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Category: Acts for a 21st c. Church

Acts Apostolos - Acts of the Apostles - the chronicles of Christ's Apostles - a history of Christ's Church including early leaders like Stephen, Philip the Evangelist, Paul, Barnabas and many others
Acts of the Apostles + a History of Christ’s Church

Acts of the Apostles 1-28

 

Acts of the Apostles:
+ The first century Church SHARED Christ while suffering severe persecution.
+ Luke records a historic account of the Church which gives 21c Christians a context to SHARE the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

Read more about the Early Church & add your COMMENT on Scripture.

ACT now.

+ SHARE the Gospel history witnessed in the CURRENT chronological SERIES from ACTS of the APOSTLES.

  • What Must I Do?

    What Must I Do?

    So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

    Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” – Acts 9:6 NKJV

    Have you had a personal encounter with the Living God?

    Saul, an enemy of Christ, religious zealot and persecutor of true followers of the Way (the Apostles and others) encountered the risen Christ. Saul was a stumbling block to those who would claim Jesus as our Lord and our God.

    Saul of Tarsus’ encounter with the risen Christ is no less significant than an earlier encounter of Moses with God in the burning bush. This man, a leading disciple of the Temple is zealous for God; yet before this personal encounter Saul was galvanized against the risen Jesus, God Incarnate.

    Saul comes to the unknown: as Moses approached the unknown and as we each approach God in faith; for God has drawn us into His Presence. We have come from our place of complete understanding onto the Holy ground of marvelous mystery.

    God IS. Jesus IS.

    Now what must I do?

    Saul had asked the risen Jesus at this moment the obvious question: NOT just, ‘what are you?’, but, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

    Saul had finally bowed down in humility to Jesus Christ, Son of God. Saul in worship finally bowed down in humility as we we all must at the moment we encounter Jesus as ‘our Lord.’

    Acts: 9:4 ESV And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

    5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?”

    And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

    “Who are you, Lord?”

    Is that what you ask of Jesus now that you have met Him?

    Lord, ‘kyrios’: This ‘relationship‘ between Jesus and a ‘Christian’ believer and follower is used over 100 times in the Acts of the Apostles. This relationship of Jesus as Lord is to show you, dear brother or dear sister in the Lord, and to show me Who Jesus IS and who we are to become in our relationship to Him as our Lord.

    Outline of Biblical Usage
    he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord
    the possessor and disposer of a thing
    the owner; one who has control of the person, the master
    in the state: the sovereign, prince, chief, the Roman emperor
    is a title of honour expressive of respect and reverence, with which servants greet their master
    this title is given to: God, the Messiah

    Before we bowed down to Christ as our Lord we were stumbling blocks to those who would believe, yet witnessed in us how Christ was NOT our Lord.

    Do you, who believe in the resurrection of Christ Jesus now ask: “What must I do?”
    • Jesus was: before He was born of Mary.
    • Jesus was: before He was crucified on the Cross
    • Jesus was: as He appeared in His broken flesh to the Apostles
    • Jesus was: when you were born
    • Jesus IS: in this very moment and place
    • Jesus IS: when your flesh must die
    • Jesus will BE: in the resurrection of souls for ALL time and eternity!

    What must we do, Lord?

    The answer of Christ is as individual and personal as our new relationship with Jesus as our Lord.

    For Saul who would become known as Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, the answer was clear and specific:

    Acts 9:6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

    7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

    9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

    When we first encounter our risen “Lord,” we may also be blind. We will be told what to do.

    IF Jesus is your Lord, take HIS hand and allow your new Lord to lead you into the city of faith.

     

     

  • A True Servant

    A True Servant

    I usually don’t have many dreams but I had one this morning and felt like I was supposed to post it.

    In the dream I saw a true servant of God who God was using.

    Because the authorities in the church did not understand what was happening they misjudged him and were telling him to repent of what he was doing.

    In the end, they realized that he was a true servant of God and they repented.

    The LORD says, “Many of My servants have been misunderstood by the authority I have placed in My Body (the Church). Because of that they have been rejected and pushed aside and as a result that which I wanted to do in your midst has been aborted. When you realize that which you have done is wrong and you truly repent of that wrong…I will pour out My goodness upon you and there will be a revival in your midst like you have never seen before. Many of those who have become cold and indifferent toward me will return with newness of heart, mind and actions and those who did not know Me will say, ‘surely God is in this place’, and will turn to Me. My BODY will receive healing and My glory will be seen.”

    Scriptures:

    Romans 2:4b (Amplified Bible) “…are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness (goodness…KJ) is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God’s will)?”
    Acts 3:19 (Amplified Bible) “So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord.”

    God will ALWAYS honor His Word :0)(0:
    3Like ·

    Bruce James Bender

  • Given by God to those who obey Him

    Do YOU know what is “given by God to those who obey Him?”

    Consider the difference between a living church and a dead church… or if you prefer, look to your left and to your right and in the mirror of your heart; then consider the difference between a LIVING CHRISTIAN  and a dead christian.

    Have you ever considered these differences in a 21st c. church?

    What makes one group of worshipers (we call a church) different from another group gathered in a stone-cold building?

    What makes one Christian different from another christian?

    We often seem as sorry as the Apostles.  We appear as great failures in the Presence of Jesus.

    “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” – Luke 5:8 NKJV

    How all of us seem like sinful and ineffective men by comparison to our Righteous Savior.  Yet Peter at his calling to follow our Lord was just another guy, a lowly fisherman who thought he knew about fishing; then Jesus made him a fisher of men.

    In fact, even at the campfire in the courtyard of the trials of Jesus, Peter could not obey Christ… then the cock crowed.

    The Apostle Peter of the Acts of the Apostles, however, is quite a different man. He is a restored Peter.  Peter has repented of his sin. Peter has finally become obedient.  (Some of us are slow to obedience.  Take me, for example. )

    What changed Peter?  Certainly witness of his friend and mentor, Jesus, had much to do with it; but the new boldness of Peter and the Apostles in Acts can be attributed to a gift of God much more Powerful.

    Recall some of the source of Jesus’ Power in His three-year ministry and teaching prior to the Cross:

     Luke 3: 21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

    Jesus, as you may recall, remained in constant close contact with the Third Person of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit.

    Our Savior prayed to God the Father and the Holy Spirit of God guided the walk and Word of the Son of God on earth.  After Jesus’ resurrection, this same Holy Spirit, as promised, was given to all of the Apostles.

    Peter and the boys were now bold men of the Cross of Jesus: men on fire with the Holy Spirit of God. The Peter of Acts 5 is a man born again.

    Acts 5:3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.

    15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by.

    18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and brought them out.

    29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God… {31b} He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.

    “Acts 5:32 “We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.

    • Are you different from some of the dead christians?
    • Are you one of the dead in a stone-cold church?

    IF (like me) you are slow to come to obedience to Jesus as your Lord, NOW is the time to give up your past life of sin.

    “REPENT and be changed permanently by the Holy Spirit of God.

    False christians will come up against you, as they opposed Peter and the Apostles, Jesus Christ, and the Prophets.  IF we are bold in the Spirit for Christ Jesus, we will be on fire for the Lord.  Hear the caution of Gamaliel, Pharisee mentor of Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul:

    Acts 5:38 “So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.

    39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God!”

    Are you fighting against God?

    Do you claim Jesus Christ, while remaining disobedient to His leading?

    Do you grieve the Holy Spirit?

    “You cannot follow Christ YOUR way.

    You must follow Christ HIS way.

    Obey our Lord. Repent and receive the Holy Spirit, given by God to those who obey him.