Acts 12-14

We are going on a missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas today, ladies, but first we will pray with the faithful for the release of Peter from prison.  Read their stories in Acts 12-14.

Acts 12
King Herod Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great.  Herod Agrippa beheaded James the Apostle (John's brother), and he put Peter in prison.  This made the Jews very happy.  Herod Agrippa planned to execute Peter too, but he wanted to wait until after the Passover festival (Exodus 12) to put him on trial.  He ordered four squads of soldiers to guard Peter.  Makes me wonder if he had an inkling that Peter was going to slip away.

v. 5 - The church never stopped praying for Peter.  In times of persecution, the church gets stronger and proves faithful.  Who are you praying for without ceasing?  (I Thess 5:17)

The story of Peter's rescue is wonderful!  The angel poked Peter in the side and then had to give him step-by-step directions.  Get up!  Get dressed!  Put on your shoes!  Put on your coat!  Follow me!  As a mom, you've had to wake a sleepy little boy or girl and dressed them while they were still in a fog.  That's how I picture Peter.  He thought he was dreaming until the angel left, and then Peter came fully awake.  The dream ended in a nightmare, though, for all those soldiers who let Peter escape.

Rhoda makes me laugh!  She was too excited to think straight, and she left Peter standing outside.  No one else believed her, and they were totally shocked that God actually answered their prayers for the release of Peter from prison.  You and I are like that.  We pray without really expecting God to hear and answer.  Let's confess our unbelief.

Acts 13
v. 1-5 - The church at Antioch was training up leaders and sending them out to spread the gospel.  I pray that all of our churches will see this as their purpose.  Who are you discipling right now?

v. 6-12 - Please, Lord, don't let me be like Elymas, who stood in the way of others coming to faith in Christ.  Give me the insight and boldness of Paul, who recognized evil and challenged it publicly.

v. 13-52 - Paul's sermon was a history lesson that left the people begging for more.  Does hearing the gospel excite you enough to invite others to hear the message?

Acts 14 
The end of Acts 13 begins a pattern that is repeated throughout Paul and Barnabas' ministry.  At first the people would be happy and receptive to their message.  Then someone would stir up trouble and turn people against the missionary team so they would have to leave that town and go share the message somewhere else.  Have you noticed a similar pattern in your life?  Just when you start to feel comfortable, God makes your surroundings uncomfortable so you will stay on mission for him.  Sometimes we blame this discomfort on the devil, but no matter what, girls, let's always be on alert for where God wants us to share the good news next.

Acts 14 draws the map of this missionary journey.  Paul and Barnabas bravely shared the Lord's message, and the Lord gave them power to do miracles.  When they healed a man who was crippled, the people wanted to worship them as Zeus and Hermes.  Paul and Barnabas squelched that idea as quickly as possible.  "We are only human!  Do not worship us!"  Paul and Barnabas retraced their journey to revisit, strengthen, and train the churches.  Then they returned home to give a report of their mission.

Hearing stories of missions makes me want to be on mission everywhere I go.  Do you have a story you can share of when God has pushed you out of your comfort zone and taken you on an adventure to share the gospel?  Please share it with us!

Acts 9-10

Our reading covers two chapters today.  I am so glad you are joining me in Acts 9-10.

Who is the worst person you know?  Now, don't name any names in the comments, please.  Just picture this person in your mind.  Can you even imagine what God could do if this person allowed the Holy Spirit to take control?  That is Saul's story.  He was leading the persecution against the Lord's followers.  After Saul encountered Christ, not only was his life changed, but the Spirit used him to change the world.  Will you pray right now that God would begin a similar work in the person He brought to your mind just now?  Jesus wants to show up in this person's life!

Now take your prayer a step further.  Will you pray that God will use you in this person's life just like He used Ananias in Saul's life?  Will you vow to obey the Spirit's leading to share the truth of the Gospel, even when it scares the living daylights out of you?  Girl, you and I do not want to stand before God's throne and give excuses about why we refused to share the saving grace with our lost and dying world!  If you need help in this area, please email me.  Let's work on this together.

