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 …

The ministry of the Holy Spirit

"While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word" (Acts 10:44). When the Word of God is being preached, there are two things happening. The preacher is speaking, and God is speaking. True preaching of God's Word is always more than the words of the preacher. There is …

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 …

The history of God’s salvation – Jesus is our Saviour and Lord.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). When we think about the history of God's salvation, we begin with God's everlasting love. We go back beyond the beginning of the world - back to the everlasting God and his everlasting love. "That it might be fulfilled" (Matthew 1:21). When we focus our …

Responding to God’s Word (41): Open my eyes that I may see.

We will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). "Love your neighbour as yourself" (Matthew 22:39): this is part of what the Lord has to say to us, but it is not all that he has to say to us. Some people may tell us that this is all …

More than a mysterious presence – the good news of God’s love

We look at the world around us, and we feel like we are near to God. Where does this feeling of God's nearness take us? Does it take us to Jesus Christ, our Saviour? or Are we left with something less than faith in Christ? When we feel that God is speaking to us through …

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 …

God is leading us to Himself.

"In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). The Gospel doesn't begin with the coming of Jesus to our world. We need to go back beyond that. We need to go back to the beginning, back to God, our Creator. The God who created us is the God who sent His …

When Christ is preached, the Lord opens the hearts of men and women to respond to Him.

1 Kings 12:25-14:20; Acts 16:1-15; Psalm 78:1-8 "The Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel" (1 Kings 14:14). There was much "sin" among God's people (1 Kings 13:33-34). God did not abandon His purpose of salvation. His saving purpose finds its fulfilment in Christ. He is the Gospel ("Good News") which God has …

In dependence on divine grace

1 Kings 11:14-12:24; Acts 15:22-41; Psalm 77:10-20 "They obeyed the Word of the Lord" (1 Kings 12:24). They were "commended ... to the grace of the Lord" (Acts 15:40). Obedience to the Word of the Lord and being commended to the grace of God  - these two things belong together. We can only promise obedience …

Acts 4:1-6:7

Acts 4:1-5:11  -  Peter preached Christ with great boldness: ‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (12). This boldness came from the Holy Spirit. Peter was  ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ (4:8). Don’t say, ‘I‘m no Peter’.  Peter …

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 …

Transformed by the renewing of your mind

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). As we read these words, may each of us pray, "Lord, change our way of thinking - and change our way of living." Let us feed our minds with God's Word - and pray that our lives …

Strengthening the faith of all the disciples

“Paul … strengthened  the faith of all the disciples” (Acts 18:23). Strengthening the faith of all the disciples: This is such an important ministry. We are not to be content with the faith that we have. We are to press on to a stronger faith. What do we mean when we speak about a strong faith? …

The pouring into our hearts – and the pouring out from our hearts…

"God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit has been poured into our hearts. The Holy Spirit is poured out from our hearts. First, there is the pouring into our hearts. Then, there is the pouring out from our hearts. …

More than a personal testimony…

“God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen,  that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to …

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 …

God is doing a new thing (Search The Scriptures: Acts).

ACTS "The Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:2,5,8,16) - This was the time for the fulfilment of promises made by Jesus during His earthly ministry (John 14:16,25; John 16:12). "The Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:4,17-18,33,38) - God is doing a new thing. This far surpasses all that happened in the Old Testament. What had been promised is now …

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. …

More than a journey to Damascus…

“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be …

More than an earthquake…

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew …

They came in even larger numbers… Witnessing to them from morning till evening…

“They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what …

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 …

The Holy Spirit comes from God. The Holy Spirit changes us.

(i) The Holy Spirit comes from God. - The new birth (John 3:3, 7). - “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). (ii) The Holy Spirit changes us. - “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” …

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 …

Seeking and finding

"In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28): This is what Paul says to us about ourselves and the Lord. There is, here, an echo of the words of Ecclesiastes 3:11, "God has planted eternity in the human heart." God is speaking to our hearts. He's calling out to us. He's …

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 …

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you …

Jesus has risen from the dead: What does this mean for us today?

We preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23). People hear us speaking of Christ, they hear us speaking of his death for us, and they say, "All of this happened such a long time ago. What does it have to do with us, so many years after Christ lived and died?" When people put this question …

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 …

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: …

Praying Through God’s Word: Acts

Acts 1:1-26 We thank You, Lord, for Your gift of the Holy Spirit. We are not called to serve You in our own strength. We come to You in our weakness. You give to us Your strength. This is the strength that we need – the strength that comes from You. Acts 2:1-47 We thank …

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 …

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 …

Repentance – faith: where do we begin? What about beginning with “Christ crucified” – with Jesus, the Saviour of sinners?

"I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus" (Acts 20:21). What are we to say about "repentance" and "faith"? Where are we to begin? Are we to begin with repentance? or Are we to begin with faith? Let's begin with …

Jesus is the way of salvation, joy and victory.

