Acts 7:9-16 …but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. (vv. 9-10) I couldn’t help but notice increasing levels of grace given by God to Joseph: (1) with …
Author Archives: Fred
January 24 / Acts 7:1-8
Acts 7:1-8 We’ve got almost a week of Stephen’s speech, broken down into smaller chunks. He is telling Israel’s history. There is confusion in verse 2, where Stephen says that Abraham was called out from …Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. When you first read the account in Genesis 11:26-12:1 you see that Abraham was called …
January 23 / Acts 6:8-15
Acts 6:8-15 Prior to today’s reading it has been only the apostles’ ministry that led to healings and other signs and wonders. Now with the prayers and the laying on of hands on the deacons (v. 6) we see “great wonders and signs” (v. 8) being performed by Stephen. Later another deacon, Philip, will also …
January 22 / Acts 6:1-7
Acts 6:1-7 I’ve known it already, but it always strikes me nicely that the Greek widows were complaining and that the deacons chosen all had Greek names. But further today I noticed that (it may have been that) the apostles stepped back from that decision. The apostles had said, “Therefore, brethren, select from among you… …
January 21 / Acts 5:33-42
Acts 5:33-42 Gamaliel said it all – vv. 35-39! My main reflection is to our current state of affairs at St. Andrew’s and the difficulties from the past year. If the Lord is with us, we will move on and succeed and grow! My only other comment is that the Council’s beatings and commands do …
January 20 / Acts 5:22-32
Acts 5:22-32 The high priest’s speaking: We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. (v. 28) You know what’s strange here – two phrases: “this name” and “this man’s blood”. The high priest is …
January 19 / Acts 5:17-21
Acts 5:17-21 So, yesterday I got ahead of myself – What does it take for the Jewish leaders to believe? All these signs and wonders and healings taking place – that’s a good thing, right? But the leaders have the apostles arrested. Why? Verse 17b tells us that they were “filled with jealousy”! JEALOUSY??!! What …
January 18 / Acts 5:12-16
Acts 5:12-16 What does it take for the Jewish leaders to believe? All these signs and wonders and healings taking place – that’s a good thing, right? But I’m getting ahead of the readings – that’s for tomorrow! None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. (v. 13). …
January 17 / Acts 5:1-11
Acts 5:1-11 Ananias and Sapphira – a sad story… I’m sure a lot of money sermons could be preached on this incident – for example, how much of our “proceeds” are we keeping back? But it’s not the “keeping back” that got Ananias and Sapphira in trouble, it was their lying about it, presumably to …
January 16 / Acts 4:32-37
Acts 4:32-37 Today’s reading is the second “transition section” that we have seen in Acts. The first was at the end of Chapter 2. In these transition sections time passes, but we don’t know how much. So it could have been that Peter and John appeared before the Council in the first few weeks after …