“On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and[crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat!’ But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.’ Again a voice came to him a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are looking for you. But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”

---End of Scripture verses---

We are still reading about the details concerning the conversion of Cornelius and his relatives and close friends specifically (verse 24), and the acceptance of Gentiles into the community of faith in general. So when we read about Peter’s vision in today’s verses, it is pertinent to the larger context of this momentous time in church history. But I do want to be clear that no new truth was being taught here. Before His ascension into heaven, Jesus had told His apostles to go into all the world and teach the Gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). Even Peter himself had said in that first inspired sermon that, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). The blessed Gospel has always been for all and Jesus died for the souls of all human beings.

Indeed, Gentiles were a part of the first 3,000 souls who were first added to the Lord’s church in Jerusalem. Acts 2:10 tells us that “both Jews and proselytes” were among God’s faithful gathered together on that Pentecost day. A proselyte was a Gentile who converted to Judaism. God was showing Peter in the vision of Acts chapter ten that a person didn’t need to convert to Judaism first in order to become a Christian; and He was helping him understand that, “God does not show partiality, but in every nation the man that fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (verses 34-35). God could have revealed this to him in a more direct manner, but He chose to use the immediate circumstances of Peter’s daily activities to illustrate this truth in a very impressive way.

Peter went up on the housetop to pray at “about the sixth hour,” or around 12 o’clock noon our time (verse 9). Good things happen when we set aside time and designate a place to be alone with God in prayer. When we choose to humble ourselves and deliberately come into God’s presence, we open ourselves up to His graces and make ourselves more receptive to His will. I am not saying that God reveals His will to us in prayer. He does that through the Bible. But in times of solemn supplication and quiet reflection the truth can crystalize and come more clearly into view in our minds eye. While Peter was in this submissive state of mind, God taught him a lesson in the form of a vision—sort of a living illustration.

While Peter was praying he became hungry (verse 10). God used this basic human desire to teach Peter that he should be sharing the Gospel with all of mankind—Jews and Gentiles alike. In this vision God showed Peter a large sheet, or blanket, filled with all types of animals being lowered down from heaven (verses 11-12). God told Peter to kill and eat of those animals to satisfy his hunger. Under the Law of Moses some animals were considered “unclean” and were forbidden for consumption (Deuteronomy 14:4-20). Obviously there were clean and unclean animals set before him in this spread. When Peter refused to eat an unclean animal God told him directly, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (verse 15).

Two truths really stand out from this scenario and from God’s words. First, even though Peter had continued to only eat animals categorized as “clean” under the Law of Moses, when that covenant was replaced by the New Covenant in Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20), all such regulations regarding food had been abolished (1 Timothy 4:3-5). If God still considers certain animals to be unclean then the larger truth taught by this illustration is meaningless. The larger truth is that, with Christ’s sacrifice, God has removed all distinction between Jew and Gentile. The Jews are no longer God’s special, covenant people (Galatians 3:28). Christians are (Romans 2:28-29). The only way a Jewish person can ever again be a part of God’s “holy nation” is if he converts to Christianity.

More on the conversion of Cornelius and his family and friends tomorrow. But just to clarify for today—God doesn’t use trances and visions and dreams to teach His will to people now. We must understand that it was in the infancy of the church in its formative years that God used these miraculous methods of revelation and teaching. Now we have all we need in the Bible to teach us God’s will and make us pleasing to Him (Hebrews 2:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Please read Acts 10:21-33 for tomorrow.

- Louie Taylor

“Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, ‘Cornelius!’ And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ And he said to him, ‘Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.’ When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Inasmuch as the book of Acts is largely a record of conversions, it might come as a surprise that a man of the caliber of Cornelius was in need of being converted. It is said of Cornelius that he was “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually” (verse 2). If you were to ask the typical person walking down the street, or sitting in a church pew for that matter, if Cornelius was in a right relationship with God, I think the answer would be a resounding, “Yes!” He possessed all the qualities and performed all the services that people would associate with eternal salvation. And yet Acts chapter 10 is an account of the conversion of Cornelius and some of his family and countrymen. If merely being a good person was enough for someone’s name to be written in the book of life, then Cornelius was certainly written at the top of the first page! And yet he still needed to hear words by which he and his household must be saved (Acts 11:14), and he need to act on those words.

Verse 1 reads, “Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort.”      A cohort was a regiment of the Roman military. It has been estimated that in the first century a Roman legion totaled about six thousand soldiers, and each legion had ten cohorts consisting of about six hundred soldiers each. Each cohort was divided into centuries, or 100’s. Each one of those centuries was commanded by a centurion who was roughly the equivalent to a sergeant in our military. These can be interesting details (and hopefully accurate!), but the pertinent fact that the Holy Spirit is drawing our attention to is that Cornelius was a Gentile. Up until this point in the history of Christ’s church and the narrative of the book of Acts, only Jewish people had been taught the Gospel and converted to Christ. The word was now going into uncharted territory and this was such a unique situation that God chose to use the intervention of an angel to usher in this new era of church history (verse 3).

Lord willing, we will look further into the conversion of Cornelius. For now just know that, even though he was a good-deed-doing, God-fearing man, he was not yet a Christian. He still needed to hear the truth about Jesus and obey the Gospel in order to be saved.

For tomorrow please read Acts 10:9-20. God bless.

- Louie Taylor

“Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.’ Immediately he got up. And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, ‘Do not delay in coming to us.’ So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’ And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.”

---End of Scripture verses---

With “the church throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria” enjoying peace (verse 31), the Apostle Peter seized upon the opportunity to travel through all these areas and teach the Gospel (verse 32). The latter two-thirds of the book of Acts focus heavily upon the deeds and teaching of the Apostle Paul. In chapters nine through eleven, an interlude between Saul’s (Paul’s) conversion and the dispatch of his apostolic duties, we are reminded that Peter was heavily involved in the work of the Lord as well. We do well to remember that the book of Acts is really only an account of “some of the acts of some of the apostles.” Luke didn’t record all of the endeavors of the all of the Lord’s ambassadors, but they all went about fulfilling Christ’s commandment to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).

