Acts

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“The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:29-30)

June 25, 2011

God wanted to save the jailer and his family, so Paul & Silas had to go to jail. As wheat is crushed to make bread, so we become nourishment for others. How has suffering made you more available?

“They tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:7)

June 24, 2011

When we are following Jesus for the sake of the gospel, He Himself leads us. Sometimes He hinders, sometimes He opens wide a door. Taking the Word to the whole world as He commanded while staying spiritually sensitive to His leading is key.

“Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down” (Acts 12:23)

June 18, 2011

A lot of angel action in ch.12! First, an angel breaks Peter out of Herod’s jail, then an angel takes Herod out! I wonder if it was the same angel? The chap. begins with the martyrdom of James by Herod’s sword and ends with Herod’s death by an angel’s sword.

“But the word of God continued to increase and spread” (Acts 12:24)

June 18, 2011

Ch.12 began with the execution of James, brother of John, and the imprisonment of Peter. But it ended with the death of Herod and this statement. Persecution did not stop the gospel. It served to spread it further. Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” (Acts 11:26)

June 17, 2011

The ruins of this ancient Roman city are found in modern Turkey. Historians call it the “cradle of Gentile Christianity.” It was here that Barnabas brought Paul to help teach. The name Christian or “little Christs” was given because of the way these new followers gave glory to Christ in everything they did.

“About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray” (Acts 10:9)

June 15, 2011

Peter’s strategy for reaching Romans- pray and obey. He prayed on the roof of Simon the Tanner in the port city of Joppa while Cornelius the Centurion sent three men to invite him to carry the gospel to his house.

“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord” (Acts 9:31)

June 14, 2011

This season of peace followed one of persecution. Seasons are not coincidental. The Gardener uses them to make the Vine’s branches more fruitful.

“Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35)

June 12, 2011

The Written Word points to the Living Word. This is a paradigm for right preaching. Preach the whole of Scripture while always focusing on Jesus as its fulfillment. If Christ isn’t central to our message, we preach in vain.

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:4)

June 11, 2011

When persecution caused the church in Jerusalem to scatter, the gospel was spread to other nations. What was intended to stop the message, instead spurred its growth. God has commanded us to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Will it take persecution for us to obey?

“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 5:42)

June 7, 2011

Where: Temple and house. How: Preaching and teaching. When: Daily. Commitment: Never stopped. Message: Jesus is the Christ. What’s your strategy?