One of the Greatest Conversion Stories of All Time

There are moments in each of our lives that we can remember almost every detail of. Some of these moments are full of tragedy, and some are full of happiness. One moment I think everyone can remember is the moment they gave their life to Jesus.

 

I was sitting in my small town church and it was nearing the end of our week of vacation bible school. I was 9 years old and remember sitting in the sanctuary with all the other kids, right next to me was my younger brother and my cousin. As we were listening to the pastor talk, he started to ask if anyone wanted to accept Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior. I was hesitant at first but eventually decided to go up to the front as long as my brother and cousin came with me. All three of us headed up and asked Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. It was a simple prayer but I remember distinctly feeling different after it. After the service, we grabbed Dad’s phone and started calling everyone we knew to let them know that we accepted Jesus!

 

I remember that story in such great detail, and if you asked me to pull out another memory of when I was 9, I truly don’t think I would be able to do that. My conversion story had so much meaning to me that it stuck with me.

 

Acts 9 talks about one of the best conversion stories we have come to know. Saul was not the nicest guy around, he was a guy that really enjoyed power and had a deep passion for destroying the Church and the people of the church. As he was headed to Damascus, he was blinded and spoken to by God. I don’t know about you but if God’s first words to me were “ Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I would be a little afraid.

 

Saul was on his way to persecute more Christians and on that path to Damascus, his whole life changed in one moment. That is how it feels to truly meet God. The reason I titled this as one of the best conversion stories is because God took one of the worst of us and showed him the light. God showed Paul that he was fighting the wrong battle and in that moment God showed Paul an unimaginable amount grace that we can’t comprehend.

 

Think of this as someone that really dislikes you or even hates you. Someone that seems to have it out for you and does everything in their power to make fun of you, call you names, physically harm you, and even try to kill you. This person has done this to all of your friends and you are sick of it. Instead of reacting with anger and frustration, you react with love. Loving our enemies is one of the hardest things to do but I think God gave us a great example of how to show grace and love our enemies with this story.

 

Remember that there will always be Saul’s out there in our world, but we need to make sure that people know that Jesus is there too. Take today and reflect on that. Reflect on your story and try to be a light to all of the Saul’s of this world.

A Lesson from the First Missions Trip

Some believe there is a reason that in this account of the first great missionary move of the church there is both the presence of a false convert and a true believer. Perhaps one of the lessons here is that this is a reality of ministry. (Matthew 13:24-30)

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them. (Acts 8:5) After hearing and seeing the miracles, Simon, the Sorcerer, having in the same city proclaimed to be great and having been given heed as the same, believed and was baptized proclaiming Christ. (Acts 8:9-13) Simon the Sorcerer, after witnessing a new miracle, the laying on of hands by the apostles that the believers might receive the Holy Spirit, desired this power for himself and offered to pay the disciples to procure it. (Acts 8:18-19) The Apostles exposed him as false and rebuked him. (Acts 8:20-23)

Here we see the intention of Simon’s heart. Apparently he was not interested in God because solely because he loved God in the true sense of the word, that is; loving someone for what you can do for them, but instead, for a selfish, lustful desire, that is; “loving someone” for what they can do for you. He seemingly was not interested in God except that he might procure the power of God. Except that he might then use this power for himself and sow to the flesh more and more. (Galatians 6:7-8) In this case, Simon the Sorcerer seemed interested in the power of God to fuel his prideful quest of being great among the people. It was found out that is was really all about him and not God.

Perhaps some good questions to reflect on and return to:

  • Do we love God for what we can do for Him (serve Him) or are we more interested in what He can do for us? Are we more interested in God or His stuff (blessing, etc.)? In your heart (your deepest and most subtle desires); Are you for God or is God for you? ‘For’ here being in the useful sense of the word. 
  • Do we love others for what we can do for them or what they can do for us?

Painting: Rembrandt, The Baptism of the Eunuch, 1626

Contributions of Stephen

Good Morning Bible Journal Friends and family,

Today, I’d like to share a snapshot of a speech shared by Stephen in Acts 7. Yesterday, Amy set the stage for us and a focus for us to be praying for our opportunity to serve.  In Acts 6 we are introduced to a man chosen to support the widows.  Stephen was at the top of this list, he was a man full of faith,  full of the Holy Spirit, and a man full of God’s grace.  Stephen performed great wonders and signs among the people.  Acts 6:5 and Acts 6:8. Unfortunately, opposition arose and false charges were then brought against Stephen that included; blasphemy of God, Moses, the law, and the temple.