With the miracles that were done in the cities of Lydda and Joppa, we see a small sampling of the mighty works performed by the Lord through the hands of the Apostle Peter. In Lydda a man named Aeneas was healed who had lived in a state of paralysis for eight long years (verses 33-34); and in Joppa Peter actually raised a sister in Christ back to life who had passed away! These were truly amazing times and it thrills the heart to see the performance of these powerful deeds through the eyes of faith as we read these remarkable true stories. I love the detail that is given in the account of the raising of Tabitha. Verse 40 tells us that Peter sent the mourners out of the upper room where the body of the dearly departed had been laid. Then he knelt down and prayed. After that he turned to the body and spoke to it saying, “Tabitha arise”. “And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.” Then Peter “gave her his hand and raised her up” (verse 41).

Friends, the events that are recorded in the Bible really happened! These were real people with real problems and the Lord actually intervened in their lives! But more importantly, God brought eternal spiritual life to the people who believed in and obeyed Jesus! That was the main reason for these supernatural works in the first place. As amazing as it was that Tabitha arose from the dead, the reality is that at some point, she died again physically. But we have every reason to believe that as a faithful Christian, she lives on in eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. These miracles were performed to instill faith in the hearts of the people who witnessed them and heard about them, so that they would turn to the Lord and be saved. “And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord” (verse 35). “It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord” (verse 42). What kind of troubles are you experiencing in your life right now? You just trust in the Lord and turn to Him in obedient faith and you can rest assured that He is going to make everything perfect for you in eternity! That is the message that we should take away from these readings!

Let’s read some more tomorrow! Acts 10:1-8. Hope you have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“And he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, ‘Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’ But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket. When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”

---End of Scripture verses---

It is safe to say that when Saul converted from Judaism to Christianity he did not experience a seamless transition.  After he switched sides, Saul promoted the cause of Christ with the same vigor in which he had just previously opposed it, and that earned him some bitter enemies. I am reminded of when a sports hero changes teams and is met with hostility and antagonism from the fans in his old home stadium when he visits with his new team. But when Saul switched sides, he wasn’t just greeted with a chorus of boos from his Jewish ex-brethren. Twice in today’s text we see that his former teammates plotted to kill him because of his defection (verses 24 and 29). Jesus had said that Saul would suffer much for His name’s sake (verse 16). The difficulties began early and came often, but they would not deter Saul from his new mission and life’s purpose.

The transition was not easy with Saul’s new brethren either. “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple” (verse 26). You can understand the skepticism on the part of the Christians in the Jerusalem church. Saul had left the city with the determination to arrest and kill Christians living in Damascus (verses 1-2). Not many brethren were willing to just take his word for it that he had “seen the light.” Saul needed the support of a trusted and prominent church leader who could vouch for his conversion, and that’s where Barnabas factored in heavily. “But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus” (verse 27). Saul and Barnabas would go on to become a powerful tandem in the spreading of the Gospel and the salvation of souls.

“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase” (verse 31). Because of the conversion of Saul and the encouragement of Barnabas, the church enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity. I love the idea of pairing together “the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.” We don’t normally associate fear with comfort. But when we learn to respectfully fear the Lord in all reverence and obedience, we will experience the kind of authentic peace and comfort that only He has the power to give to us.

Please read Acts 9:32-43 for tomorrow. God’s blessings.

- Louie Taylor

“Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.’ The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.’ But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.’ So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Saul was a man on a mission. He was driven with the intensity and relentlessness of the winds of a category five hurricane. Paul was determined to destroy the work of Christ Jesus and he pursued that purpose with all the energy he had within him. Until that fateful day on the Damascus road when he came face to face with the Lord that he was fighting against. This story never ceases to amaze me no matter how many dozens of times I read it. God took the church’s greatest nemesis and turned him into arguably its greatest champion. Saul was a marked man and he didn’t know it. Jesus had chosen him to do His work (verse 15), and I am convinced it was because He knew that Saul would pursue the truth with the same vigor that he sought to destroy it. Do we serve an awesome God or what?!

Since this is the story of the conversion of Saul, let’s consider the steps he took to be transferred from the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13). After appearing to Saul in a blinding light, Jesus told him to, “get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do” (verse 6). When Ananias came to Saul and placed his hands on him, Saul received his sight back (verses 17-18). But that’s what Ananias did, not what Saul did. Saul had been in a house in Damascus, where he hadn’t seen anything, eaten anything or drank anything for three days (verses 8-9). What was he engaged in during all that time? Jesus tells us in verse 11. Saul was doing a whole lot of praying. We aren’t told the subject matter of that prayer, but I think it’s safe to assume that he was sorry for what he had done and, at some point, he prayed to be forgiven. But at what point did he have his sins forgiven and acquire salvation? Not during his prayer. If anybody ever prayed “the sinner’s prayer” it would have been Saul! But God didn’t forgive Saul’s sins until he did what Jesus told him to do. Saul’s sins were forgiven when, “he got up and was baptized” (verse 18).

Ananias told Saul, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16).

Please read Acts 9:19-31 for tomorrow. Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

- Louie Taylor

“So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot.’ Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: ‘He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He does not open His mouth. In humiliation His judgment was taken away; who will relate His generation? for His life is removed from the earth.’ The eunuch answered Philip and said, ‘Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Throughout the period of the establishment and the early expansion of the church of Christ we see the Lord’s perfect wisdom and timing. In God’s perfect plan He chose the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem where thousands of people were gathered from all over the world (Acts 2:8-11), to empower the Apostles to preach the Gospel by inspiration for the first time. Thousands of people were converted from that gathering and eventually many of them carried the message of truth back to their countries of origin. In today’s reading the Holy Spirit instructed Philip to teach the truth to a government official from Ethiopia who learned and obeyed the Gospel as he was traveling from Jerusalem back to the continent of Africa. God’s plan of salvation was on the move and no human scheme of intervention would stop it from spanning the globe.

When Philip caught up to the Eunuch’s chariot, he was reading the prophecy of the suffering Messiah in Isaiah chapter 53. From that scriptural starting point, Philip “preached Jesus to him” (verse 35). We are not given the details of the wording of that sermon, but one thing is revealed for certain. Preaching Jesus involves teaching baptism because the Eunuch was primed to be immersed (verse 36). After they stopped the chariot and they both went down into the water and Philip baptized the man, they both went their separate ways. Philip travelled on through other cities preaching the word (verse 40), and the Eunuch went on his way rejoicing (verse 39) as he journeyed back home.

