Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: This narrative begins with Festus talking to King Agrippa and his sister Bernice about an interesting case, i.e., Paul and the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem. Festus had a problem. He didn’t know how to write the letter to the Emporer, so he took the opportunity to ask Agrippa and Bernice for advice. King Agrippa …
Continue reading “Acts: King Agrippa and Bernice Hear Paul’s Testimony”
Read: Paul finally gets to speak to the crowd, the preacher is given the microphone and seized the opportunity to set the record straight. The sermon goes well until Paul mentions spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles. This is the turning point. In Part 2, the main accusation against Paul was that he led a …
Read: Luke provides a dramatic story of their journey from Miletus to Jerusalem. He begins by enunciating the emotional departure from the Elders as they began their journey through several cities. They stayed in Tyre for a week and ministered to the church in this challenging city. As the story unfolds, I’m swept away by …
Read: Luke provides some details about Paul’s travels, from Philippi to Troas to Assos to Mitylene to Chios to Miletus. However, the emphasis of this section is on his ministry, in particular, his leadership style. At a time when there were no examples to lean on, Paul demonstrated how to be an effective evangelist and …
Read: As we read many details of Paul’s travels in this chapter, we are given some significant insight into his way of encouraging leaders of the first century Church. He encourages them through teaching well into the night and even through a miraculous healing without missing a beat. We need to read his letters to …
Continue reading “Acts: Sunday Gatherings Begin and the Eutychus Miracle”
Read: Two contrasting stories are recorded by Luke in this passage. In the first, God does amazing work through Paul which bolsters believers but unfortunately encourages copycat ministries. The improper reaction of a few doesn’t go well, but God uses the Seven Sons of Sceva for good and the church grows. The second story involves a …
Continue reading “Acts: Seven Sons of Sceva and Riot in Ephesus”
Read: As Paul travels to Ephesus, he meets Apollos and other disciples. It appears that Paul invested quite a bit of time into teaching disciples on this trip. A group he finds in Ephesus is particularly interesting because they didn’t even know about the Holy Spirit. Obviously, there were gaps in their education that Paul …
Read: While I’m a proponent of the old adage, never say never, I’m confident in making this statement: any endeavor that runs counter to culture will be met with resistance. If you’re doing something that’s “never been done that way,” be prepared for a bumpy ride. After reflecting on yesterday’s post, I thought this was …
Read: Paul, Silas, Timothy, and others continue their missionary journey to Thessalonica and Berea. In typical fashion, they start at the local synagogues as they reach out to those who are willing to discuss the gospel message they have come to proclaim. Some Jews in Thessalonica become outraged and create a riot there, then follow …
Read: Chapter 15 ended with Paul and Barnabas on two separate teams. The division was no doubt challenging, but in hindsight, we see the gospel spreading even more. Barnabas and Mark set sail for Cyprus while Paul and Silas traveled through Syria and Cilicia. Having received the decision from the church council in Jerusalem and the …
Continue reading “Acts: The Church Grows through Timothy and Lydia”