The chapters we are reading today are filled with stories of people just like you who let God use their stories to encourage others to follow the Lord.  Which story resonates with you?  Will you ask God to use your story to encourage someone in the faith today?

Saul - New believer; excited to begin preaching immediately; preached with power even when it made people angry.

Barnabas - Thank heavens for this guy!  He discipled Saul and introduced him to other believers.  He poured his life into a newbie.

Peter - A seasoned follower; continued to preach and to heal; he followed the Spirit's leading.

Aeneas - Bedridden for 8 years; he told his story of how God healed him, and many became believers in Jesus.

Tabitha (her Greek name was Dorcas) - God used Peter to bring her back to life; many heard her story and became believers.

Cornelius - Very religious; gave to the poor; prayed daily; still longed for the truth of the gospel; invited his friends and family to hear the message; paved the way for Gentiles to be included in the grace of the Gospel.

Where does your name fit on the list?  I will pray for you today and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing with His message of saving grace.  Don't resist him, Sister!

Acts 8

Today's reading in Acts 8 focuses on persecution in the church.  After you read it, will you stop to pray for our brothers and sisters around the globe who are facing persecution?  You can find out specifics here.

You and I don't want to face persecution; however, God often uses it in our lives to get us to move and to do what He has asked of us.  Word to the wise - Go and preach the gospel whenever and wherever the Spirit of God prompts you.  Do not wait for God to bring persecution into your life to make you willing to move.  The pattern in my life has been God making me uncomfortable so I will go where He leads.  Let's get out of our comfort zones willingly, girls, and go spread the Word.

Now let's look at some specifics from Acts.  Saul, who became Paul, the writer of half of our New Testament, stood there to hold the coats of those who stoned Stephen for being a follower of Jesus.  This sparked a great persecution in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, and believers scattered to the uttermost parts of the earth.  (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)  God used Saul to scatter the believers; then God changed Saul's life in Acts 9. This great persecutor became the apostle Paul, and God used him to disciple the new church.  Talk about a changed life!  Murderer to life saver.  Death threats to eternal life.

I want to point out a couple of first mentions:  Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37, and Saul in Acts 7:58-8:3.  What an unlikely pair!  Good cop.  Bad cop.  Encourager.  Persecutor.  It makes me think of the story in Luke 7, where Jesus teaches the lesson that those who are forgiven much will love much.

Acts 8 ends with the story of Philip teaching and baptizing an Ethiopian government official.  Today will you join me in asking the Spirit of God to fill you?  Will you let the Spirit move you where He wants you?  It's an exciting journey, girlfriend!

Acts 3 & 4

After the walk through Acts 2 and the overview of the work of the Holy Spirit throughout Acts, I thought I would move on to the book of Romans (which is my favorite book in the Bible, btw.)  I am SO glad that the Spirit prompted me to take a peek at Acts 3-4 though!  There is power in the Word, ladies.  I started this chronological Bible study in June 2008, and it was only supposed to take me 61 days.  Ha!  It took me two years to study from Genesis to the Resurrection of Jesus, because God keeps showing up and showing off in Scripture, and I don't want to miss a single drop of His goodness.  I took six years off, and I am so grateful that God didn't let me go, but has drawn me back to this study with His loving kindness.  (Romans 2:4)  One of my favorite plaques says, "Faith in God includes faith in His timing."  I believe God has brought you and me to the study of His Holy Spirit at just the right time.  I agree with several other believers who say that we are seeing a mighty work of God in this day and age, and I want to be part of it!  How about you?

Acts 3 & 4 tells us the story when Peter and John healed a man who had been lame from birth, and then they took the heat from the Jewish council over their actions.  Talk about a life change, and I'm not even referring to the man who learned to walk instantly as an adult!  In less than two months, Peter went from a cursing scaredy cat who denied Jesus to a courageous believer who invoked the healing power of Jesus.  Before the resurrection of Jesus, Peter cowered and then hid from the Sanhedrin.  After the resurrection, Peter defied the authorities and performed miracles.  That's the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, girls.  Give me some of that!!

