I left you yesterday in a precarious situation, remember? And I invited both you and me to consider if we are at all open to God doing with us what God was doing 2000 years ago in Damascus, Syria with two men about to meet each other. Remember who they are? Saul the angry Pharisee, had been blinded by […]
I wonder what the most significant, life changing encounter with God has been in your lifetime thus far? I realize that’s not a question you probably consider very often. The Bible, of course, is filled with stories of people having life changing encounters with God, but the truth is most people, even most devoutly religious people, even most […]
When you think of the various miraculous things the Holy Spirit of God does in us human beings, I wonder if your list includes “miraculous transportation”? What? Yesterday I left you with Philip and the African official who was responsible for the treasury of Ethiopia! Philip had been explaining Isaiah 53 to this African official, who was a devout worshiper […]
Yesterday I left you with Philip, standing alongside the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. Have you ever been somewhere when you felt very much out of place? I think that is exactly what Philip felt. Why? Because a fancy chariot, with an obviously important African official, had just driven up and parked right near Philip. Philip […]
Have you ever sensed a stirring in your soul which you felt was God leading you to do something which seemed, at the time, far outside your comfort zone? In that precarious moment, what did you do? In the past few days we’ve been looking at an unusual time in history as a great persecution suddenly broke […]
Have you ever been forced to evacuate and relocate fairly quickly, even against your will? Normally that happens in the face of a natural disaster like a flood or earthquake or hurricane or sadly, war or terrorism. In fact in recent years millions of people have been displaced from their homes by terror. As […]
Every society in the world has various forms of punishment for criminals. In many countries that includes capital punishment. Methods of execution vary widely around the world, both now but especially down through history. We all know crucifixion has been one of the most brutal, but stoning is another. Yesterday we watched Stephen defend himself and the […]
Have you ever felt the exhilaration of being selected for a very significant assignment or position? Do you remember the feelings of inadequacy but also excitement for the opportunity? Join me again back in Jerusalem, about 2000 years ago, as seven men have been carefully selected, by those in the spiritual ‘great awakening’ which was turning Jerusalem […]
Selections are something you and I do every day, perhaps several times a day. We choose between options available to us, often MANY options! Elections are political selections. Draft days are athletic selections. Shopping is all about selections whether it’s in a physical store or online. Even dating and marriage is about selection, isn’t it? Join me again in the middle of a nearly […]
Have you ever been in a situation where growth was happening so fast things were getting out of control? Maybe a snowstorm that’s turning into a blizzard; or a rainstorm that’s turning into a hurricane; or a few sick people that’s turning into a pandemic? In the past few days, we’ve been watching Jerusalem turned upside down, about […]
