SCRIPTURE: Acts 25:1-12 “I appeal to Caesar!” (Acts 25:11) Does Paul appeal to Caesar to be set free, or to avoid an ambush by the Jews? “As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11) Paul knows he is destined for Rome to share God’s message of grace. He’s not afraid…
Provoking a response
SCRIPTURE: Acts 24:22-27 “As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid…” (Acts 24:25) Witnessing to others may not lead to conversions, but it will have an impact. One reason some people react strongly is because the message hits home. They sense something deep within that is unsettling. Paul’s message provoked fear…
Reading the Bible with Jesus: Psalm 146
You can find more about my weekly Bible readings HERE. This week I am focusing on Psalm 146 (Monday, August 31 – Sunday September 6)
On trial for faith, hope and love!
SCRIPTURE: Acts 24:17-21 “It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.” (Acts 24:21) At the heart of the good news is the hope of the resurrection. For Paul everything hinges on whether the resurrection is true or not. “For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not…
Great AND Good!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 147 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” (Psalm 147:3-4) A God that is both great (determines the stars) and good (heals the brokenhearted). The gods of other religions are usually either great (strong, mighty) OR good (kind, forgiving, gentle)….
Churches that bring joy to Jesus
SCRIPTURE: 2 John 1, 3 John 1 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4) Not just believing the truth, but walking in it, living out the love that it is all about. Compare with his frustration with Diotrophes and the church as a whole: “I wrote to the church,…
It comes down to this
SCRIPTURE: 1 John 1-5 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (1 John 3:16) How do you summarize a whole letter in one verse, in one paragraph? One word is enough to summarize what John wants to…
Followers of the Way
SCRIPTURE: Acts 24:1-16 “I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect.” (Acts 24:14) I like this line, “as a follower of the Way”. Christianity has become just another religion, like Judaism. After centuries of ‘Christendom’, Jesus seems lost in the murkiness of religion. I…
Guilty of 1st degree love
SCRIPTURE: Acts 23:23-35 “There was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.” (Acts 23:29) As Jesus followers, we should not be guilty of crimes against the state or it’s citizens. Paul was charged with differing religious beliefs, not with murder or theft. Similarly, Jesus could not be charged for serious crimes, except devotion to God. “If…
In God’s Name?
SCRIPTURE: Acts 23:12-22 “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.” (Acts 23:14) In the name of the Lord, these men vow to murder Paul. And the religious leaders join in by being accomplices to the ambush. How is it that religious people can turn violence into spiritual devotion? This…