Friends, there is no better feeling and no greater reason for rejoicing than when you have your sins washed away in the waters of baptism (Acts 21:16). At that point you are born again spiritually (John 3:5) and you arise from the waters to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-5). “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Please read Acts 9:1-18 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was much rejoicing in that city. Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, ‘This man is what is called the Great Power of God.’ And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.’ But Simon answered and said, ‘Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

What a great passage to start the new year off with. Yes a general persecution of the church arose after the stoning of Stephen, and Saul was determined to destroy God’s people and thwart Christ’s mission on earth. But what was the result of those efforts? The Christians “who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (verse 4). What a tremendous testimony to the resolve of God’s people and the impact of His word when implanted deeply within good and honest hearts.

When Satan rattled the tree, he only succeeded in scattering the seeds far and wide. God took a bane and turned it into a blessing like He has shone himself repeatedly doing throughout the course of human history. God’s word grew wings and took flight into farther regions of the Earth. Nothing can obstruct the plans of God and the power of the Gospel! I pray the Lord that we all grow a greater appreciation in 2016 for the power that we have at our disposal in the Bible, and that we go about teaching people the only message that promises them hope for eternity.

In verses 4-24 we see the effects that the spreading of the Gospel had on the people in the city of Samaria. “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike” (verse 12). The people in that old city had been captivated by the trickery of a sorcerer named Simon (verses 9-11), but with the arrival of evangelist Philip they experienced true power for the very first time (verses 5-8). They heard the truth that he taught and saw the miracles he performed and many of them turned from their superstitious ways and turned to God.

We don’t have the power to perform miracles today, and you know what? We don’t need it! God has packed all the power necessary to save people directly into His word (Romans 1:15-16). The truth is more than sufficient to teach people what they need to believe and do in order to please God and go to heaven for eternity!

For tomorrow please read Acts 8:25-40.

Happy New Year!

- Louie Taylor

“‘At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, “It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.” Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is the footstool of My feet; 3hat kind of house will you build for Me?” says the Lord, “Or what place is there for My repose? Was it not My hand which made all these things?” You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.’ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Having said this, he fell asleep.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Stephen had been arrested and accused of incessantly speaking “against this holy place and the Law” (Acts 6:13). The false witnesses that were brought forward also claimed that Stephen was teaching that Jesus would destroy the temple and alter the customs of Moses (Acts 6:14). As Stephen brought his history lesson to a close, he showed them the hypocrisy of their accusations. He showed them from the very Scriptures that they claimed to cherish that there was not a house ever built which could possibly contain the Creator of the universe (verse 40-50). The temple in Jerusalem would eventually be destroyed, but that was only because of Israel’s refusal to accept their Messiah and obey Jehovah God (Matthew 24:1-2). Even so, they should have understood that “the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands” (Acts 7:48).

Stephen also taught the council in the conclusion of his lesson that it was not he or Jesus that had refused to obey the Law. They were actually the ones following in the footsteps of their own spiritual forefathers by disobeying Moses (verses 35-43, 51). Moses had quoted God as saying, “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). They not only refused to listen to this Prophet, they took Him by cruel hands and had Him murdered (verse 52).

Of course the truth was much more than the psyches of these egomaniacs could endure. They stopped up their ears and rushed upon Stephen and overpowered and killed him. As this first martyr of our faith was being killed by evil people, he begged forgiveness for their ignorance just as Jesus had done before him (verse 60). To the very end, just like his Savior, he loved the people who wrongly took his life. But as we know, this was not the end for Stephen at all, but only the glorious beginning of his spiritual eternity. Jesus has opened up heaven for His disciples to follow after Him (verse 56), and He received Stephen’s spirit for safekeeping until He returns again (verse 59).

Praying you all have a safe and faithful New Year!

Please read Acts 8:1-24 for tomorrow.

- Louie Taylor

“It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’ But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us? You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ At this remark, Moses fled and became an alien in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. But the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt and have heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’ This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you. Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what happened to him.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Moses had plenty of excuses to be arrogant, selfish and ungodly. He was wealthy, well educated and raised with all the entrapments of pagan royalty (verses 21-22). Hebrews 11:24-25 tells us, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” Unlike the men who stood in opposition to Stephen, Moses didn’t allow power and privilege to go to his head. While Moses chose to endure ill-treatment with God’s people, the Sanhedrin chose to mistreat a righteous servant of God who was, “of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3). The same group that plotted the execution of Jesus would now murder one of His disciples, but they would bypass the appropriate Roman channels of authority this time around (John 18:31).

I pray none of us will ever be subjected to the type of abuse that Stephen endured. But let’s remember the words of the apostle Paul: “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). If we are living our lives to please Jesus, the world will hate us because it first hated Him (John 15:18-19).

For tomorrow please read Acts 7:41-60.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“The high priest said, ‘Are these things so?’ And he said, ‘Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, “Leave your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.” Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and yet, even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him. But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be aliens in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. “And whatever nation to which they will be in bondage I Myself will judge,” said God, “and after that they will come out and serve Me in this place.” And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household. Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. On the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. From there they were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, until there arose another king over Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph. It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive..”

---End of Scripture verses---

As Stephen stood before his abusers, he addressed them with the utmost respect and courtesy (verse 1). He would ultimately tell them the hard truth and not tickle their ears, but he made his case by telling them a historical account that all patriotic Jews loved to hear. He held his captors captive as he sketched out for them the story of their national ancestry from Abraham to Solomon. It is always good for a preacher to know his audience and Stephen struck right at the hearts of his intended targets.

These “spiritual” leaders proved themselves unworthy recipients of the oracles of God, but the Lord always takes care of his faithful servants even in the face of hardship. When Joseph’s brothers became jealous of him and threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery; “God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions” (verses 9-10). The council would soon follow in the sinful footsteps of the patriarchs, but God would rescue Stephen as He had delivered the godly Joseph. It is true that Stephen soon lost his life on earth, but he gained true life for eternity by staying faithful to Jesus unto death (Matthew 16:25; Revelation 2:10).

Friends, death is not the end of the road for God’s obedient children. It is merely the portal to a glorious eternity in heaven!

Please read Acts 7:20-40 for tomorrow. Appreciate you all very much!

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly induced men to say, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.’ And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council. They put forward false witnesses who said, ‘This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.’ And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Satan is never more displeased than when Christ’s church is flourishing and God’s people are experiencing a modicum of peace and immense spiritual success. The Jewish council had been thus far unable to mount a serious resistance and threat to the spread of the Gospel by their antagonism of the Apostles. Now, with the singling out of one fearless, righteous disciple, all that is about to change.