John 16:33, Acts 4:10–12, 1 Cor 15:57 Jesus is the way of salvation - Concerning "the Name of Jesus Christ", Peter tells us that "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:10, 12). Jesus is the way …

The Conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch: The Spirit, the Scriptures, the Saviour

* The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch begins with the call of the Spirit - "The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot, and stay near it" (Acts 8:29). * It continues with the reading of the Scriptures - The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah the prophet (Acts 8:30) - and  the explaining of the Scriptures - …

The Most Important Question

Many people have a vast amount of knowledge and a great deal of understanding, but they don't have the wisdom which leads to salvation, because they refuse to open their hearts to Jesus Christ, the Saviour. Many people learn a lot about a wide range of subjects, but they don't learn what life is all …

To The Ends Of The Earth

“His dominion shall be… to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10). God’s purpose was moving on. He had begun with Israel. Their deliverance from bondage in Egypt was a mighty demonstration of His saving power. This was only the beginning. God was moving on to Jesus, “the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). In …

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 …

Teaching – grounded in the Scriptures; preaching centred on the Saviour

“As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number …

The love of power, and the power of love

"Where the word of a king is, there is power; And who may say to him, “What are you doing?”" (Ecclesiastes 8:4).  "You  shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). What do we mean when we speak …

There’s a difference between human popularity and divine approval.

2 Samuel 14:1-15:12; Acts 5:12-42; Proverbs 14:15-24 There’s a difference between human popularity – “Absalom’s following kept on increasing” (2 Samuel 15:12) – and divine approval – “more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number” (Acts 5:14). A man can gain popularity because the people are gullible …

What is God saying to us, as we listen to His Word? (Acts 13:1-43).

'Set apart' by 'the Holy Spirit', 'sent out by the Holy Spirit', 'filled by the Holy Spirit' (2,4,9): In the ministry of Paul and Barnabas, we see the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In their teaching, we have 'the teaching of the Lord' (12). This is what Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 - 'When …

The Gospel is for all nations (Acts 15:1-35).

The Gospel is for all nations. In the Old Testament, we catch a glimpse of this (Genesis 12:1-3; Psalms 96:1-3;100:1; Isaiah 45:22). Here, we have the Gospel made clear. Peter says, 'We shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus' (11). Paul says, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved' …

God has spoken, and he’s still speaking.

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Colossians 2:8). On the one side, there is philosophy. On the other side, there is Christ. The two are very different. Philosophy begins with man - "after the tradition of men." …

Waiting on the Lord, we renew our strength (Preaching God’s Word: Acts).

Luke 11:13, 24:49, Acts 1:1–14, Ephesians 5:18 Waiting On The Lord, We Renew Our Strength. Jesus tells His apostles, ‘the Holy Spirit’ will ‘come upon you’ (Acts 1:11, 8). He gives them His Word of promise: ‘I send the promise of my Father upon you’. He gives them His Word of command: ‘stay in the …

The Way Backward Is The Way Forward.

The way backward is the way forward. What does this mean? If we are to have something worth saying to today's world, we must go back to the Bible, back to God's Word. Some people keep on telling us, "You need to move with the times." What are we to say about this? Moving with …

There are things happening which bring great distress to the Lord’s people.

2 Samuel 13:1-39; Acts 4:23-5:11; Psalm 71:9-18 There are things happening which bring great distress to the Lord’s people. “When King David heard all this, he was furious… Ammon… had disgraced his sister Tamar” (2 Samuel 13:21-22). “Why do the nations rage … against the Lord and against His Anointed One” (Acts 4:25-26). “My enemies …

Link to Rev James Philip’s notes on Acts

Acts

No Mighty Triumph For Satan, Abundant Blessing From God

The apostles pray for God's help (Acts 4:23-31). The believers share their property (Acts 4:32-37). The Lord is doing a mighty work among His people. At the heart of this work of God, there is "the Holy Spirit" (Acts 4:31). God was doing a mighty work - and He was protecting it. Satan was trying …

Acts 26-28

Acts 26:1-32  -  Paul answers three questions concerning himself. He puts a most important question to his hearers. (a) What was I before my conversion? Here, he speaks of his religion - ‘According to the strictest party of my religion I have lived as a Pharisee’ (5). This brought him ‘to the ground’ (14). (b) …

Acts 22:17-25:27

Acts 22:17-23:35  -  A Jew, ‘praying in the temple’ at ‘Jerusalem’, Paul was obedient to God’s call - ‘I will send you far away to the Gentiles’ (22:17,21). The racists would not hear of this - ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he ought not to live’ (22:22). This was not simply …

Acts 19:23-22:16

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 …

Words of unbelief – and words of faith

"Isn’t it enough that you (Moses) have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness?" (Numbers 16:13). These are words of unbelief. The people couldn't see past Moses - and that's why they couldn't see past the wilderness. When we can't see past the preacher, we'll …

Acts 17:1-19:22

Acts 17:1-34  -  Notice the importance of the Scriptures for both public ministry - ‘reasoning with them from the Scriptures’ and private devotion - ‘examining the Scriptures every day’ (2,11). We need the Word of the Lord on the Lord’s Day. We need the Word of the Lord every day.  God is not the ‘unknown …

Acts 15:1-16:40

Acts 15:1-35  -  The Gospel is for all nations.  In the Old Testament, we catch a glimpse of this (Genesis 12:1-3; Psalms 96:1-3;100:1; Isaiah 45:22).  Here, we have the Gospel made clear.  Peter says, ‘We shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus’ (11).  Paul says, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you …

The Name of Jesus is the Name of our salvation.

"Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel 2:32: Romans 10:13). From the prophet Joel and the apostle Paul, we have this great promise of God. Between the prophet and the apostle, there is Jesus, the Saviour. The prophet points forward to Him. The apostle looks back to Him. The name, Jesus, was …

Acts 11:19-14:28

Acts 11:19-12:25  -  Barnabas ‘was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord’ (11:24). Let’s be like Barnabas, giving ourselves to the Lord and asking Him to make us more useful in His service. Great things can happen when ‘earnest prayer’ is …

Acts 9:1-11:18

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 …