 Stephen then shares a sermon that defends his faith before the council of Israel. This is found in today’s reading of Acts 7.  I’l let you read through this powerful sermon in order to provide you with the full picture and true specific points of this dynamic speech. This speech by Stephen holds so much power, that by his conclusion, and before Stephen could even finish, members of the Sanhedrin had taken his life because it had made them furious and moved them.

In 1 Peter 3:15 Peter tells us, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you regarding the hope that is within you.” Peter is right! In a moments time I definitely wouldn’t have the amazing sixty verse sermon, but I know one word I could start with, “Jesus!” You can view this sermon as a masterpiece for the subject of apologetics.  Apologetics is the subject of information that defends the faith. Stephen knew what he believed. He also knew why he believed as well.

Stephen leaves us a lesson of the boldness in witnessing. We read about his courage. We read about the faithfulness of God. In addition, we can also read about the blindness of hostility, and even though when the members of the Senhedin committee heard this sermon and gnashed their teeth at him, Stephen was still full of the Holy Spirit. While Stephen was being dragged out of the city and being stoned in front of a young man named Saul (who later becomes Paul) Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  Stephen fell to his knees and cried out, “Lord do not hold this against them.” Stephen then fell asleep. (was brought to heaven) Stephen prayed the same prayer as Jesus in Luke 23:24. Did this picture of Stephen and his prayer remain with Paul?

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.“

As we move into Acts 8 Stephen’s death was a catalyst that set into motion evangelism outside of Jerusalem. Up to this point in Acts, everything had taken place in Jerusalem. Stephen sermon and death set waves of persecution forcing believers to leave…God always orchestrates life’s events for his purposes.

Dear God, 

Thank you for this amazing brother in Christ, Stephen. Thank you for the words of truth spoken by him. I pray for the courage and boldness that is necessary on this earth as we live out this breath of a life. I pray that we continue to be encouraged and grow in the knowledge of God’s words and to defend the faith when necessary.  I pray that throughout our day in our words, actions, and heart  we share and recognize your presence.  I pray for this Easter week and for open doors that will allow us to share your words, love, and the desire you have for us to be part of your eternal kingdom.  Amen

Happy Easter

Maybe You’re the One

 

Good morning and happy Monday.  As we head into Easter week I hope your heart is opening to miracle of the Risen Christ! Today, I’d like to introduce my friend Amy Perschall.  Amy and I sing together on Eastview’s vocal team. A few weeks ago, I learned that her devotion to Christ and skill in sharing His word goes far beyond the music. After hearing her present a morning devotional for a group of musicians, I knew I had to share her gift here! Amy holds a B.S. in Music from ISU, a Master of Divinity, a Masters in Christian Counseling and is working on her Doctor of Ministry. She has experience as a Pastor, Chaplain, Christian Counselor and Youth Pastor.  She has worked in churches, hospitals, prisons and led missions in the name of Jesus. As she completes her doctoral work, Amy is praying for a new opportunity to share her ministry. She is in the process of ordination and I know the next chapter for her will bless so many. I’m excited to share her with our Bible Journal readers!

Today’s Reading: Acts 6

Have you ever seen a need in the church and wondered why someone wasn’t addressing it?  Maybe there are rowdy kids running around between church services and you think, “someone should give them something to do.”  Or maybe there is a concern in the community with homelessness and you wonder, “why doesn’t a church step up and attend to the needs of this population?”  Or maybe you read an article about a school whose students’ grades are failing and you question, “why doesn’t a group step up and help with tutoring or after-school programs?”

A similar questioning arose amongst the Hellenists (or Grecian Jews) and the Hebrews (or Hebraic Jews) in Acts 6.  The Hellenists were a community of believers from places other than Israel and most likely spoke Greek as their primary language.  Their social and religious practices would probably have differed from the Hebrews as well.  And when bringing two different cultures together, there will always be challenges to overcome.