Stephen was boldly preaching Jesus in the synagogues in Jerusalem, and no one could “cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (verse 10). As usual, when God’s enemies can’t logically and politely refute the truth, they simply stir up the emotions of the crowd by reverting to slander and false charges (verses 11-12). With the arrest and murder of Stephen, Satan unleashed a full-fledged campaign of persecution against the Lord’s people (8:1).

“And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel” (verse 15). I’m not really certain exactly how Stephen’s face appeared angelic in nature. In my mind’s eye I see this hypocritical tribunal looking Stephen squarely in the eyes, avidly searching for any sign of fear or shame or guilt on the face of the subject of their wrath. What they saw instead was a countenance filled with faith, confidence and serenity; a face radiated by the light of the truth. As the old song goes, I think Stephen was letting the beauty of Jesus be seen in Him.

When armed with the truth, the Lord’s soldiers have nothing to fear!

For tomorrow, please read Acts 7:1-19.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”

---End of Scripture verses---

I found two separate commentaries I had written on this passage. Both are included below…

Even though this passage involves the Apostles and a special “untitled” group of servants selected to address a particular issue at the church in Jerusalem, Acts 6 serves as a good model for what elders and deacons do in local churches of Jesus Christ throughout the ages. So, what was the “problem” at the congregation at Jerusalem? They were growing! That is a good problem to have! And the spiritual leaders (the Apostles) needed help to carry out the more “mundane” issues that a church can incur so that they could devote themselves completely to the more important spiritual matters (verse 4).

Notice the type of men that were selected to serve in this special capacity. They were men who had a “good reputation” (verse 3), or, you might say that they were “beyond reproach” (1 Timothy 3:10). They were “full of the spirit and of wisdom.” They were knowledgeable and experienced (tested – 1 Timothy 3:10), and were trustworthy to be put in charge of this particular situation. Even though their work was primarily of a “physical” nature, they maintained a strong spiritual presence and influence and they used good discretion when working with people.

The specific task that the seven men were selected to perform in Acts 6 was to “serve tables” (verse 2). Deacons are servants who help elders to carry out much of the work in a local church that goes unnoticed and unappreciated, but that is absolutely necessary for the wellbeing and functionality of the family of God. Church buildings need to be maintained, lights need to be changed, things need to be repaired, bills need to be paid, finances need to be handled, teaching programs need to be prepared, class rooms need to be organized, etc. Under the oversight of the elders, deacons are assigned a multitude of necessary tasks that help a congregation to function smoothly so that God can be worshiped in spirit and in truth, and His word can be taught, and His people can be served and edified.

Thank you to all the faithful deacons serving in the Lord’s church!

Second older writeup…

As desirable as growth is, with the number of disciples continuing to increase at the church in Jerusalem, some problems accompanied the expansion. Some of the money from the common collection was not being used equitably in meeting the physical requirements of the needy saints. Even though this was the age of miraculous gifts, these brethren were only human just like you and me, and sometimes they just didn’t use the best judgment. But the Apostles, under guidance of the Holy Spirit, promptly formulated a plan to resolve this predicament.

Seven men were appointed to “serve” the tables of the neglected Greek widows (verses 1-2). It is interesting to note that the Apostles didn’t select these gentlemen. The Twelve gave the qualifications of the men to be appointed and the congregation chose from among themselves the seven fellows to fill this office. The qualifications were that they have a good reputation, that they be spiritually-minded people and men of great wisdom (verse 3). One can’t help but see a parallel between the Apostles and these seven servants in the church at Jerusalem, and the more permanent arrangement of Elders and deacons as officers in local congregations of the Lord’s church (1 Timothy 3:1-13).

J.W. McGarvey noted in his commentary or Acts – “It is a remarkable manifestation of generosity in the church at large that all these are Greek names, indicating that the men were selected from the very party whence the murmuring had proceeded. It was as if the Hebrews had said, We have no selfish ends to accomplish, and no jealousy toward you whose widows have been neglected; we therefore give the whole business into your hands, and fearlessly trust our widows to your care. So generous a trust could not be betrayed except by the basest of men: it was a continuation of the perfect unity which had existed before, and which the murmuring had not been allowed to interrupt.”

The result? – “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith” (verse 7).

Please read Acts 6:8-15 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, ‘Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.’ They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

---End of Scripture verses---

We can clearly see why Gamaliel was “respected by all the people” (verse 33). He proved to be the one voice of reason in the entire gathering of the Sanhedrin. The other members were seething with fury and hatred because the Apostles blamed them for putting the Messiah to death (verses 30-31). Their very predictable response to that was to want to kill Jesus’ followers as well. But Gamaliel’s logic momentarily subdued them and their murderous intentions.

I’m not sure who Theudus (verse 36) and Judas (verse 37) were, but I do know that when they passed away their followers dispersed and their aspirations died with them. Now consider the extraordinary nature of the mission of Christ Jesus. It didn’t build up a head of steam until He actually did die. Jesus’ intentions from the very beginning were to die in order save His people and establish His church. But unlike all the champions of all other movements, our Leader didn’t stay dead. It was Jesus power over death that seated Him on His everlasting throne and provided His adherents eternal hope (Acts 2:30-32; Hebrews 6:19).

Gamaliel was wise to advise the council to, “stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown” (verse 38). There are a lot of bizarre religious fads in the world, and most times the best thing to do is leave a sect alone and let it fizzle out. But that would not have been good advice if the Apostles were religious radicals who actually posed a threat to the health and safety of the people they came in contact with. It is the height of foolish to take a passive stance toward the actions of evil, violent extremists.

“But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God” (verse 39). When we fight against God and His will for us, we never have a chance for victory. Either on earth or in eternity. Have you been resisting God’s commands and desires for you? Do you need to repent of your sins and be baptized in order to have your sins forgiven (Acts 2:38)? Do you need to be an active part of the one, true church that Jesus died for (Matthew 16:18; Romans 16:16; Acts 20:28)? Do you need to regularly assemble with the saints (Hebrews 10:25), and worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)? Relinquish your will to God. Follow Him and be blessed.