My favorite thing about ministry is to see God changing lives.  It excites me to see entire families transformed when they come to salvation in Christ.  The power of a changed life is inspiring!  So, I really want to hear your story.  Do you have a testimony that indicates, "I once was lost, but now I'm found," or "I once was lame, but now I walk," or "I once was a scaredy cat, but now I'm bold"?  Will you write your story in the comments?

I want you to become a pro at sharing your Jesus story.  It doesn't have to be long and detailed.  In fact, sometimes you only have a minute or two to tell your story to a lost friend.  Sometimes we are scared or embarrassed to talk about our salvation, but girls, no one can deny your story of how Jesus changed your life! (Acts 4:14)  In truth, there are people whose eternal destination depends on your personal testimony of the change God has brought in you.  A guest pastor recently challenged my church family with this question, "How bad must I hate my neighbor not to tell him about Jesus?"

Girls, we probably don't have silver or gold, but let's start sharing Jesus!  (Acts 3:6)  If you want help getting started, begin by asking questions.  That's what my blog is all about!  Let's glorify the Spirit together!!

p.s.  I didn't even get to the following topics in our chapters today:  miracles, the Trinity, Jesus' return, unity in the body, or Barnabas.  Let me know if you want to discuss any of these nuggets of gold.  I just can't get enough of God's Word, girls!!

The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts

Acts 2 was the chapter that prompted my study of the Holy Spirit this week, and I can assure you that there is still so much more left to discover.  I hope that this blog post leaves you hungry for more, because I can only give you a small taste, and I pray you will join me in seeking the filling of the Spirit on a daily basis.

I grew up Southern Baptist, and I am a Southern Baptist preacher's wife.  So studying the Holy Spirit is foreign territory for me.  It's not that Southern Baptists don't believe in the Spirit, it's just that we are scared of being too charismatic; so it's easier just to read the stories and treat them as church history instead of recognizing that the Holy Spirit is Christ's gift to us personally.  I am thankful that God sent His Son Jesus as a physical being with whom we can relate.  It makes it easy to envision walking through Galilee with Jesus and his disciples, and we can relate to Jesus as a tangible God.  But sadly, we hang on to Jesus alone like Mary did in the garden, and we miss out on the power of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised would always be with us.  Jesus told his disciples in John 16 that it was best for them that he was returning to heaven; only then could the Spirit come.  The only reason you and I can enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus is because the Holy Spirit lives in us, teaches and reminds us of the Scripture, interprets and communicates between us and the Father, and gives us personal guidance and direction if only we will listen to him.  Girls, when the Holy Spirit lives in you, you have access to the very power of God that raised Jesus from the dead! (Romans 8:11)

I want you to do a topical search of the Holy Spirit on biblegateway.com.  Before you begin reading, will you pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all wisdom?  Will you ask Him to fill you and to speak directly to you?  Will you ask Him to be personal with you?  Jesus is the hope of the gospel and the fulfillment of the promise of salvation.  The Holy Spirit is the power of the gospel.  Let's not miss Him!

Before I leave you, I want you to help me with a struggle I have with this question:  How does the Holy Spirit come?  In Acts 2, the Spirit came with noise and a mighty wind in the form of fiery tongues.  I want to see that video when we get to heaven!  In the remainder of Acts, the Holy Spirit came when the apostles prayed for believers and laid hands on them.  In one instance, the Holy Spirit took control of the Gentiles listening to Peter preach.  As Southern Baptists, we teach that a person receives the Spirit at the time of salvation.  I want to know what you believe and why.  Will you post your thoughts in the comments so we can work through this together?

Thanks so much for joining me on this journey of faith as we glorify the Lord together!!

Acts 1

Please read Acts 1 before we begin.  I've started reading from the Contemporary English Version recently, but you can use your preferred version.

The book of Acts is groundbreaking territory for the people of God.  Up to this point, God's good news had been reserved for the Jewish people, whom God had chosen through Abraham.  Jesus had preached in the synagogues and focused much of his ministry on reaching the Jews first.  However, Jesus also loved the Gentiles and set an example for his disciples as he reached out to women and to Greeks and Samaritans.  In the book of Acts, we see the good news of salvation through the Messiah being spread to all nations and no longer reserved for Jews only.

