God is good!

2 Samuel 18:19-19:43; Acts 7:44-8:3; Psalm 73:1-14 King David was held in extremely high regard in his day: “My lord the king is like an angel” (2 Samuel 19:27). We must remember that he was no more than  a man who was seeking to “provide a dwelling-place for the God of Jacob” (Acts 7:56). Think …

Peace, Power, Purpose

Acts 3:1-4:4 Contrast the Peter we see at the time of Christ's death and the Peter we see here. There was failure, frustration and fear. Now, there is peace, power and purpose. (a) Failure - Peter denied his Lord. (b) Frustration - Things could have been so different, if only I had confessed my Lord. …

Make sure that it’s real!

Simon the magician was impressed by the ‘signs and great miracles’, but his ‘heart’ was ‘not right before God’(Acts 8:13,19). The Ethiopian’s conversion was real. Searching the Scriptures, he found the Saviour (Acts 8:30-35). From the Ethiopian’s conversion, we learn of Jesus’ promise: ‘Seek and you will find’. From Simon’s tragedy, we hear Jesus’ warning: …

Awesome judgment and eternal salvation

2 Kings 8:16-9:37; Acts 23:12-35; Psalm 80:1-7 The Word of God speaks of judgment. The judgment upon Jezebel was an awesome judgment (2 Kings 9:36-37). God's Word also speaks of salvation. This is not simply the safety spoken of in Acts 23:24. It's the eternal salvation, which is suggested to us in the Psalmist's prayer: "Restore us, …

A Man With A Purpose

In Acts 21, we read about Paul, travelling from place to place. He was not alone. The Lord was with Him. He was more than a traveller. He was a missionary - a man on a mission. He was not travelling around aimlessly. He was a man with a purpose. Wherever he went, he shared …

On The Day Of Pentecost

Acts 2:37-38 At the heart of the Gospel, there is the love of God. This is the story told by Peter on the Day of Pentecost – the story of God’s love for us. In love, God offers to us the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (v. 38). These blessings …

I will praise God’s Name in song and glorify Him in thanksgiving.

2 Samuel 5:6-6:23; Acts 1:23-2:21; Psalms 69:29-36 The world cannot understand the working of the Holy Spirit – “when Michal, daughter of Saul, saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16). She didn’t understand what David was doing – “I will celebrate before the Lord” …

The glory of the Lord

1 Kings 8:22-9:9; Acts 14:8-28; Proverbs 15:11-20 The majesty of the Temple was not merely human. The glory belonged to the Lord. His glory would be among His people, as they honoured Him by doing His will. The servants of the Lord must always say, "we are only men ... We are bringing you Good News, …

What a difference the Lord makes!

2 Kings 16:1-17:41; Acts 26:24-27:12; Psalm 81:8-16 “They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless” (2 Kings 17:15). There is no god who can compare with the Lord (Psalm 81:9-10). He alone is worthy of praise. He alone gives value to our lives by bringing fulfilment to them: “Open wide your mouth and I will …

Peter – preaching on the Day of Pentecost

Peter preached Jesus as the way of salvation, the way of joy and the way of victory. To those who are needing to hear the Word of the Lord, the true messenger of the Gospel of Christ still says this: "Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:21). To …

A greater fulfilment

1 Kings 6:1-7:22; Acts 13:13-41; Psalm 75:1-10 In the reign of Solomon, God fulfilled His promise to David (1 Kings 6:11-13). There is, however, a greater fulfilment: "From David's descendants God has brought to Israel the Saviour Jesus, as He promised" (Acts 13:23). When we consider what God has done, we say, with the Psalmist, …

God’s servants are to lead the people to a deeper knowledge of God.

2 Kings 6:24-8:15; Acts 22:22-23:11; Proverbs 16:8-17 "Go to meet the man of God. Consult the Lord through him" (2 Kings 8:8). The servants of the Lord were appointed to serve the people in the Name of the Lord. God's servants are to lead the people to a deeper knowledge of God. The Lord said to …

Wisdom and salvation

1 Kings 3:16-5:18; Acts 12:19b-13:12; Psalm 74:18-23 "God gave Solomon wisdom" (1 Kings 4:29). When wisdom is recognized as God-given, the people of God say, "Praise be to the Lord today" (1 Kings 5:7). True ministry, which promotes "wisdom unto salvation", is based on the prompting of the Spirit and leads to the proclamation of …

God calls all nations to worship Him.