For tomorrow please read Acts 6:1-7.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, ‘Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.’ Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought. But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back, saying, ‘We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside.’ Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. But someone came and reported to them, ‘The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!’ Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned). When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

“We must obey God rather than men” (verse 29). This is the simple but powerful takeaway from today’s reading. When the Apostles were arrested for preaching eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus and were ordered to stop doing so, that just wasn’t an option to them. They would not even consider disobeying the Lord in order to please other people and save their own skin.

My prayer for the entire group today is that we will all adopt this same mentality. That we make the determination to obey God no matter the earthly consequence. That we will not love father or mother or son or daughter more than the Lord (Matthew 10:37-39). That we won’t allow peer pressure or workplace influences or even our own selfish lusts and wants to cause us to sin against our Father in heaven. That we will give God priority over all others and all else by loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).

Of course, in order for us to do this, we must endeavor to study our Bibles with earnest and learn “the whole message of this Life” (verse 20). If we truly desire to please God in every way and do His will and put Him first, we must first learn what His will is. May we not be satisfied with skimming the surface of “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Let us determine to dive deep and linger long and learn “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Thank all of you for taking the time to read and study God’s word with us! May that ever be the top priority of our lives!

Tomorrow’s reading is Acts 5:33-42.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.”

---End of Scripture verses---

There is some uncertainty as to what all is going on in this short passage. It can be confusing to read that “none of the rest dared associate” with the brethren (verse 13), and yet multitudes were being added to their numbers (verse 14) and people from all over the surrounding areas were bringing sick people to be healed. And which people were actually being healed and just how did these restorations take place? Did mere “contact” with Peter’s shadow actually cause people to be cured of their infirmities (verse 15)? It is inconclusive from the text whether this was just a superstition on their part or if that tactic actually worked. Undoubtedly numerous people actually were made well, but the text doesn’t tell us which ones were and just how this was being done (verse 16).

All uncertainty aside, this is what I know to be true – the church of Christ grew in spite of all its challenges. After its Founder died, arose and actually departed from this earth, He still established His church (chapter 2). After Peter and John were arrested, threatened and ordered to not teach people about Jesus, the church still grew (Acts 4:4). After two of its members (Ananias and Sapphira) were severely disciplined (killed) for sinning, the church continued to expand (verse 4). In spite of, and maybe even because of, the fear that this church discipline produced in the hearts of the Christians and non-Christians alike (verse 11), the church increased. Even though some people from a certain demographic of the population refused to even associate with the brethren (verse 13), this didn’t inhibit the growth of the church that Jesus died for.

Lessons for us: Let’s boldly profess salvation through faith in Christ Jesus to others, even in the face of opposition, knowing that God’s word will not return to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11). Let’s remain faithful to Jesus and increase our faith in Him even if people refuse to associate with us because of that faith. And let’s appreciate the fact that church discipline works, even if it is exercised with difficulty and seems overly harsh at that time that it is administered. If we want to contribute the expansion of Christ’s kingdom we must understand that God’s ways are always the best ways (Isaiah 55:8-9)!

For tomorrow please read Acts 5:17-32.

Have a wonderful day!

- Louie Taylor

“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’ And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that was the price.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.’ And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Ananias and Sapphira suffered from the dual diseases that plague many people in our modern age. Their love for money was only equaled by their love of the praise of men. They did a good deed, but with a bad motive. They wanted to appear to be more benevolent than they really were. You see this kind of thing a lot in the world we live in. A rich person will openly donate a large sum of money to his favorite charity, and yet often the motivation is the positive public relations benefit acquired from it, along with the tax advantage. While this type of thing is perfectly legal and acceptable in the corrupt business world, there is no place for it in the sanctified church of Jesus Christ.

But why such a harsh penalty? It may seem on the surface that the punishment did not fit the crime. I will share my thoughts on why I think it was necessary for God to use such extreme measures to teach His people to be holy. First of all, lying is a very big deal. Of the seven things that God is said to particularly abhor in Proverbs 6:16-19, two of them involve lying. Revelations 21:8 tells us that all liars will have their place in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. People have the tendency to downplay lying, but with God it is a terrible sin. And while lying is a horrible thing in general, these coconspirators actually tried to lie to the Holy Spirit (verse 3). All Christians must understand that God doesn’t see as man sees. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). It is easy to pull the wool over the eyes of human beings, but it is impossible to deceive the Lord.

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.” God executed this sentence quickly to promote fear in the minds of His people and to deter them from giving their hearts over to evil (verses 5 and 11). God always knows what we are doing and why we are doing it, and we will suffer the consequences for doing what is wrong – if not immediately on earth, then eternally at Judgment. God very rarely killed people on the spot for their sinful behavior, but He periodically teaches us in Scripture that He knows when we sin, and that He is not pleased.

I believe a couple of other issues are at play here as well. First of all, the money that Christians put in the common church treasury is God’s money and is sanctified to be used on God’s things. Once Ananias and Sapphira pledged that money to the church it was no longer their money but God’s. Therefore they were stealing from God. And since God’s money is sanctified, that also means that when we give to the collection it is an act of worship. God has never tolerated the adulteration of the worship that He commands from His servants. I am reminded of what happened with the two priests, Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1-5. When they tainted God’s worship by burning incense with “strange fire,” God killed them on the spot and they were unceremoniously buried just like Ananias and Sapphira. Once again, this punishment seems awfully severe. But God demands that, “By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored” (Leviticus 10:3).

Just one more thought about today’s text. In verse 3 Peter asked Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” Does the Bible teach that the devil forces people to sin against their will when he “enters their hearts”? Well of course that is never the case. In verse 4 Peter asked Ananias, “Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart?” The devil can only enter our hearts and influence us when we allow him to do so. Peter blamed Ananias, not Satan, for the sinful choice that he himself made. While the devil is real and his sway can be strong, we are always willing accomplices when we choose to act on that persuasion and sin against God. Besides, a just God would never punish us for actions that are impossible to resist.

For tomorrow please read Acts 5:12-16.

Blessings!

- Louie Taylor

“When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, “Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.” For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.’ And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

---End of Scripture verses---

After Peter and John were released from their wrongful incarceration and interrogation, they returned to their brethren in Christ and reported the incident to them (verse 23). As you might expect, the first thing they did afterward was to pray. That should be our first response to the events and situations of our lives, whether good or bad. We should take it all to God in prayer. It is appropriate to offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving for all the blessed things God does for us, and to petition Him for help with the things that trouble us.

