WILLING TO DIE FOR JESUS After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.  Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.’”  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…

FAITHFUL FOCUS On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.  There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered….  And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. —Acts 20:7-9, 11             As I read about Paul I am truly challenged.  He spoke until mid-night until the young man fell out of the window and died.  Then after the Lord raised the young man from the dead through…

GOD CREATED ME, ALLOTTED TIME FOR ME, PLACE ME WHERE I AM The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually…

DISAGREEMENT IN MINISTRY  And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”  Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark.  But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.  And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,  but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.  And he went through…

THOSE APPOINTED TO ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVE And from Perga, they traveled inland to Pisidian Antioch, where they entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down.  After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent word to them: “Brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak.” —Acts 13:14-15 This gave Paul the opportunity share what God did for the nation of Israel in Eqypt for 450 years, then the 40 years in the wilderness, through the period of the judge judges,  then the kings and finally focused on David whom Jesus’ lineage would come through.  Paul spoke of John’s baptism of…

LIVING IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. —Acts 9:31             I am encouraged that the church can grow and be strengthened during “a time of peace.”  It is true in the context above that the church at this time had just gone through a season of persecution led by Saul, but when our Lord Jesus saved him the persecution stopped for a time.  Yes, it was through that “time of peace” that the church “grew and was…

GOD GAVE THEM OVER! Refused to obey him— Instead, they rejected him.  But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. —Acts 7:39, 42 God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts. —Romans 1:24 God gave them over to shameful lusts. —Romans 1:26 God gave them over to a depraved mind. —Romans 1:28             When people do not want to obey God or retain the knowledge of Him and reject Him then He turns away from them and gives them over to worship the created things, to sinful sexual desires of their hearts, to shameful lusts and to…

GOD IS IN CONTROL! So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail.  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.” —Acts 5:38-30 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             If our Lord God Almighty wants to do something, it will be done.  In the context of the verses above “Gamaliel, a teacher of the law,…

JESUS— THE AUTHOR OF LIFE The Author of life —Acts 3:15 The author of their salvation —Hebrews 2:10 The author of eternal salvation —Hebrews 5:9 The author and finisher of our faith, —Hebrews 12:2             Read any good authors lately?  The author is the one who is the creator of a book.  He is the person behind it.  He is responsible for it.  He is the source and origin of it. Jesus is the Author of all life!  He is both the author of both physical and spiritual life Do you see the birds?  Jesus authored them! Do you see the fish?  Jesus authored them! Do you see the turtles?  Jesus authored them! Do you see…

WITNESS But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. —Acts 1:8 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. —Acts 2:21 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. —Romans 10:13 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And…