1 Kings 7:23-8:21; Acts 13:42-14:7; Psalm 76:1-12 The Temple is built. The glory goes to God: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel" (1 Kings 8:15). God's purpose was not, however, to be limited to Israel: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the …

The Importance Of Prayer In The Advance Of The Gospel

Notice the importance of prayer in the advance of the Gospel. They were looking for a prayer meeting when Lydia was saved (Acts 16:13-14). They were going to a prayer meeting when the girl was saved (Acts 16:16-18). They were having a prayer meeting when the jailer was saved (Acts 16:25-34). They had gone to …

Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Kings 9:10-11:13; Acts 15:1-21; Psalm 77:1-9 "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved" (Acts 15:11). Once we have been saved, we are to live a godly life (Acts 15:20). This is the way in which God's blessing is to remain and increase in our lives (1 …

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Third Sunday of Easter: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 or Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 34:1-10; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35 Jesus Christ is Lord. ‘God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified’ (Acts 2:36). ‘Jesus is Lord’: When this message is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit’, it …

The grace of God was poured out on me abundantly.

Acts 9:1-43 Saul the persecutor become Paul the Apostle (13:9). What a great turning-point this was in the life of the early Church! When we read of Paul's missionary journeys (13:1-28:31). we may be tempted to think, 'What a great man Paul must have been'. In his letters, Paul insists that we must not think …

Pride goes before destruction. A haughty spirit before a fall. Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

2 Kings 14:23-15:38; Acts 25:23-26:23; Proverbs 16:18-27 Here, we have the record of seven reigns – five in Israel, two in Judah. The five in Israel “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 15:9,18,24,28). The two in Judah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Kings …

When the love of Christ breaks through

When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus he was livid. He was furious. He was in a rage. He was "breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples" (Acts 9:1). He was pursuing the Lord's disciples - with murder on his mind! This, however, was not the full story. Saul was …

Learning from Stephen – a man, filled with the Holy Spirit

Immediately before he was stoned, Stephen preached the Gospel of Christ. After he had finished speaking, we see Stephen - about to be stoned - facing death as a man, full of the Holy Spirit, a man looking to Jesus Christ - "Now when they heard these things they were enraged and they ground their …

True wisdom

1 Kings 2:13-3:15; Acts 11:19-12:19a; Proverbs 15:1-10 Solomon asked for wisdom – “a discerning heart to govern Your people and to distinguish between right and wrong” (1 Kings 3:9). “The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this” (1 Kings 3:10). In Acts 11:24, Barnabas is described as “a good man, full of the …

The God Of Love Is Reaching Out To Us.

Acts 8:26-40 We are in a "desert", but the God of love is reaching out to us (Acts 8:26). Even when we are in a desert, we can prepare ourselves for God's blessing. We can keep on reading God's Word (Acts 8:28). God sends someone to guide us (Acts 8:30-31). What does Philip do? He …

They devoted themselves…

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2:42). "They devoted themselves ... " This is what they did. This is what we are called to do. Let's think about something else - not about what they did, not about what we are called to do. Let's …

God’s Word is always more important than our words, and Jesus is always more important than we are.

How then can we be saved? (Isaiah 64:5). What must I do to be saved?... Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:30-31).' We think of our sin, and we ask the question, "How then can we be saved?" Is there a way of salvation for us? Can our sins be forgiven? …

God’s answer to our question

Acts 2:37-38 The question is our question. The answer must always be God’s answer. We ask the question. We cannot give the answer. In ourselves, there is no answer. We are “far off” (Acts 2:39). We know about our sin, but we cannot give to ourselves the forgiveness of sin. We know about the emptiness …

A Problem – And A Response

"Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls... Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words... Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord" (Acts 15:24,32,35). There was a …

Fron every tribe and nation and people and language

"With your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation" (Revelation 5:9). To Abraham, the Word of God was spoken: "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3). In the one hundredth Psalm, we have a call to worship: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth" (verse …

What will your future be?

"I am Jesus, whom you (Saul of Tarsus) are persecuting... I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in …

Moving beyond a general prayer for God’s help to a personal experience and enjoyment of God’s salvation

"Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your unfailing love" (Psalm 109:26). When we're going through hard times, we come to the Lord and ask for his help. Is this only a prayer for partcularly hard times? It is that, but it is, also, more than that. Is there ever a time when we can …

Journey though the New Testament: Acts

Acts 1-4 ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you“ (1:8). We cannot fill ourselves with the Spirit. We can only ‘be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18). Waiting for the Spirit, the apostles ‘devote themselves to prayer’ (1:14). They do not earn the Holy Spirit as a reward for spending much time …

More than Duty Giving and Grudge Giving – Let there be Thanksgiving.

