Category: Acts

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Opposition arises when some people’s profits are challenged. Such opposition today from groups, who make money out of religion, drugs, abortion, prostitution, and many other profit enterprises, should not surprise us.

SJA Notes

* Holy God, thank You for teaching us from Your word today.

“And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.”

The world will not accept the truth of who God is, nor will it accept the life of a believer that has been irrevocably changed by the Holy Spirit bringing new life into dead hearts.

A dead heart and stubborn will ignores the folly of idolatry, of rejecting the Creator God.

But a heart made new, a mind that is renewed by and in the Spirit, wants to be singular in devotion to its Saviour God!

Because in Christ we have FREEDOM from the tyranny of sin, from human nature seeking power and wealth through whatever means are at hand (spiritual or earthly).

The dead heart is not free.

But in Christ we are!

* Dear God,

Thank You for making our dead hearts alive in You.

Thank You for freeing us from the chains of sin that wrap so tight.

Thank You for giving us life!

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Priscilla and Aquila have benefited from their time with Paul. They have the courage and the wisdom to take Apollos aside and help his understanding of the Gospel. This third occurrence of Pentecost is with Jews who believed Messiah’s prophet John. These natural branches are grafted into the vine!

SJA Notes

* Loving God, thank You for Your Holy Spirit at work in us as we read Your word. Please etch Your word into our hearts.

“And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.”

Notice the work of the Holy Spirit in believers.

With the extolling of the Name of Jesus the little dark nooks and crannies that we try and hide away had the light of God’s word shone on them.

Here in the passage we read an example of this, the public profession of a grave disobedience toward God.

A fortune in witchcraft tomes/books were burned publicly.

This is no small point.

These were Jesus believers who were still mixed up in witchcraft.

The believers listened to God’s word, to His Spirit, and did not shy away from removing sin from their lives.

As with them so with us today.

May we not shy away either, to turn away from the world and its practices and unto Jesus, who is better by far!

* Gracious Father,

Please help us each to resist the world, to turn to Jesus.

Help us to seek Him out, to seek the light of Your face.

For You are the God who saves us! You are the God who continues to work within us!

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Providential meetings are a great blessing. Hospitality encourages people like Paul in their ministries, furthers the Gospel in unforseen ways, and cultivates growing strength and blessing in the hospitable. Paul needed encouragement as he faced opposition.

SJA Notes

* God of Light, please teach us of Your mercy and grace today.

“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

Paul was both disciplined (regularity without fail) and courageous (carrying on with the real threat of violence) in going about the work of God’s kingdom.

We see here that Paul worked to reason with both Jews and Greeks. Both the lineage and Abraham and those not of Abraham’s physical descendants.

Paul’s ministry reflected the truth of God’s purpose. God’s promise to Abraham.

That through him all nations of the earth would be blessed.

This is the message of Jesus!

We can have blessing instead of curse, we can be friends with our Maker instead of enemies, we can be freed from the crushing weight of sin and the penalty of judgement for our sin.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* Holy God,

Thank You for the witness of Paul as we read here in Acts.

Please help us minister in the same way, showing no partiality, but calling all to repentance and belief in You.

Amen.