But I really love the nature of this prayer. Notice now, they didn’t pray the Lord to obliterate their enemies from the face of the earth. They didn’t ask God to insulate them from the dangers associated with living lives of firm conviction. They prayed for confidence and boldness to speak in the face of the perils associated with being vocal for Christ Jesus (verse 29). What these Christians were keenly aware of, and what we often lose sight of, is that they had the most important message in human history to deliver to the people of the world. May God grant us the courage to speak the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ to the people we know and meet, even if they are offended by the Truth. Everybody needs forgiveness whether or not they know it or choose to accept it.

Also notice that the shared trials and ordeals these brethren experienced only served to draw them closer together in their service to the Lord. I just love the statement in verse 32 that says, “the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and one soul.” This family in Christ truly loved one another and helped share each other’s burdens. It always helps to facilitate this kind of unity when there is a Barnabas in the mix (verse 36). Let’s try our very best to be sons and daughters of encouragement, strengthening our brothers and sisters when they need a hand to lift them up.

Please read Acts 5:1-11 for tomorrow. May God bless your day today.

- Louie Taylor

“As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, ‘By what power, or in what name, have you done this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’ Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, ‘What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.’ And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.”

---End of Scripture verses---

As you can see, teaching people about Jesus can get you into trouble. It’s getting bad now but it was much worse then. After Peter and John were arrested, the Jewish religious leaders asked them by whose power and authority they were acting and teaching. If they didn’t know the answer to this question, they should have. Peter told them everything they did and said was by God’s authority through the name of Jesus Christ (verse 10). Shouldn’t it have been obvious that only God could miraculously heal a man who had been lame his entire life?

Not only were all those things done and said in the name of Jesus, Peter went on to boldly tell those hypocrites that all of heaven’s authority is derived from the very One they had recently put to death. Notice what exclusive rights Peter ascribes to Jesus when it comes to eternal salvation. Peter said in verse 12 that, “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” That kind of restrictive statement doesn’t sit well with our politically correct culture today, and it didn’t go over very well in first century Jerusalem either. But the truth is still the truth even if the majority is offended by it. Unless you believe that Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God, and unless you obey His supreme authority, you can’t be saved and go to heaven (John 8:24; 14:6). The apostles didn’t apologize for such an absolute, exclusionary statement. No one should.

When the council saw the boldness with which Peter and John spoke, they “recognized them as having been with Jesus” (verse 13). It was only their association with Jesus that could have equipped these men, who had no formal education or training, to speak with such eloquence and authority. Friends, when you spend considerable time with the Master, the changes should be visible to the people you come in contact with. Please avail yourself of the power that is packed within the word of the God. The Bible is the expression of the very mind of Christ. When you pour yourself into it, the truth will transform you like nothing else can (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 3:20-21; 2 Corinthians 3:12-18).

In verse 18 the rulers told Peter and John to stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. Their response is classic: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge” (verse 19). It is always better to obey God and be declared “Faithful” by Him on Judgment Day, then to be condemned with the people who would have you defy Him on earth. The apostles would have rather been killed in the line of duty than to save their own skin avoiding persecution. Most of them actually were killed because of their obedience to Christ. Jesus said: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:25-26)

Peter went on to say, “For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (verse 20). I pray that my faith will one day be this strong.

Please read Acts 4:23-37 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, ‘Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. Moses said, “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, “And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Several things in this sermon stand out to me. I’ll just mention a few here.

I love the names that Peter uses to refer to Jesus. He calls Him “the Holy and Righteous One” (verse 14) and “the Prince of life” (verse 15). Jesus was perfect in every way. He was always holy and always righteous, and yet Israel chose an insurrectionist and a murderer over Him when they demanded that Pilate release Barabbas at the feast (Mark 15:7). How utterly preposterous it was to put to death the Prince of life. They should have known from their own sacred Scriptures that the grave could never hold Him. But then again, this was all part of God’s plan to save mankind (verse 18). Even the people who murdered their own Messiah.

I love the fact that it was “faith…in the name of Jesus” that healed the once-lame man (verse 18). But whose faith was it? The so-called miracle workers of today will insist that a person must have faith in Jesus in order to be healed of their infirmities. If they try to heal someone and fail to do so, they will insist that the subject’s faith just wasn’t strong enough. But I see no reason to believe that the man who was healed earlier in this chapter had faith to be healed. When Peter and John first spoke to this man, he was expecting to receive money from them, not healing (verse 5). Even when Peter told this man, “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk” (verse 6), he didn’t really try to get up until Peter took him by the hand and raised him up (verse 7). It was Peter’s faith that allowed this miracle to be performed, not the lame man’s faith. When the apostles were unable to help a young boy tormented by demon-possession, and Peter asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal him, Jesus told him that it was because of their lack of faith (Matthew 17:14-21). The reason why faith healers can’t heal people today is because they are phonies.

‘Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away” (verse 19). This is why Jesus died. This is why the lame man was healed. This is why Peter preached to these people. This is why this inspired account is preserved for us in the Bible. So that they and we will learn and marvel and believe and repent our sins and follow Jesus. So that we will be healed from our greatest, most deadly illness – the spiritual sickness of sin. So that we will turn from our sinful ways and turn to the only One who can heal us and forgive us and save us.

I pray these stories pierce your heart and convict your conscience so that you will turn to Jesus. If they haven’t yet, please keep reading with us. The word of God is living and active and sharp and powerful and is able make positive changes in your life.

For tomorrow, please read Acts 4:1-22.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

- Louie Taylor

“Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, ‘Look at us!’ And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!’ And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Acts 1:43 tells us, “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.” In today’s reading we see the first of these awe-inspiring miracles that was actually recorded for posterity. Undoubtedly Peter and John felt a sense of pity on this poor lame beggar who had been laid at the temple gate every day of his adult life. When his legs were healed he most certainly was able to live a much fuller and more meaningful life. But let’s notice the details of this account to learn the greater importance of this miracle and the ultimate reason why it, and all miracles were performed.