Acts 20:17-21:14 From Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders, there are some lessons for all of us. (a) 'Repentance to God' and 'faith in our Lord Jesus Christ' (21) - This is not only a call for conversion. It is for every believer - all the time. (b) 'Take heed to yourselves and to all …

The kindness of God

2 Samuel 9:1-10:19; Acts 3:1-26; Psalm 70:1-5 The kindness of God is shown in different ways. We read of “God’s kindness” being shown to Mephibosheth – “he always ate at the king’s house” (2 Samuel 9:3,7). Nevertheless, we are also told, at the end of the chapter, that “he was crippled in both feet” (2 Samuel …

The Gospel is preached. There is blessing. We say, “God has done this.”

Acts 13:44-14:28 When God is working powerfully through His servants, there is always the tendency to attach too much importance to the servants. We must resist this temptation. The glory belongs to God alone. We must never forget: 'We too are only men, human like you'. God has called us to 'bring Good News' to …

Awakening – when the Lord’s people pray earnestly

2 Kings 3:1-4:37; Acts 21:1-26; Psalm 78:56-72 “Then the Lord awoke from sleep” (Psalm 78:65). When the Lord awakes from sleep, there is awakening. In 2 Kings 4:32-35, we see an example of such awakening - resurrection from the dead. How does such awakening come? It comes when the Lord’s people pray earnestly, with actions as …

The Lord bless you and keep you.

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven" (Psalm 32:1). The forgiveness of sins - this is such a great blessing. The forgiveness of sins: it's just the beginning of so much great blessing which will continue throughout our life on earth and for all eternity. "Create in me a clean heart, O God,    and renew a right spirit within …

When we feel like giving up, God’s Word encourages us to keep on going.

Acts 18:1-21 It was not an easy situation at Corinth. There were some who 'opposed Paul and became abusive' (6). There was great pressure on Paul. He could have given up very easily. It was God's Word which kept Paul going (10). Paul did not collapse under thee pressure - 'he stayed a year and …

Let us bring Christ to the nations.

Baptism of the Lord (First Sunday in Ordinary Time): Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17 Let us bring Christ to the nations. Let us serve the Lord in the power of the Spirit. ‘Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One in whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and …

Lord, bless me and make me a blessing,

Acts 19:23-20:16 Read verse 28: 'Great is Artemis of the Ephesians'. Remember Exodus 20:3 - 'You shall have no other gods before Me'. Remove all pretenders from God's throne. Rededicate yourself to the Lord - 'King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be' (Redemption Hymnal, 165). People could not get …

What must I do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved?

The question is asked: "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30). The answer is given: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Sometimes, when questions come into our minds, we wonder if we will ever receive an answer. The more we think about it, the more we come …

The resurrection of Christ opens up for us a glorious future.

Acts 23-25 "The resurrection of the dead" was a central theme in Paul's preaching: "It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial" (chapter 23); "It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today" (chapter 24). His teaching concerning the resurrection …

In the eyes of men, Paul was a prisoner. In the plan of God, he was a witness.

Acts 26-38 In addressing King Agrippa, Paul focuses attention on the resurrection: "Why does it seem incredible to you that God should raise the dead?" (chapter 26). Paul proclaimed that "Christ... as the first to rise from the dead... was to proclaim that light now shone for our people and for the pagans too" (chapter …

As Paul travelled from place to place, the good news of Christ’s love was reaching more and more people.

Acts 20-22 As we read about Paul, travelling from place to place, we come to appreciate the geographical breadth of his ministry. In chapter 22, we see the spiritual depth of his ministry. This spiritual depth arises out of his real, life-changing experience of the salvation which had come to him through the Lord Jesus …

Peter and Paul, working together to bring many people to Christ

Acts 14-16 Here, we see the great influence of both Peter and Paul in the life and witness of the early church. In chaoters 14 and 16, we have the ministry of Paul. In chapter 15, we see Peter giving his support to Paul's ministry. He does this by emphasizing that the Gospel is for …

The good news of Christ is for people of every nation.

Acts 11-13 Peter's taking the Gospel to Cornelius opened the way for the Gospel to go the Gentiles. In chapter 11, Peter emphasizes that the Gospel is for the Gentiles. In chapter 13, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, emphasizes that the Gospel for all nations is rooted in God's revelation to the Jews. While …

Jesus has the words of eternal life.

