When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” —Acts 21:12-14 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison. —Acts 22:4 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who…

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. —Acts 17:10-12             Here’s what we, as followers of Jesus, desire people to do— “for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul…

Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. —Acts 15:1-2 “No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” —Acts 15:11 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should…

They proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. —Acts 13:5 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” —Acts 13:14-15 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.  —Acts 13:44 “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the…

He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’ —Acts 11:13-14 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. —Acts 12:24 Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. —Psalm 124:8             We can do nothing that will glorify God and last forever without abiding in Jesus (John 15:5).  Truly, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  Oh, to have His help!  How…

HIS WORD CANNOT BE CONTAINED!             There is much debate over whose land Israel is today, but God promised the land to Abraham and his descendants around 2000 BC.  Although they would be enslaved out of the land in Egypt for about 400 years until around 1500 BC when the Lord would punish the nation of Egypt for the way they treated his descendants.  The Lord would bring them back into the land of Canaan (Acts 7:5-7) and He worked through Moses to do so (Act 7:33-34).  Moses was also the one who said, “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet…

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. —Psalm 121:1-2             Where does my help come from?  Where does my strength come from (Psalm 27:1)? — “So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?’”  Surely the One who made heaven and earth (Genesis 1, John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 1:1-4; Revelation 4:11) is all powerful.              Where does my help come from?  It comes from Jesus!  Both physical strength and spiritual strength comes from Him— “Jesus answered, ‘It is…

LOOK TO THE RISEN JESUS! You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. —Acts 3:15 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. —Acts 4:1-2 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. Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found…

CALLED TO BE WITNESSES/DISCIPLE-MAKERS 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.” —Acts 1:8 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) … —Acts 1:15 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of…

LORD, PLEASE OPEN THE EYES When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. —Luke 24:9-11 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all…