First of all it is noted that when John and Peter went to the temple that it was the hour of prayer (verse 1). That's a very significant detail. This tells us that there were numerous people present, going up to the temple to pray at that common, appointed time of night. Secondly, it is said that this man had been lame since birth (verse 2). This point coupled with the fact that he was laid at the Beautiful Gate every day informs us that nearly everyone would have recognized him and would have know without doubt that he could not walk. Most of them knew he had never been able to walk. So in other words, the amazing thing that happened to this man at the hands of the apostles was an undeniable miracle witnessed by likely hundreds of credible witnesses. Compare these facts to the fabricated setups of the so-called miracle workers of today.

Now please try to imagine this remarkable scene in your mind to catch the essence of it. Peter tells a man that had never been able to walk in his life, “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk!” (verse 6). He reaches down and grabs him and he leaps into an upright position and begins to walk (verses 7-8). They enter the temple together in the quiet of the evening at the solemn hour of prayer and this man is “walking leaping and praising God” (verse 8). What a commotion this jubilant man was making in the Lord’s temple! As you would expect, the crowd was “taking note of him” and “they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him” (verse 10).

Okay, now the apostles had the undivided attention of a primed, receptive group of potential coverts. Peter used that opportunity to preach another sermon about Jesus to the Jews and proselytes who were gathered together in Jerusalem at that time. After he did that, more than two thousand people believed in Jesus and obeyed the gospel, and were saved and added to His church (4:4). Friends, this is the very reason that God used certain people for a limited period of time to perform miracles. Miracles were performed so that people would believe in Jesus and accept the eternal life that only He offers (John 20:30-31).

Miracles were performed to confirm the message of salvation. Consider what is written in Hebrews 2:1-4: “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.”

Please read Acts 3:12-26 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’ And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’ So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

---End of Scripture verses---

After the apostles preached that very powerfully convicting, first inspired sermon about Jesus, many of the people wanted to know what they needed to do (verse 37). These folks were obviously inquiring about their salvation because Peter told them what they needed to do to have their sins forgiven (verse 38), and he told them to “be saved” from that wicked generation (verse 40). They had just been told that they were guilty of putting Jesus to death (verse 23), and they were “pierced to the heart” (verse 37) by the pain of conviction, and they knew they were lost. They were God’s chosen people but they killed God’s “Chosen One” and they knew they stood condemned before Him. They wanted to know what they needed to do to be saved.

Please friends don’t miss this most important truth. They asked what they needed to DO, and Peter told them exactly what they need to DO. Most people in the religious world tell us there is nothing we can DO to be saved. They say that Jesus did all the work and that we are merely saved by grace through faith. It is a fact that we are “saved by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). But there are still things we need to DO; there are still conditions that must be met before we can receive that grace through our obedient faith. What did Peter tell these people to do? He told them to “repent” (verse 38). That word implies that they must be sorry for their sinful actions, but that sorrow only leads to repentance, it is not repentance itself (2 Corinthians 7:10). To repent is to change your mind about sin and to purpose in your heart to no longer pursue a course of sinfulness. It is to be sorry about sinning and then to form a determination to do your best to stop sinning.

Then Peter told them “be baptized for the forgiveness of sins” (verse 38). Where there is no forgiveness of sins there can be no salvation (Ephesians 2:1-5; Galatians 1:4). In other words, Peter told them to be baptized in order to be saved. Peter didn’t tell them to believe to be saved. They already believed, but they were still lost. Peter didn’t tell them to say a prayer and accept Jesus into their hearts to be saved. Peter told them to repent of their sins and to be baptized in order to have those sins forgiven (consider Acts 22:16). Friends those commandments have not changed in the slightest bit. People’s views about salvation have changed over the centuries, but the word of God remains the same. What was true for those people in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago is just as true for us today.

When 3000 of those people obeyed the commands of God spoken by apostolic authority, they were saved and added to the church (verse 47). If you want to be a saved and be a part of the church of Jesus Christ and heaven-bound, you must do what these faithful people did. When Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:21 that “baptism now saves you,” he meant exactly what he said. Please don’t reason away the commandment to be baptized to be forgiven and saved. Jesus said this was true (Mark 16:16) and so did the apostles that He commissioned and inspired to preach with His authority.

For tomorrow please read Acts 3:1-11.

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: “And it shall be in the last days,” God says, “That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy. And I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him, “I saw the Lord always in my presence; for He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will live in hope; because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.” Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

As the rule of the ignorant apologist states, if you can't deny the facts of a case, cast doubt on the credibility of the speakers. And these "devout" Jews certainly tried to do that! After being ignorantly accused of drunkenness, Peter delivers one of the most memorable homilies ever delivered by any disciple of Christ.

The text breaks down into two key sections in today's reading:

1) Verses 14-21 - Peter knew the insinuation of drunkenness could spread like wildfire so he stamped that baseless accusation out immediately. The Spirit-inspired Apostles were clearly and undeniably speaking in legitimate languages unknown and unstudied by them personally. The only proper conclusion was that the Supreme One was fulfilling His promises in them. Peter points out that these events were prophesied hundreds of years earlier by the prophet Joel (2:28-32 as quoted in Acts 2:17-21). The days of the Messiah's reign were in effect and national judgment would be meted out upon Israel as yet another typology of the divine punishment of denying God's Savior. The Jews, in Jerusalem for the Pentecost celebration and feast, could not deny the prophesy's fulfillment before their eyes. As a result, they could only rationally "call on the name of the Lord" (cf. Acts 22:16 and Romans 10:9-13)

2) Verses 22-36 - Peter draws out and boldly proclaims the message of the gospel - Jesus is the Lord (Greek: kurios) and He is the Christ (Greek: christos). Verses 22-23 review the recent events of Jesus' ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of which they ALL were eyewitnesses. This section also points out that rather than being regarded as some failed mission of some confused mortal narcissist, the recent events were the unfolding of God's eternal scheme of redemption through His only begotten Son. God had chosen the foolishness of this world to demonstrate His eternal wisdom; He provided life through death. Verses 24-32 illustrate, through an appeal to Psalm 16:8-11 (LXX - i.e. the Septuagint), that God accomplished the impossible in resurrecting Christ from the dead - He conquered death! Although Jesus died for us, death had NO power over Him and through death, He rendered the power of death as null and void. (Of course, the fullest realization of this will be in eternity (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). This David could not do and for that reason, his body lay entombed within visiting distance for the audience. Again, he pointed to someone and something far greater. In verses 33-35, Peter quotes from Psalm 110:1 (LXX) to further substantiate His point. Peter's essential point is that David, the author of the psalm, could not possibly have been referring to his son as Lord, so there must have been a greater meaning. That meaning is that Jesus, earthly descendant of David is in actuality the fullness of God in human form. As a consequence to their aligning themselves against this One with omnipotent sovereignty, they had aligned themselves against the One Who would judge them! What a terrible realization to be confronted with for the honest soul!