Are you confused by what's happening in today's world? You're not alone. Is there a way out of this confusion? Are we to look for easy answers? or Do such answers only show that we have failed to understand life's deepest questions? Can we answer life's deepest questions? or Do we have to look beyond …

God’s work is moving forward.

Acts 9-10 In these chapters, we read of two events of enormous significance for the advance of the Gospel: the conversions of Saul of Tarsus (chapter 9) and Cornelius, the Roman centurion (chapter 10). Saul became Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. The conversion of Cornelius was the beginning of the Gospel going to the …

God’s work goes from strength to strength.

Acts 7-8 In chapter 7, through a history of God's dealings with Israel, Stephen exposes the sin and guilt of hts accusers, They react violently, and Stephen is stoned to death. Saul watched this, and "entirely approved of the killing" (8:1). Saul went on from there, "working for the total desctruction of the church" (chapter …

Jesus is taken up into heaven. The Holy Spirit is given to us.

Ascension of the Lord: Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47 or 93 or Daniel 7:9-14; Psalm 24:7-10; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53 Jesus is taken up into heaven. The Holy Spirit is given to us. We read, in John 7:39, that ‘the Spirit’ would not be ‘given’ until Jesus was ‘glorified.’ Now, as Jesus was about to be ‘taken …

God’s blessing is reaching more and more people.

Acts 4-6 God is at work, and so is Satan. The devil does all that he can to try to hinder the work of God. The victory, however, belongs to the Lord. His work is advancing: "Their proclamation of the Good News of Christ Jesus was never interrupted... the number of disciples was increasing" (5:42-6:1).

Witnessing for Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1-3 The Lord Jesus called His disciples to be His witnesses, in the power of the Holy Spirit. They prayed that the power of God would come upon them (chapter 1). The Lord sent the Holy Spirit to them. They were were epowered by the Holy Spirit. Their ministry was blessed by God. It …

At every stage of our life’s journey, the Lord is there – with us and for us.

How did the world begin? How will the world end? Who was there when the world began? Who will be there when the world ends? How and Who - these are quite different questions. The How question wonders about the beginning and the end. What happened? What will happen? The Who question takes us beyond …

It’s ‘make up your mind’ time.

Acts 25:1-27 Paul stood before Festus as an accused man. Festus listened. Recognizing his own shortcomings and respecting the accused wishes, he gave Paul a fair hearing (20-21,25). Festus made no decision - 'I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him' (26). Jesus was 'dead'. Now, He is 'alive' (19). This is …

When the Holy Spirit comes on you

‘When the Holy Spirit comes on you… you will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth’(Acts 1:8). This great advance of the Gospel - Salvation reaches ‘the Gentiles’(Acts 10:45; Acts 11:1,18) - is a movement of ‘the Spirit’(Acts 11:12). The Spirit speaks through the Word (10:44; 11:15). In God’s Word, we read of …

The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus Christ.

‘No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit’ (1 Corinthians 12:3). ‘In Jerusalem’, on ‘the day of Pentecost’ there are ‘Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven’ (Acts 2:1, 5). They are ‘amazed’ at what they hear – ‘we hear them telling in our own tongue the mighty works of …

There is no god who can compare with the Lord.

2 Kings 16:1-17:41; Acts 26:24-27:12; Psalm 81:8-16 “They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless” (2 Kings 17:15). There is no god who can compare with the Lord (Psalm 81:9-10). He alone is worthy of praise. He alone gives value to our lives by bringing fulfilment to them: “Open wide your mouth and I will …

God’s Answer comes to us in the Name of Jesus Christ.

“What are we to do?” – Before we think of what we are to do, we must think about what Jesus Christ has done for us. This is the Good News. Jesus Christ has taken our sins upon Himself. He has died for us so that we might be forgiven by Him. We must never …

My Lord and my God

"In Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). We read these words of Paul, and we may wonder, "Was he going 'over the top' with this description of Christ?" Then, we think of the resurrection of Jesus. What does the resurrection tell us about Jesus? It tells us that He …

The good news for sinners: our Saviour is greater than our sin.

 "Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless (or unsearchable) riches of Christ" (Ephesians 3:8). This post continues on from an earlier post, which contrasts Paul and Jesus. You may find it helpful to read that post before reading this one. …

A better way of life – life in Christ

"God so loved the world (the people of the world)" (John 3:16); "Do not love the world (the ways of the world)" (1 John 2:15). "God so loved the world" - These words are a call to mission. We are to show the people of the world how much God loves them. We're to be …