. The believers were ready to step out and do great things for God, whatever the cost.

These things being true, chapter five starts out with an illustration of the temptation that all people are subject to. We see here the issue of pride. "I’m more spiritual than you are. Look at the great sacrifice I am making." Be warned when you are tempted to make yourself look better than you are. Ananias and Sapphira conspired together to get praise for themselves. While others were generously giving, they figured they could get some of the praise for themselves and pocket some money at the same time. The sin wasn’t in keeping back part of the selling price of the land, but in lying about it.

Here is a principle about sin to always remember: sin is always against God. Peter said the lie wasn’t against him as a leader there, or against the local church as they brought the offering, but it was a lie against the Holy Spirit. This reminds me of the story of Joseph in Genesis when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. Joseph said he would not do that wickedness and sin against God. Remember this truth when you are tempted to sin – the sin will be against God.

Chapter five also shows us that God is a judge. He is no wimpy pushover. God is righteous in His judgement, and He doesn’t take sin lightly. Both lying spouses paid for their sin with their lives. People who think that God will go easy on them because their sin isn’t that bad don’t understand His righteousness. His mercy gives forgiveness for sin, but we as individuals are responsible to ask for forgiveness with a repentant heart. Without repentance we bring God’s judgement on ourselves.
My human thinking says that, considering that the word spread about the surprising deaths, no one would want to associate with that local church. "People are dying there when they sin. I’m outa here." Instead, they had a powerful revival and many believers were added to the church (v. 14). Miracles abounded and many came from all over looking for the supernatural. And again, the persecution started.

The religious leaders had the church leaders arrested. God sent an angel and released them and told them to go out preaching again. I would love to see the video of the scene the next morning when they opened the prison doors and found the place empty. What’s going on? Then, to have someone say, "They’re back out in public preaching again." I would love to see that scene. Nothing is too hard for God.
This brought more threats against preaching Jesus. Read v. 29 and see a truth that will help us all throughout life when we are faced with a tough choice. "We must obey God rather than men." That principle will carry you through many hard choices in life. It also reminds me of what the Prophet Samuel said to King Saul when the king disobeyed God’s command. "To obey is better than sacrifice. . . ." Just take the first four words and you find the answer to any situation. "To obey is better." Which is better, yield to temptation or obey God? "To obey is better." Peter refused to be intimidated in to compromise.

Gamaliel was one of the religious leaders who showed great wisdom. When some people wanted to kill Peter and his co-workers, the said that they had better be careful. If Peter really was talking for God, they would be going up directly against God. That is not a position he wanted to be in. The decided to let God be the judge.

The early church leaders had an unusual view regarding persecution. They "rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his [Jesus] name sake." They just kept on being faithful daily in proclaiming Jesus.

Remember one of our questions as we read through the book of Acts: "How can we apply what we see in Acts?" How can you apply these truths of chapter five to your life today? Chew on the things you have read in chapter five and ask the Lord how you can apply them.

Acts Chapter Six

Acts Chapter Six

The first thing you probably noticed when you opened your Bible to chapter six was that it is short, only 15 verses. Chapter seven will make up for it in length. Chapter six starts out as the church was dealing with a conflict and tells how they settled it.

A dispute arose between two groups of widows in the church. The church had a distribution of food to help out the widows. There were complaints that the distribution was not fairly and equally handled. "She gets more than I do."

"The Twelve" – the apostles, said that they could not quit the work of ministry God had called them to so they could take care of these details. Here we see the importance of teaching/preaching the Word of God. Ministers who don’t preach the Bible are failing in their calling. Preaching/teaching must be based on the Scriptures. They decided that local leaders must be established to handle the serving of tables. The twelve said they would not neglect the ministry of the Word of God. It was decided that they would select seven men to oversee these helps ministries.

They didn’t just want any old person who was available. The Bible says they wanted seven men full of the Spirit and of wisdom. They wanted spiritually mature and alive men who knew how to listen to God. They wanted people who had wisdom and knew how to make good decisions. With a position of leadership comes accountability and an expectation of doing things in a way that pleases God. Over the years the church has had some people who sought position for prestige. That is always a dangerous event. God wants workers who will glorify HIM through what they do.

The church continued to grow. The power of the Holy Spirit was ministering through all the believers and their numbers were continually increasing. At this time the opposition was getting harder and meaner. They were lowering themselves to deceit, whatever it would take to stop this movement. The second half of chapter six introduces us to Stephen. He is the first man listed among the seven who were chosen. God started using him in mighty ways.

"Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people."
Acts 6:8 NIV

God was working miracles through Stephen. Opposition arose and they tried to argue with Stephen, but couldn’t ever win their point. So, it brought them to the point of conspiracy and lying. They had Stephen arrested and brought before the authorities for a trial. It really was a mockery of a trial. They produced many false witnesses against him and then asked for his defense.

This leads us to the end of chapter six and we find his defense in chapter seven. If you are not sure of what happens next, you might want to read chapter seven now to see how God spoke through him. It’s an abrupt ending, more tomorrow.

