June 27, 2011
Paul often had to work as a tentmaker to support himself, but when godly men came to help, he was able to devote himself to the ministry of the Word. The calling to support such men as Paul is as important as the calling to preach. Both are needed.
June 25, 2011
God wanted to save the jailer and his family, so Paul & Silas had to go to jail. As wheat is crushed to make bread, so we become nourishment for others. How has suffering made you more available?
June 24, 2011
When we are following Jesus for the sake of the gospel, He Himself leads us. Sometimes He hinders, sometimes He opens wide a door. Taking the Word to the whole world as He commanded while staying spiritually sensitive to His leading is key.
June 18, 2011
A lot of angel action in ch.12! First, an angel breaks Peter out of Herod’s jail, then an angel takes Herod out! I wonder if it was the same angel? The chap. begins with the martyrdom of James by Herod’s sword and ends with Herod’s death by an angel’s sword.
June 18, 2011
Ch.12 began with the execution of James, brother of John, and the imprisonment of Peter. But it ended with the death of Herod and this statement. Persecution did not stop the gospel. It served to spread it further. Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
June 17, 2011
The ruins of this ancient Roman city are found in modern Turkey. Historians call it the “cradle of Gentile Christianity.” It was here that Barnabas brought Paul to help teach. The name Christian or “little Christs” was given because of the way these new followers gave glory to Christ in everything they did.
June 15, 2011
Peter’s strategy for reaching Romans- pray and obey. He prayed on the roof of Simon the Tanner in the port city of Joppa while Cornelius the Centurion sent three men to invite him to carry the gospel to his house.
June 14, 2011
This season of peace followed one of persecution. Seasons are not coincidental. The Gardener uses them to make the Vine’s branches more fruitful.
June 12, 2011
The Written Word points to the Living Word. This is a paradigm for right preaching. Preach the whole of Scripture while always focusing on Jesus as its fulfillment. If Christ isn’t central to our message, we preach in vain.
June 11, 2011
When persecution caused the church in Jerusalem to scatter, the gospel was spread to other nations. What was intended to stop the message, instead spurred its growth. God has commanded us to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Will it take persecution for us to obey?