365 Reflections

Cross reference Acts 7's opening verses about Abraham with Genesis 11 and something interesting becomes very clear. In Acts 7 Stephen declares: Acts 7:2–4 (ESV) "Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran , 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died , God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Then in Genesis 11, right before the promise to Abraham: Genesis 11:31–32 (ESV) Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran. Ab...

No sooner does a church grow than administrative problems arise fast and furiously. The Greek widows were feeling mishandled in the daily distribution of food. What's the solution? Men, full of the Holy Spirit. Acts 6 puts fullness of the Holy Spirit in perspective. This was not casting out demons or preaching powerful evangelistic messages. This was not raising the dead or calling fire down from heaven. This was not spot-light,high-light reel ministry. Yet the qualifications were clear: "seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom." What do we need the Holy Spirit for? We need the Holy Spirit to handle challenges in administrating the ministry of the church. There is no lack of need for better, more effective operation in almost any church. We usually look for skill, but God's Word says look for the fullness of the Spirit . We need to be full of the Holy Spirit so that we can SERVE people. This was food service. This was ordinary behi...

When the Church is born in Acts 2 the end of that chapter reads " And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.    Acts 2:47 (ESV) After God judges Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit and pretending to be more than they were, stealing the glory of God, the people are filled with reverent fear... It reads in Acts 5:13   None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Then, this line, Acts 5:14 (ESV) 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, I never saw the difference between those verses until now. In Acts 2:47, people were added to " their number" . But a few pretenders got in, as is the case for any church... but after the judgment of the two pretenders, believers were "added to the Lord " . You can be in Church and not IN THE LORD. You can like the band and the cool atmosphere or the community and sense of belonging and still not be i...

Acts 5:1–2 (ESV) But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. Right from the beginning of this movement, pretenders have been there. The problem in any church are the people who try to be better than they are. Ananias and Sapphira are case in point. They didn't have to do this. That was actually the most tragic thing of all. They could have given what they wanted, but these two desired prominence and notoriety by looking more generous than they really were.  This will not be tolerated in the New Covenant... As an example, they are swiftly struck down dead by the Holy Spirit.  Why such a quick and decisive judgment?  Because of the nature of the New Covenant. This is about the New Creation of Jesus! You don't get in because of what YOU DO, you get in because of what God did through Jesus Ch...

The Early Church didn't pray for miracles... they prayed for boldness to accompany them. Acts 4:29–31 (ESV) And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. I like this prayer. It starts in Verse 25 with the address, "Sovereign Lord..." God is sovereignly doing something right now.  Our job is to jump on board with God and talk about Jesus in any situation. The Early Church saw what God was doing, and made the main issue to preach Jesus.  We ask for miracles to make our lives better or free of pain. But that was not the pattern of the movement of Jesus in the beginning. Think about it, ...

Peter and John are brought before one of the most prestigious Jewish families in the entire nation. Notice the details Luke gives us in their trial before the court convened about them after healing the lame man at the Beautiful Gate: Acts 4:5–6 (ESV) On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. These were the "movers and shakers" of Judea at this time. Annas was the most powerful political person in the Nation at this time. He was kind of the "Godfather" of this clan of very important people. John also served as high priest. Caiaphas (the current High Priest) will forever go down in history for being the High Priest that put into works to Crucify Christ and then to attack and threaten his church. He has been long dead but at the time he was the longest tenured High Priest in History. Then it records ...

Acts 3:25–26 (ESV) You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” This is now the second sermon in the Book of Acts. It's an amazing study to look at what the Apostles and disciples talked about in their sermons throughout this book. For all our "smart ideas" and "clever wisdom" of how to get people to our churches and get them to love Jesus, there is no beating the sermons of Peter and others in these pages. The Bible is clear from the very first page, God makes it all things happen by His spoken Word. God's actions are tied up in God's speaking. That is why proclaiming Christ and Him Crucified is the power to change a heart, a family, a community, a town and ultimately a nation and the wor...