Ac 20

Eutychus, the only man every who could actually say that long sermons kill him!  At least the preacher in this case was able to heal him!

This is a powerful chapter...especially Paul's speech to the Ephesian elders.  One thing I noticed is that Paul twice said, "I did not shrink back."  He recognized that there was a temptation to stop short of what God was calling him to do.  Both in what he said and in what he did.  He chose to move forward in faith and to not let fear grip him.

Let's not "shrink back" from what God is calling us to say and do today.  We too need to move forward in faith with our words and actions.

read it here.

Ac19

An idol is anything that captures our affections. Do you have idols that you worship?  I suggest getting rid of them!  

The Ephesians were worshiping idols and expecting everyone to do the same.  The were appalled that someone would say, "gods made by hand are not gods!"  We look at them and say, "They were fools."

I think that the Ephesians actually "worshiped" Artemis.  They devoted themselves to her ways and practices.  The sought to influence others to worship her.  They defended with great energy her name and her honor.

I think the Ephesians would question who many christians actually worship.  They might say, "You say you worship Jesus, but you actually give your affection to so many other things."  Honestly, I think they would be correct.

Worship Jesus alone.  Let's get rid of the idols in our lives.

read it here.

Ac18

Every pastor needs Aquilas and Pricillas to come along side them for encouragement and help.  I thank God for these people in my life!

God has blessed me so much with community couples who have labored for the gospel in this community.  I get the privilege and joy of teaching the scriptures and they continue to encourage me and others to set a pace in ministry with their lives.

Without these critical people, the message would be greatly hindered.  I love all of them and pray that every pastor has many who will stand by and support him just like they do me.

I am blessed!

read it here.

Ac17

Paul and Silas turned their world "upside down" with the the gospel.  Why settle for anything less?

Ac16

Timothy understood well that the call of salvation is a call for sacrifice and following Jesus...NOT getting what you want!

If I were Timothy, I think I would have been reminding Paul about the decision the apostles at Jerusalem had just made!  They had just decided that circumcision was NOT necessary for salvation...but Paul had Timothy circumcised.  

If I were a young man considering ministry and the first thing a mentor asked me to do was something like that, I would be out!

Read it here.

Ac 15

Have you ever realized the amount of conflict the early church had over foreskin?  It was what some believed separated the "saved" from the "unsaved".  

Today we don't argue much about circumcision in the church, but we do make much of similar things.  We like to judge a person based on their outward appearances but we have no idea what is in their hearts.

The apostles made it clear in this chapter that they believed we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, period.  I suggest we all cry out for His grace today and stop making much of little things.

read it here.

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Ac14

Jesus wants followers who will worship Him, not followers who worship themselves and follow Jesus to get what they want. One day Paul was the most popular guy in town.  The next day the same people were stoning him!  Now that is something to "SMH" about.

Who does that?  A man is miraculously healed by Paul, so everyone in town tries to worship the apostles.  After some religious leaders from Antioch come to town, the same people who wanted to worship Paul are now stoning him! 

If this is not a testimony to the hearts of people, I don't know what is.  We don't stone people anymore, but we certainly do decide what we think of others based on what they will do for us.  

Read it here.

Ac13

How much hassle would you endure before you would stop talking about Jesus? Unfortunately, for some, " just the possibility of someone rejecting me" would be enough to shut their mouth.

I am grateful the apostle Paul and Barnabas did not let a little "trouble" stop them from proclaiming the message.  I need to be more like them.

Ac12

Are you shocked when God actually answers your prayers?  When we are praying for what God wants, we shouldn't be.  God will never answer a pray outside what He desires.

In this chapter Peter is about to be killed.  Christians gathered together to pray for Peters deliverance and then they were shocked when he showed up!!  I am shocked by their shock.  It seems that they had been seeing many miracles almost on a daily basis and this one is no different.  Wow.

Don't be shocked when God answers your prayers.  Pray according to God's desires rather than yours.

read it here.

Ac 11

Are you a defender of the faith or just a "pretender"? Most would have to say that they are a "pretender" rather than a "defender".  The number one barrier to unbelievers becoming believers is likely the "believers" that either fail to share or represent poorly.

Have you considered how many others are following Jesus because of your influence?  If the number is low, you have to ask the question WHY?  Is it the people you know or is it you?  

I have a friend who has zero interest in me sharing with him about Christ.  I am praying for him, sharing with him and inviting him into situations where he can hear the message.  I am constantly asking God to not let me get in his way when it comes to faith. My prayer is that God is working in his heart.

I believe we should all live with others in mind.

Think of someone to share with today.

Read it here.

Ac 10

If God were to give you a vision like Peter, what would be on your sheet?  Who or what are you distanced from that you should not be?

Peter had a deep rooted prejudice.  He actually thought it was from God.  The separation between the Jews ("God's chosen people) and the Gentiles was a great chasm.  Every Jew had it ingrained in their soul.  Much scripture is written to address this issue!

In fact, one mystery of the church is that Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female are all one in Christ!  There is no favoritism with God.  

Today is a great day to deal with all prejudice!

read it here.