Acts Chapter Four

Acts Chapter Four
When great spiritual things happen, it opens up the potential for the unbelievers to rise up in opposition. The events recorded here provide the setting for some powerful verses that have a great impact. In chapter three there was a miracle of healing. Now, the Sadducees (who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead) were angry at the disciples for preaching the resurrection of Jesus. In their attempt to shut them up, they had them arrested.
When the disciples were brought before the religious leaders, they were asked by what power or name they did this miracle. This is a situation when many people would be tempted to tone down the "religious rhetoric" and compromise, but not Peter. The key to this is found in V. 8. He received a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit so that he could speak boldly and with Godly power.
The source of the power, the miracle? V. 10 says " . . . It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed." It was the teaching in the name of Jesus and the resurrection that got them in trouble, but Peter didn’t compromise the truth when he was challenged.
This leads us to V. 12, one of the key verses in the Bible. Peter emphasized the importance of personal salvation in Jesus, of having our sins forgiven. There is nothing else that even comes close the being so critical for every person in the world. The first thing to get settled in life is to receive the forgiveness that Jesus bought and paid for on the cross. Salvation used to be strongly emphasized in the church world. We need to return to that. It really IS the answer for establishing the foundation for life and putting things together.
V. 12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
In our cafeteria-style world where you can pick and choose your favorite beliefs that make you the most comfortable, this verse clearly states under the anointing of the Holy Spirit that there is only ONE WAY of salvation. His name is Jesus. God doesn’t give us lots of options so we can be comfortable. The forgiveness of sins that He offers sets us free.
I love V. 13. It says so much and gives great encouragement to us "average folks".
"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." NIV The King James Version says they were "unlearned and ignorant men". Do you see what this statement says? Because they had been with Jesus, even though they didn’t have what the world says is necessary for success, it doesn’t really matter. They had been with Jesus. He makes the changes and we have God’s power living in us.
The religious leaders threatened them and told them to be quite about Jesus and the resurrection. Their response was not fear, they simply said they had to speak the things that had seen and heard. They didn’t compromise. They told the truth. When you are challenged for your belief, remember not to compromise.
The follow-up prayer meeting they had shook the place. (V. 31) That’s what the power of the Spirit will do. When the place is shaken with the power of the Spirit, lives change. That needs to be one of our prayers, "Lord, shake this place with your power and presence."
Let me encourage you to keep reading a chapter a day of Acts. Keep checking in with these comments. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section.

Acts Chapter Three

Acts Chapter Three

This book is called Acts (actions) of the Apostles, of the early church. It is a book of history of how the church got started. Chapter one tells of the completion of Jesus’ mission on earth and His return to heaven. Chapter two gives us the outpouring of the power of the Holy Spirit on the believers and how they began to apply it. Now in chapter three, we see the beginning of the application of Spirit-filled ministry.

One of our discussion questions for reading Acts is: How can we apply what we see in Acts? This will be a good question throughout this book. It is a real challenge for chapter three. This chapter starts out with a miraculous healing in the name of Jesus. Peter and John were going to the temple for prayer. A local beggar, one that all the people knew, was there looking for a few coins so he could eat another day. Peter told him he had something even better than money (he also said he didn’t have any money). "In the name of Jesus, get up and walk." God supernaturally gave physical strength to a man who had never had any. He got up, not only walking, but running and jumping. I think I would do the same.

The name of Jesus is not a magical formula to see miracles happen. Faith in the name, in the power of Jesus brought many miracles back then. We still have the privilege of seeing them today as we have genuine faith in Him. Back then the church didn’t have much money, but they had God’s power. Today, many churches have piles of money, do they (we) have the power?

Peter responded to the questioners about this miracle by telling them that Jesus was rejected. He boldly spoke that they had delivered Jesus to be killed. They had denied the Holy One of God and had Him killed. But, God raised Him from the dead.

REPENT!!! This is second time in the book that Peter told a crowd to repent. Repent, turn from sinful ways and live a righteous life. God hates sin and the destruction it brings. So, His Word says over and over, repent and get away from active participation in sin. The world around you is perverse, get away from it. This message of repentance is as necessary today as it ever was. Sin is rampant. Sin is accepted as normal and right. Sadly, even some who call themselves Christians accept sin as OK, reasonable. Repentance and rejection of sin must be normal in the church.

The promise of times of refreshing is given to believers in Jesus. We are promised times of refreshing in the power of the Holy Spirit. I have done many one on one visits with inmates at the Challenge Incarceration Program. It is a very intense place. I usually say to them as we start, take a deep breath and relax for a moment. They do that, and usually say, "Oh, that feels so good". There is a refreshing that comes over them. We need physical times of refreshing. We really need times of spiritual refreshing. God promised them, grab hold of the promise.

While we face great challenges today, Jesus will return some day to take us to be with Him. So, we have reason to press on.

Question: how are you doing so far this new year? I trust that you are growing in your daily walk with the Lord. Have a great day in HIM. Feel free to hit the comment tab and share your thoughts.