Acts 1:8 is not only the theme verse, it also serves as an outline for the book of Acts.

• The Holy Spirit comes (Ch 1)
• The Good News is shared in
• Jerusalem (Ch 1-8)
• Judea and Samaria (Ch 8-12)
• Everywhere in the world (Ch 13-28)

The author of Acts is Luke, a doctor who traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys. Luke also interviewed Mary when he wrote his gospel of Luke.  As a doctor, Luke made a careful study (Luke 1:3), and his is the most detailed of the gospels.  Luke's gospel also mentions the Holy Spirit more than the other three gospels, which makes complete sense because of Luke's exposure to the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the book of Acts.

Acts 1:3 - Jesus was with his disciples for 40 days after his resurrection.  I'm guessing the apostles paid better attention to Jesus' teaching this time around.  I wonder if they began taking notes while they sat around reminiscing about their travels with Jesus?  Are you a note taker?  For me, it makes all the difference in the depth of my spiritual study.  I love that this verse says Jesus proved his resurrection!  Jesus will answer your prayers when you ask him to prove himself to you.  Do you need God to show up to you?  ASK HIM!!!

Acts 1:4 - Jesus told the disciples not to leave Jerusalem yet.  I typically skim past this verse, because it is easy for me to assume that the disciples wanted to hang around Jerusalem.  These boys were from Galilee.  I suspect they were very ready to head back home after such an emotionally exhausting time of losing their leader.  They also feared that they would be the next ones crucified and probably would have liked to put some distance between themselves and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council that put Jesus on trial.

Acts 1:5 - John baptized with water (John 1).  Jesus would make a way for the very Spirit of God to come and dwell within believers.  Before the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, the Spirit would come and go in the lives of God's servants.  You and I can enjoy the filling of the Spirit daily.  Please don't take him for granted!

Acts 1:6 - Now, Lord??  The apostles still thought Jesus was there to set up his earthly kingdom.  Do you think Jesus rolled his eyes at them?  "Come on, boys, get a clue!"  I can't say that I blame them.  I am also impatient and ask Jesus often to come on back and set up his earthly rule.

Acts 1:11 - He will come back!!  I can hardly wait!!  However, I am so thankful the disciples did not sit down on that hill waiting for his return.  Once they were filled with the Spirit, they scattered among the nations and spread the good news.  Are you following their example, or are you sitting around complaining that he isn't answering your prayers fast enough?

Acts 1:14 - The disciples met together and prayed with a single purpose.  I pray that our church families can do the same.  Did you notice this verse mentions that Jesus' family was also in attendance?  I am so glad they finally got on board.  Who in your family has been resistant to the good news?  Will you stop and pray for them now?  Ask God to draw them to himself.

Acts 1:15-26 - I am not going to describe the theories about this new 12th disciple, but feel free to do an internet search on the topic.  It's pretty interesting, and opinions are varied.

This was fun, girls, and I am pretty excited that God has reopened this avenue of study for me.  I hope you will join me on this chronological study through God's Word.

Women of Faith--July 2015

I just returned from a fun-filled weekend with my church girls from PABC to Women of Faith July 2015.  The following nuggets of wisdom are the things I want to remember.

• My will is stronger than my emotions.
• Guilt is over something I have done that was not good enough. Shame is feeling I'm not good enough.
• Saying 'I'm sorry, will you please forgive me,' takes away the power the enemy has over you.
• God loves me with a reckless obsession. He is a love-sick parent.
• I didn't do anything to earn salvation and there is nothing I can do to lose it.
• Jesus loves you, and there ain't nothin' you can do about it.
• I refuse to get all stressed out about people who are acting a fool.
• Take the whole world. Give me Jesus!  This is not where I belong.
• Take everything as a compliment and you will live longer.
• Create a masterpiece for God's eyes only.

Which one speaks to you?