Ac 9

Did the Jews just want to kill everyone? Paul was encouraged as a "killer" but became the target to "be killed" after his salvation!  What were the Jews thinking?  Was the norm always, "kill anyone who disagrees with us"?

Talk about total change.  Paul went from arresting and murdering believers to seeking to convince unbelievers to be saved.  He was feared by the Jews (believers and non-believers) and rejected by them. Wow.  I wonder if I actually know anyone with his personality?

If God can save Paul, who in your life should you be praying for.  No one thought that Paul was reachable.  They were all wrong.  Pray for someone far from God today.

Read it here.

Ac 8

Is there someone today who needs to hear what you know about Jesus?  I suggest you take the time to tell them.

I am especially grateful for Phillip today.  He went immediately to have a conversation with the first Ethiopian convert.  It was likely that this man was used by God to began the process of the church spreading throughout all of Africa!

Stephen's testimony won Paul, who won thousands!  Phillips testimony won the Eunuch who possible won Africa!  It motivates me to share my faith more today.

Tell someone.

Read it here.

Ac 7

American's have redefined patience.  Patience = not getting too upset if I have to wait at a red light.

God definitely doesn't work on our time table!  In fact He often chooses to execute His plan in intervals of 400 year periods of time.  Why?  Because He is not constrained by time and it is irrelevant to HIm.  Eternity has no time.  This is His focus.

Live for Jesus in the moment you have.  Stephen got to preach only one sermon. It was his critical moment for eternity.  He was ready for it.  I pray we will all be ready to do the right thing in what ever moment God gives us.

Live strong.

Read it here.

Ac 6

Would these words describe what you are full of? (GRACE, POWER, WISDOM, and THE SPIRIT) These are the words that described Stephen.

And how does this world respond to such a man?  The tragic story, or glorious from God's perspective, will be told tomorrow.

read it here.

Ac 5

If everyone who lied about their giving was killed by God, I wonder how many believers would be alive!  One lesson we can learn from this passage is that God values honesty more than generosity.  Don't lie about your giving.

Ananias and Sapphira wanted to be recognized for their generous gift.  They wanted everyone to know how much they had given.  I think they were hoping that the apostles would name the first church building after them!  Talk about a backfire.

They will always be remembered, but not for their gift.  They will be remembered for their attempt to deceive an all knowing God.  

What will we be remembered for?

read it here.

Ac 4

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it."   JESUS

read it here.

Ac 3

Peter's accusation would apply to everyone of us.  "You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead."

His solution also applies to all of us.  "Repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."  

Distance from Jesus is always ultimately draining, while closeness to Jesus is the most refreshing life possible.  Peter and John had zero money, but they shared life and refreshment with everyone they encountered.  

read it here.

Ac 2

This is the most talked about least understood chapter in the whole Bible!  I have heard more heretical sermons based on this chapter than any other by far.

The reason is simple.  There is a great mystery in Pentecost.  The Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in a powerful way and the impact on everyone's lives was unprecedented.  That critical day transformed the disciples....and history.

Peter's sermon was simple: Jesus is who He said He was. He has overcome death.  Repent and believe in Jesus! And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Ac 1

If God were to bless you with "power" from on high, what would you do with it?  If your answer is not "spread the gospel", don't get your hopes up.

I wonder how often we pray for the wrong thing.  I often find myself asking God to help me do things that He has no interest in doing.  Or if He is interested, it is not the main thing.  His desire is for the kingdom of God to advance and I should be praying that I can be more active in participating in that.

read it here.

Jn. 21

I know tons of people who say they love Jesus.  Of those "lovers" I know precious few who actually demonstrate that love with their lives.

Did Jesus really question Peter's love, or was he teaching him the appropriate response to loving Jesus?  I believe it was the latter.  Peter said, "you know that I love you!" Jesus' response might be summarized like this:  Pete, if you are professing love for me, why are you still fishing for fish?  I told you to follow me and fish for men.  

I believe Jesus would say to all of us. "I hear your words...I want to see your obedience.  Many say that they love me, I want active followers."

read it here.

Jn. 20

John could run faster than Peter! Have you ever noticed this little detail in the gospel of John?  Is there some spiritual insight that can be harvested from this truth?

Was he actually faster or was he more excited?  Generally we see Peter rushing in and never being last at anything.  In fact, he even rushed into the tomb once he got to the tomb.  John looked in but did not go in.

What kind of person are you?  Are you pursuing Jesus with everything you have or are you hesitant?  I would encourage each of us to run as fast as we can after Christ.  I would also suggest we do it without hesitation.

READ IT HERE.

Jn.19

Go "public" with your faith!  Don't be like Joseph of Arimathea (the  secret disciple) or Nicodemus (who came under the cover of darkness).  

Why are we so hesitant to identify with Jesus?  He is our Savior and Lord and we owe our whole lives to HIm. He said, "If you confess me before men, I will confess you before my father in heaven."  

Care more about what God will say than what people will say.  Choose to be associated with Jesus.  Joseph and Nicodemus did the right thing when they believed in Jesus.  They did an even bolder thing by "going public" when they retrieved and buried His body.  It was the next step in their faith. 

What would be a good "next step" for us?

Read it here.