Peter's sermon uses the power of fulfilled prophesy (Joel 2:28-32; Psalms 16:8-11; 110:1), eyewitness testimony with pointed rebuke (verses 22-23), and rational deduction to prove the undeniable truth that Jesus is King and Savior. The only rational conclusion is revealed in verse 36, the keystone of the sermon, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

God's plan for salvation is revealed in Peter's Pentecost sermon in a powerful and memorable way. God has provided the means and revealed the responsibilities we have in taking hold of that salvation. We will address the latter in the reading tomorrow as we proceed through the reaction of the audience.

We ask that tomorrow everyone finishes Acts chapter 2 by reading verses 37-47.

- Eric Parker

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, ‘Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.’ And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others were mocking and saying, ‘They are full of sweet wine.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

The events of this momentous day occurred on the day of Pentecost (verse 1). This was one of the three mandatory feast days that all male Jews were required to come to Jerusalem to observe. That explains the large gathering in the city that day. Jesus was killed during another one of the mandatory feasts: the Passover. It is only fitting that the sacrifice of our Savior and the establishment of His kingdom would correspond with two of the Jewish high holy days. Pentecost was calculated to occur 50 days from the Passover Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15). This means that the day of Pentecost always fell on the first day of the week. Again, it was only appropriate that the Lord’s church was established on the same day of the week that Jesus arose from the grave and the day that its members would assemble to worship Him and partake in the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7).

When the arisen Jesus was in Bethany with His apostles, He told them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come to them as He had promised (Acts 1:4-5). In Acts chapter two we see the fulfillment of that pledge. Notice now that Jesus only promised this Holy Spirit baptism, and the miraculous power that would accompany it, to the apostles. That’s just who we see receiving this power and inspiration in the second chapter of Acts. The 120 people mentioned in chapter 1 verse 15 were not given this promise by the Lord, and they were not the subjects of the Holy Spirit baptism in chapter 2. Only the apostles were (1:24). Notice also that only the apostles were preaching by miraculous inspiration and in various languages (verses 14 and 37), and the people were astonished that all the men who were speaking were Galileans (verse 7). The promise of the Holy Spirit’s baptism and the endowment of miraculous powers associated with that was not universal in nature. It was given to certain people for particular purposes and only lasted for a limited duration.

Please read Acts 2:14-36 for tomorrow. Praying your day is a blessed one!

- Louie Taylor

“Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, ‘Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.’ (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ‘For it is written in the book of Psalms, “Let his homestead be made desolate, And let no one dwell in it”; and, “Let another man take his office.” Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.’ So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. And they prayed and said, ‘You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Verse 13 – We find the eleven apostles assembled together in Jerusalem, just where Jesus had instructed them to be, waiting for the promised power from on high (verse 4).

Verse 14 – As they were gathered together they were engaged in the appropriate and important things. They were “continually devoting themselves to prayer”.

Verse 16 – “The scripture had to be fulfilled.” In case the brethren were overly discouraged about what the traitor Judas had done, Peter let them know that God had foreseen his treachery and used it to fulfill His purposes. David had prophesied beforehand that his place would be deserted and that another should take his office (verse 20; Psalm 69:25; 109:8).

Verses 18-19 – Obviously a lot more happened than Matthew revealed in his account of the suicide of Judas (Matthew 27:3-10). The “Field of Blood” didn’t just acquire its name from the fact that it was purchased with the “blood money” that lead to the execution of Jesus. Evidently when Judas died he hanged himself in that field, and at some point the rope broke causing his body to fall to the ground making a bloody mess!

Verses 21-26 – A successor is appointed to replace Judas as apostle. It is very telling that one of the qualifications of a true apostle is that he must have witnessed the resurrection of Jesus (verse 22). The Apostle Paul made it clear that when He saw the resurrected Jesus he had fulfilled this requirement (1 Corinthians 9:1). All others who claim to be apostles are mere frauds. It is also important to note that the apostles didn’t choose a replacement for Judas but God did that. They put forth the names of two qualified individuals and then left it up to the providence of God to make the selection.

Please read Acts 2:1-13 for tomorrow. 

Have a great day!

- Louie Taylor

“The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit [g]not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, ‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’ And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The first account spoken of in verse one was a chronicle of the life, teaching, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, called the Gospel according to Luke (Luke 1:1-4). But Luke realized that the account of the life and work of Jesus is really an ongoing, never ending story. The impact that the crucified, risen Savior has on the lives of people is the reason behind the blood that Jesus poured out on Calvary’s cross. The next logical step was for Luke to compose a narrative about some of the acts of some of the men that Jesus empowered to carry out His plan of salvation after He ascended back to the Father in heaven. If the Lord is willing, over the next several weeks we look on as the ambassadors of Jesus implement the Great Commission and disseminate the Good News and alter the eternal destinies of people with receptive hearts from all nations.

Luke’s account of the Gospel ends with the ascension of Jesus (Luke 24:50-53). The beloved physician begins the book of Acts by filling in some of the missing details of Jesus’ conversations with His apostles shortly before He was “carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). What’s interesting to me is that Jesus was with them “over a period of forty days and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God” (verse 3) to them, and yet it seems they still didn’t understand the spiritual nature of that kingdom (verse 6). That misunderstanding would be corrected soon when the Holy Spirit would come upon them and they would receive the power previously promised to them (verse 8). The Holy Spirit would “guide them into all the truth” (John 16:13) and they would “proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:2) with a more perfect understanding of the nature of it.

“And after He said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (verse 9). What an incredible sight this must have been to behold by these privileged men. Jesus had told them prior to His crucifixion that it was to their advantage that He go away, even though the thought of Him leaving saddened their hearts at the time (John 16:6-7). Now, on the other side of the cross, the future was looking much brighter to them. When Jesus arose into the sky they beheld the spectacle with amazement, and after He had gone they actually “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:52). Their Master had defeated death and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven, and soon nothing would stop them from telling the world the Good News.

Hopefully I will have the reading schedule composed and posted within the next few days. For tomorrow, please read Acts 1:12-26. Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor