Category: Uncategorized

Today’s Reading : Acts 6

My apologies, I wrote on the Acts 16 a couple of weeks ago instead of Acts 6.  Here is the post for Acts 6. – Be Blessed.

Compromise is defined by Britannica as a way of reaching agreement in which each person or group gives up something that was wanted in order to end an argument or dispute.  Delegation is defined as the act of transferring authority and responsibility for tasks to another person. It can also refer to a group of people chosen to represent others.  

In the very beginning of Acts, we are given a narrative of how the church began. This is the beginning of the Christianity faith and  so many things were happening at such a rapid pace. Jesus has been resurrected. Jesus spent time with the people for 40 days after his resurrection. Then the Apostles, who were the closest of the disciples to Jesus, also known as the 12, began to spread the gospel throughout the region. There was so much rapid growth that the main focus was to expand the Gospel.

In the previous chapters in Acts, we see how the people are growing in the word of God and how they are forming the community. They’re showing how the love for each other takes precedence over selfishness. In the previous chapter, we see how the spirit of God is everywhere and cannot be deceived. It shows how to be truthful, even when you are not wanting to give everything but just be truthful. This was seen with and Ananias and his wife,Sapphira.

As in Acts 6, Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with the newness of our journey, sometimes we forget about the small things. The small things are the foundation of what we do: taking care of the widows, the orphans, and the sick are the foundations of : love our neighbor and the mosaic religion. 

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

As the new religion is starting, we forgot about our widows and were reminded of this by the other religions, because they took care of our people. The founding Apostles were able to be in unison with the Holy Spirit and devise a compromise for this oversight. 

They created a delegation of deacons and elders that would take the responsibility of caring for our most vulnerable population. The deacons/elders are:  St. Stephen, St. Phillip, Prochours, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.  These individuals were chosen because of their dedication to the faith and the church.  These individuals went on to become bishops and martyrs for the Christian church.  

At the time of beginning of the new church, this could have been a time filled with confusion and chaos, but the Holy Spirit allowed the leaders of the early church to make sound decisions and delegate with purpose the delicate task of protecting and nurturing proper individuals. 

There are many times in my life when chaos and confusion attempt to take over. There are times I’m trying to find compromise and delegation and it is very difficult. But from this chapter, I’m reminded that the Holy Spirit when invited can erase all confusion and chaos and bring harmony back to the basics.

Throughout this coming week, can we find the chance to ask the Holy Spirit to ease the chaos and confusion in our lives. And where this chaos and confusion is that the Holy Spirit gives us an ability to compromise and delicate the task to make it easier for us to show God‘s glory.

Be blessed.

Acts 15

10,000 hours.  That’s how many hours of practice you need to become a master a task, according to Malcom Gladwell.  What do you want to master?

Let’s say you want to learn to play the piano.  You commit to one hour, every day, learning and practicing your new craft.  If you listen to Gladwell, one hour per day will take you 27 years to master it.

I’m discouraged before I start.

Its discouraging because I want the result and it takes too long to get it.  That’s what I don’t like about Gladwell’s formula.  It puts all the emphasis on the end goal, but nothing on the beginning.  Truth is, joy starts the moment you decide to play.

At that moment, when you start playing, you are a piano player.

New players are vulnerable.  To help, experts will criticize, judge and scrutinize.  The new student quickly becomes discouraged.  The joy is gone.

New Christians struggle with the same issues.  Experts say that believing isn’t enough.  You must be baptized, circumcised, read your bible, pray every day, stop drinking, never smoke again.  You name it.  New believers are discouraged by the rules, every day.

Paul steps in to remind us that its none of those things that save us.  In fact, the moment a new believer decides, grace steps in.  God is glorified.  They may not be the prettiest example of a Christian, but to God, they look just like you and I.

He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.  Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?  On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.” Acts 15:9-11 (CSB)

In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were sent by God to some places to spread the word of Christ.

First, they made a pit stop in Cyprus.  There, they met a Jewish sorcerer who Paul confronted and called him a child of the devil.  Because of the sorcerer’s deceit and trickery, Paul explained to him that the hand of the Lord was against him, and that he is going to go blind, and so he did.  The proconsul (governor of the area) watched all of this take place and he became a believer in Christ right then and there.  They made quick, BUT good work of Cyprus!

After another stop or two they made their way to Pisidian Antioch.  Whilst there on the Sabbath, they went into the synagogue to worship and were invited to do some teaching and preaching.  Paul states very clearly that forgiveness of sin is found in Jesus when someone truly believes in Him. Paul also uses a bunch of the Old Testament to prove to everyone listening that Jesus is Christ.  Now, this message that he delivers starts to create great enthusiasm and excitement amongst the Gentiles that are there.  So much so that they invite him to come back the following Sabbath to speak again.

Fast forward a week and the turnout is greater than it was prior.  The Jewish leaders of the synagogue weren’t used to the presence that Paul was getting and appeared rather jealous of him and even started to contradict some of the message that Paul was giving.  The Gentiles, on the other hand, were eager to hear more from Paul.  Verse 46, Paul and Barnabas said boldly, “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 Gentiles.”  Then in verse 48 and 49, “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believe.  The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.” In other words, a lot of people were saved.

One of the pastors that my family watches online has been teaching about a few of the chapters in Acts recently which has helped my understanding of much of these passages.  I realize that when the leaders of the synagogue began arguing with Paul and Barnabas about what they were teaching, instead of the 2 of them being intimidated, they boldly doubled down and people were saved because of it.  If I learned anything from this, it is that NOONE is saved when we are silent.  People hear about Christ and some of them choose to believe and become followers when we are bold enough to speak His name and do it clearly, then God does the rest.

A prayer that I have heard and worth sharing, “Father forgive me for the times I have been silent, and fear has won in my life.  Give me boldness to speak Jesus’ name and help me do it with clarity”.

Acts 12

Acts 12 sits in the middle of troubling times for the church. Herod is persecuting the church, he kills James, the brother of John, and he seizes Peter and throws him in jail. In a short span, two crucial members of the church have been taken. But the church kept their faith and prayed to the Lord, and he delivered. Peter was miraculously freed by an angel in the night, and he made his way to the house of Mary. They couldn’t believe it! Peter was free, and soon after Herod was struck down by the Lord. 

There are many aspects to digest in this chapter. I think the first that spoke to me was the faith of the church members in times of trouble. The church was not new to persecution, they had already experienced the death of Stephen, and the Jews had been contesting them from the beginning. They knew what to do when trouble came, they lifted their voices up to the Lord. Luke describes their prayer as “earnest” which means it had sincere and intense conviction. 

This draws a beautiful picture for us as believers concerning our prayer life. While I hope none of our friends are thrown in prison anytime soon, we all have our problems that trouble us and even our faith. How good are we at lifting those concerns up to the Lord? Acts 12 makes it clear that a proper response to our troubles is to immediately give it to the Lord, full of sincerity and conviction. 

One of the best parts of this chapter is God’s immediacy in his resolution for the church. He hears the prayers of the people, and he saves Peter. Even the church wasn’t expecting such a quick resolution, as evidenced by their shock when Peter was at the door. They even thought it must have been his angel. God shows his power to his people, and at the same time gives a great example of how much power is in prayer. God can work in ways that we could never expect, and we should pray knowing that!

Life is full of bumps and turns, and it is difficult to navigate them on our own. When you are in the midst of your deepest struggles, are you earnestly lifting your prayers up to the Lord and giving your worries to him? If so, do you truly believe that he has the power to deliver you and supply you with what you need to move forward? Acts 12 gives us a brilliant example of why we should do and believe both of these things, and I pray that myself and fellow believers would never forget the wonderful power that is in prayer. 

Today’s Reading: Acts 11

Acts 11 is a powerful chapter that highlights key themes of inclusion, divine guidance, and the spread of the Gospel. Here are some of the most meaningful messages from this chapter:

1. God’s Salvation is for All People (Acts 11:1-18)

• Peter explains his vision and encounter with Cornelius, a Gentile, emphasizing that God does not show favoritism.
• Key verse: “So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” (Acts 11:17)
• Meaning: This passage teaches that the Gospel is for all people, not just Jews. It marks a turning point in Christianity’s expansion to Gentiles.

2. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Leading the Church (Acts 11:12)

• Peter recounts how the Holy Spirit instructed him to go with Cornelius’ men.
• Meaning: The early church was guided by the Spirit, and believers were called to follow God’s direction, even when it challenged their traditions.

3. The Importance of Testimony in Strengthening Faith (Acts 11:4-17)

• Peter carefully explains his actions, and the other believers accept his testimony.
• Meaning: Sharing personal experiences of God’s work helps others understand His will and strengthens the unity of the Church.

4. The Growth of the Church in Antioch (Acts 11:19-26)

• Persecuted believers spread the Gospel to Gentiles in Antioch, leading to the birth of a diverse Christian community.
• Key verse: “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)
• Meaning: This shows the church expanding beyond Jewish roots, fulfilling Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

5. Generosity and Caring for One Another (Acts 11:27-30)

• A prophecy foretells a famine, and the church in Antioch responds by sending help to Judean believers.
• Meaning: True faith is demonstrated through love and generosity, showing that Christian communities are called to support one another.

Acts 11 teaches that God’s salvation is for all, that the Holy Spirit guides His people, and that the Church is called to be united in mission, testimony, and generosity.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT

Acts 8

The eighth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles comes shortly after a very tragic event. This chapter shows the aftermath of a massive persecution that began to take place in the early church, namely Jerusalem. Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5), was one of the seven deacons chosen to help solve the neglection of the Hellenist (Greek) widows in the daily distribution. Stephen, a wise man of good reputation, was giving a sermon to those Jews who opposed Christianity, and let’s just say it was not taken well. Stephen stated in Acts 7:51, referring to these Jews, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.” The word says that they were cut to the heart and actually gnashed at Stephen. They stoned Stephen for the words he faithfully said to them, and this marked the start of a vast persecution with a man named Saul at the center of it.

Now that we have set the scene, lets dive into our text for today! We will be looking at Acts 8:1-8! Please go ahead and read this passage now!

Now that we have our context, we see that Saul was the one consenting to Stephen’s death and a leader of this “great persecution”. The NKJV says that Saul was making “havoc” of the church, the NLT states that Saul was “destroying” the church, and the ESV states that Saul was “ravaging” the church. However you want to describe it, we can recognize that this was a major persecution. This wasn’t just name calling or boycotting Christian marketplaces, this was separating Christian homes and dragging men and women alike to prison. Often, similar to Stephen, Christians were killed for their faith. I don’t want to belittle the pain caused by name-calling or other forms of persecution, rather I want to emphasize the magnitude of this persecution in Acts 7 and 8. I want to fast forward to Acts 9:4 and share what Jesus said about this persecution. He stated, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Now you may be thinking, what does this have to do with anything. Well, it gives us the comfort knowing we are not alone in our persecution because the persecution is against our Father also. Additionally, Jesus states in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” (NLT). You are not alone in persecution!

Acts 8:2 states that this great persecution scattered Christians throughout the regions of Samaria and Judea. The main lesson to learn from this passage is that God will take even the worst things in this world and use them for His glory! Read verse 4. It says that as people were being scattered because of persecution, the Word was preached. Jesus used this debilitating experience to fulfill his prophecy in Acts 1:8 when He said, “…and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We see the result of the faithful, sacrificial preaching of God’s word was people being saved, healed, delivered, and encouraged! I want to leave you with this verse from Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Nothing can ever separate you from the Love of God. You are not alone in trials, tribulations, and persecutions. You never know how God will use your circumstances for His glory!