The dispute between the Hellenists and the Hebrews was over the treatment of their widows.  In the Ancient Near East, widows were often unable to provide for themselves and their care was left to the community.  Israelite farmers were to leave grain unharvested so widows, orphans, and foreigners could glean the leftovers and eat (Deut. 24:17-22).  Also, the tithes given to the priests were to provide for the widows, orphans, aliens and priests every third year (Deut. 26:12-13).  So, when the Hellenists complained because, “their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution” (Acts 6:1b), it was a big deal!

Now, I imagine when the Hellenists lodged their complaint to the Twelve (think Twelve Disciples of Jesus), they were expecting one of the leadership to do something.  However, the Twelve had a different plan.  They needed to continue in the call on their lives to preach the Gospel and spread the word of God.  So, just as any good leader does, they delegated.  In developing a team of seven who are “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3b), the Twelve involve more people in ministry and leadership.  Instead of trying to do everything themselves, the Twelve encourage those who had identified the problem to step up and serve within their giftedness and they were ready to serve!  I’m sure there were growing pains as these new leaders learned how to lead, but in spreading out the work, more people were served in the end.

So, as you notice needs within the church and your community, instead of wondering why someone else doesn’t step up, maybe God is trying to get your attention!  Maybe you are exactly the person God has in mind to spearhead a new ministry.  Are you ready to serve?

Fearless

Today’s Reading: Acts 5

What does it mean to be a “fearless Christ follower?”  Let’s start with what it looks like to be fearless.  To be fearless is not the absence of fear.  Fearless is action in the presence of fear.  To help illustrate this, look at two stories in Acts 5.  The first is about Ananias and Sapphira.  The second, involves the apostles.

Annanias and Sapphira decided, together, to give the proceeds of a real estate deal to the church.  Simple enough, right?  The problem is, they didn’t do it.  Why not?  Consider for a moment that the answer is fear.  At the end of Acts 4, we see the church caring for its own.  Wealthy people, the ones who owned homes and land, were selling them to provide money for the church.  Somewhere, sitting in the congregation is Ananias and Sapphira.  The Holy Spirit was at work and they felt what everyone else did.  The love of God.  They were a part of it.  In fact, they wanted to give to it.  In that moment, they made a pledge to give the land that they owned.

I imagine them getting home that night feeling great about their decision to give back.  It is the right thing to do.  Maybe they have a doubt or two creep in.  Satan whispers to them, “hey, why did you give so much?”  They probably dismissed these early thoughts.  If they are anything like me, however, the thoughts continue.  I would start thinking about how irresponsible it is to give up so much.  I mean, “what about the college funds?”  I fear that we‘ll fail to provide enough for them already.  Then, I think about retirement.  How on earth am I going to fund my life on the little that I have saved.  As you can see, fear is tricky.  It comes to us masterfully disguised.  Ananias and Sapphira, gave in to it.

The apostles stand in stark contrast to Ananias and Sapphira.  When faced with opposition, they stood fearless.  In Acts 5:29, Peter tells the captain of the guards that no matter the consequences, he will obey God.  He didn’t care if they harmed him physically or mentally.  Neither of those were as important to him as the truth of God.  Peter, as Chet Bandy pointed out to us yesterday had defined the ONE thing about this life on earth.  It is that nothing matters except God.

No doubt, today we will be faced with opposition. The question remains how we will choose to deal with it.  Will we choose to uphold the Truth and maintain an eternal perspective?   The Bible is clear that our failure to do so carries the consequence of death.  The apostles, on the other hand, show us that an eternal perspective, armed with Truth gives life.  Everyday, in every circumstance.

 

Boldness

Acts 4

I’m fired up to be studying the book of Acts. Although some of the financial advisors and interns I coach joke with me that I use the term “fired up” a lot, I chose those words strategically here. We moved to Bloomington-Normal, IL in 2011 and began attending Eastview Christian Church during a yearlong study of the book of Acts. Although I’ve attended church most Sundays my entire life (except for a hiatus away in college which I pray our children don’t do), I didn’t know much about Acts except for the story of Saul, who was later called Paul and wrote a good portion of the New Testament, going blind for a brief time. Reading and learning about the disciples’ dangerous witness and the new church’s ridiculous love caused me to catch “fire” for the Lord like never before, and I’m praying I recapture that contagious excitement again and that you do as well.

