We live at a time in human history when ethnic diversity is commonplace in big cities, large airports, universities, and large organizations of every kind. But it wasn’t always that way, was it? Did you know even the Jesus movement faced some major ethnic barriers not long after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension back to heaven? We’ve already seen that Philip, […]
When you watch the news summaries of what is happening around the world simultaneously are you amazed? What really astounds me when I watch global reports, is considering the fact that God is watching all of it happen in real-time and at the same time God knows the future of each of those newsworthy […]
We’ve probably all experienced being someplace where we did NOT feel welcome. In fact, the sooner we could get out of there the better! Do you remember that feeling? Join me again in Damascus, Syria, about 2000 years ago. By the way, YES, this is the very same city as today’s Damascus, Syria. Saul […]
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 […]
