Tag: Good News of Jesus

Acts 13:13-52 – Claim Your Joy

Read Acts 13:13-52

So, there is no confusion: Saul is also known as Paul, and going forward we’ll use his Greek name, Paul. There can be misconceptions about the name change, but it would have been common in those days to have both a Hebrew name (Saul) and a Greek name (Paul). It’s easy to think of Saul as the bad guy and Paul as the good guy, but it’s the same guy, and there was nothing divine about his name change like we’ve seen in the Bible before.

Paul was about to be used by God in mighty ways. In this moment where it all began, he could not even fathom what he was about to encounter: miracles, works of the Holy Spirit like this, and even disaster. But those stories will unfold in due time. For now, we need to get to know Paul as one of the greatest Christian leaders of all time. Continue reading “Acts 13:13-52 – Claim Your Joy”

Acts 10:1-38 – No Favorites

Read Acts 10:1-38

Have you ever watched an episode of the television show, The Chosen? For me, picturing the Roman officer, Gaius, from the show as Cornelius in our reading today makes sense. Gaius was also respected by the Jews. But this story is so much bigger than the faith of a Roman army officer who may have been kind to the Jews.

Peter learned a lesson about God’s acceptance and love for the Gentile. That’s a huge shift of thought, for devout Jews would not be eager at all to share their inheritance with outsiders, the non-Jews known as Gentiles. Peter was even given a vision to help open his mind to the reality. Continue reading “Acts 10:1-38 – No Favorites”

Acts 8:26-40 – Divine Appointments

Read Acts 8:26-40

You never know when God is going to have a divine appointment for you to share your faith. That’s why it’s so important to keep our eyes and ears open. Be watching for openings and don’t shy away from action. In Philip’s case, he even got an angelic message of instruction about his next audience. His obedience was clear as he traveled quite some distance to get to his “target.”

In those days, many traveled on foot, but Philip’s divine appointment was with someone in a carriage. That would signify wealth or importance. In fact, this eunuch did have “great authority” and connections to the queen of Ethiopia. I wonder if Philip felt a bit intimidated. Continue reading “Acts 8:26-40 – Divine Appointments”

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)