I believe one the biggest pieces of proof that Jesus was who he said he was, the one true Messiah who was resurrected from the grave, lies in the fact Peter denied Jesus three times and most of the disciples were not to be found during and right after Jesus’ crucifixion. They were scared for their lives. Yet here in Acts 4, Peter and John speak boldly (that’s putting it lightly) to the same Jewish Council who just scourged and killed Jesus when questioned about a lame man they just healed in Jesus’ name in Acts 3. Can you imagine being captured and questioned for speaking in the name of the same person they just tortured and martyred not long ago? Still, Peter says in Acts 4:8-12…

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus[a] is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.[b] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved.”

I can just see Peter sending a text message to a friend a few days later telling him of what he said followed by Bitmoji of himself dropping the mic with #Boom after! Would Peter, who just denied knowing Jesus three times not too long ago, really have spoken at all, let alone with the boldness he does here, to the those who just killed Jesus if he had not seen Jesus alive with holes in his hands and side? To me, there is almost no greater proof in the Bible of the Resurrection and everlasting life than this!

Have you ever made a statement or done something under pressure in the heat of the moment that worked out really well and then thought after, “That was really dumb! What was I thinking? I’m glad that worked out ok, but I would never do that again!”? Well, Peter and John do the exact opposite here. After releasing them, the Council brings them back a second time to question them and tell them to not speak of Jesus and to go on with their lives threatening punishment. Still, they say in Acts 4:20, “for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Wow.

It may seem strange, but I’ve often thought about what I would do if someone put a gun to my head threatening my life and asked me if I believe in Jesus. I’ve always believed I would speak with courage if I faced this situation. Instead of asking myself this question about the scenario which is (I hope) is highly unlikely to ever happen, I should be asking myself if I will tell my neighbor, co-worker, friend, or even a family member about the love and saving grace of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection on Easter. We will talk with them about the game last night (as I have the NCAA Men’s basketball championship on right now and will probably be discussing it tomorrow), a TV show, a movie we just saw, or even a controversial political or social issue, but not about our knowledge, faith, and relationship with Jesus. Gang..this is serious stuff! We are talking about where they will spend eternity…as in “for-ev-er!” I had to lighten a serious topic up a little bit with The Sandlot reference there for movie fans. We must trust the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say as the Bible states here in Acts 4:8 and Acts 4:31. Let us not stop speaking boldly to others about what we have seen and heard today and every day. It may be the difference in where they spend eternity. I know that sounds like a lot of responsibility, but it’s NOT ON YOU once you decide to speak, it’s on the Holy Spirit, and most importantly, it’s NOT ABOUT YOU either!

From Simon to Peter

Acts 3

In today’s story, we read about how Peter used his power to perform a miracle: healing a lame beggar.

3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

What a transformation from a few weeks ago? My last post was about Peter’s denial. Now, we see Peter using his power and not shying away from being known as Jesus’ follower.

Let’s think about this transformation a bit more. Just like Tracy mentioned in her Follow Jesus post this week, Peter was a fisherman by trade, working to make a living.   He was an regular man, with a wife, living a regular life.  Now, we see him become a fisher of men during the day and continue to be a fisherman at night. He was the one who tried to walk on water. He was always engaged, asking tons of questions, sometimes not thinking about what he was asking or saying, but we knew he loved Jesus with all his heart and with all his soul. He was eager, bold and outspoken.  In the book Twelve Ordinary Men, he is referred to as double-minded, unstable. He was one of the few who experienced the Transfiguration. He reacted quickly and radically to Jesus wanting to wash his feet. He also slept while Jesus went off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane trying to be ever faithful, but failing. When he awoke and the soldiers arrived, he immediately defended Jesus, even going so far as to cut off the ear of a soldier!

In the Bible, Peter is mentioned more than the other disciple.  He is the first name on all the lists about disciples and apostles. As Jesus was on Earth, Peter was viewed as Jesus’ right hand man as he is ever prominent in stories. He stood out as the leader and spokesman for the twelve. He was in the inner circle. He was also the one the Lord named: Simon (whom he named Peter) Luke 6:14. Peter, in Greek, means “Rock”. Sometimes we saw him act like a rock and sometimes not so much! Jesus refers to him as both Simon and Peter. Simon may represent him as the person before he met Jesus. Then over time he, Peter, transforms, especially in the book of Acts, demonstrating how he truly became a leader.

So far in Acts, Peter has been the one taking charge.  He has developed into the leader God wanted him to be. He appears to be more in control of what he says and what he does. He determined they needed to replace Judas with Matthias. He was the one who started interpreting the tongues and understood this work as one of the Holy Spirit. He also demonstrated courage as he delivered his sermon on Pentecost in yesterday’s reading and he continues his newfound confidence by deciding to heal the lame beggar. He did not hesitate or ask questions this time; he used his reactionary nature for the good of another.

How was this transformation possible? I believe Peter finally understood what Jesus was telling him. Even with Jesus foretelling the story, did Peter truly believe? Maybe, but it was not until it happened and then after he denied him three times, the truth rang out. Peter was not perfect; he finally understood God’s plan for him. He kept developing as a person.

Can we see everything in black and white before we believe or do we have to really experience it before we believe?  Do we react too quickly in certain situations? Do we take the time to listen to what is being said so that we can transform ourselves and have the confidence to believe without seeing? Simon’s transformation into Peter may seem like a big jump, but this is just another example of God’s power and patience. He has a plan for all of us, and all we need to do is trust him.

For your reading pleasure: Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master shaped his disciples for greatness and what he wants to do with you by John MacArthur.

Live Like It.

Did your life really change after you accepted Christ?

I love Acts 2, because it reminds me just how much power the Holy Spirit can have in our earthly lives. This power is incredible, and I often forget that I have the very power of Christ in my heart. Read Acts 2 with me today… it’s full of so much insight about the first time the Holy Spirit was given to Christians.

I believe that there are so many little lessons we can learn from Acts 2. To start, I love the fact that the very first time the Holy Spirit came upon believers, they were all together. I think this is so powerful… I often have personally experienced Jesus the most when I’ve been purposefully surrounding myself with other people who love the Lord. Jesus placed a big emphasis on community during His life and His ministry here on earth, so I don’t think it’s any coincidence that God decided to pour out the Holy Spirit for the first time when believers were all together, doing life together and worshipping together. That’s a powerful place to be; as Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Something else that stood out to me in Acts 2 was how dramatically the people who received the Holy Spirit were changed immediately. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I was baptized and received the Holy Spirit, I didn’t exactly begin speaking in multiple languages. In fact, nothing that outwardly dramatic happened or changed in my life. However, I think there is a lesson for us in this… the power that caused the events we read about in Acts 2 is the same power that we receive when we accept Christ and receive the Holy Spirit. While this power may not be manifested so visibly or dramatically when we receive Christ, our acceptance of Him grants us access to the power of God working in and through our lives, and our souls are sealed in eternity instantly. THAT is something amazing.

Third, I was encouraged reading that believers have been enduring persecution and hardship in their faith since day. one. That just speaks to my heart in the world we live in today! Did you catch the ridicule of the doubters in verse 13? Acts 2:13 states that some who watched the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the results of this gift attributed these crazy events to too much alcohol and made fun of the believers. How encouraging that the same challenging and hurtful ridicule that we Christians sometimes endure at our workplaces, within our family and friend groups, and from our society as a whole has been going on since the very beginning of time.

Lastly, the fourth aspect of Acts 2 that stood out to me was the fact that, after receiving the Holy Spirit, the believers did not stay where they were. Verse 38 says,

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

As soon as they had received the Holy Spirit, the believers began preaching and sharing Christ with the world and with those who were watching. Verses 42-47 say,

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Not only did the believers immediately begin teaching, but their very lifestyles changed dramatically from day one. We may not live in a time when Acts 2-like events are happening all around us all the time, but we who have accepted Jesus do have that same Acts 2 Holy Sprit residing within us. Be encouraged today to live like it.

Follow Jesus

 

Todays reading is Acts 1

After spending 3 months in the gospels, I feel like we have had a pretty close look at Jesus’ disciples lives. Twelve ordinary men, working each day to make a living, maintaining family relationships and obligations and being engaged in their communities. Sounds pretty much like us, right? Regular people doing regular things each day to make a living and keeping relationships with our families. Then Jesus meets each of them and their lives change completely. Jesus says leave your jobs and your families and follow me. There is something about Him that makes each of those men agree to literally drop their lives and go with Him. So they have left everything that they know and every security of their lives to be with Jesus. Along the way, Jesus is honest with them and tells them what they will suffer and encounter being associated with Him. They are hated, persecuted and beaten because of their relationship with Him. Then they have to watch and live through their friend and leader being accused falsely, convicted of things He didn’t do and then die in a manor that is a far greater consequence than the death He should have been given if He was actually guilty of what they had accused. Through all of this, they don’t completely understand what is happening and why it is happening.

So we start Acts during the forty days after Jesus death. I’m trying to put myself in minds of those disciples. At what point do they realize that all is not lost? When do they start to turn from grieving their loss to realizing that Jesus’ ministry is now squarely on their shoulders and they have huge responsibility to share the story? I wish that Acts 1:3 was an entire book. It says, “ During the forty days after He suffered and died, He appeared to them from time to time, and He proved to them in many ways that He was actually alive. And He talked to them about the Kingdom of God.” There is SO much missing here! I want so badly to know what this time looked like, I want to hear the conversations that gave these men the understanding and insight they needed to be all in and ready to take Jesus story to the ends of the earth even after all they have lived through in the last 3+ years. Because of the rest of the chapter, we can only assume that Jesus ministered, explained, encouraged, reassured and bolstered this group of men to prepare them for the rest of their lives.

These ordinary men, people like us with regular jobs and families who love them, have just spent about 3 years with Jesus and had their lives, their hearts and their minds turned upside down, are encouraged and ready to spread the gospel without their leader physically at their side. The last half of the chapter tells us how they went about the business of replacing Judas so they could carry out their calling in full force. They are so encouraged, fueled and full of passion for their work that they almost seem unfazed by Jesus ascension. Luke provides us no other comment on their reaction except that they watched and strained to see Jesus rising into heaven. Once more Jesus reassures them by sending two angels to tell them that Jesus has been taken to heaven but that someday He will return from heaven in the same way He went.

This chapter shows me that Jesus is with me in whatever I am dealing with. He knows what is going on in my life, He is walking through it with me, and is willing to prepare and ready me for what lies ahead if I am willing to follow Him.

 

 

Introduction to Acts

    Together, our Bible Journal community has finished reading the four gospels – Matthew, Mark,  Luke and John – and tomorrow, we will begin reading the book of Acts.  I’m looking forward to reading this book!  The book of Acts was written between 60 and 62 AD by the apostle Luke, and it is a sequel to his gospel.

The book of Acts was written for three specific purposes.  First, it describes how the early believers were blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Second, it records the birth of the church in Jerusalem.  Finally, it tells the story of the spread of the gospel from the Jewish believers to the Gentile (non-Jewish) people in Rome and from there, past the borders of Europe and the Middle East to the world beyond.

We will read about several key people in the book of Acts.  Some of them will be familiar to us from our reading of the gospels; others we are introduced to for the very first time in this book.  We will read of the apostle Peter’s incredible sermon on the day of Pentecost, when those listening received the Holy Spirit.  Peter’s powerful sermon resulted in 3000 people choosing to follow Christ!  Later in this book, we will listen to Peter preach to the Gentiles.  We will read of Philip’s travel to Samaria where he taught the people there about Jesus; many of these people were not Jewish.  And we will read of the apostle Stephen and his incredible display of courage and forgiveness when he was faced with martyrdom.

It is in the book of Acts that we first read about Saul.  A brutal persecutor of Christians, Saul attended Stephen’s stoning.  However, after a remarkable encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, he dedicated his life to Christ and began telling people how the course of his entire life had been altered because of Him.  We will learn that Saul changed his name to Paul, a Greek name, to better connect with the Gentile population, and we will travel with him on his three missionary journeys that ended with his house arrest in Rome.  Luke traveled with Paul during these trips, so what we read is a first-hand, eyewitness account.  We will also read of Lydia, who after a conversation with Paul became the first convert in the Gentile region of Macedonia.  She, along with her family, was changed forever by Paul’s obedience to Christ.

    There are several other key people who we will meet in the pages of Acts, including John, James, Barnabas (he is one of my favorites – I love the story of his friendship with Paul), Silas and Apollos.  We will learn that the term “Christian” was first coined during this time in history, and that this word was first used in the city of Antioch.  What a full, rich book this is!  I’m excited to begin this journey together as we seek to learn more about the spread of Christianity through the obedience of God’s people.  

 

Source:  biblehub.com/summary/acts/7.htm