HOLY SPIRIT
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Daily Readings: Acts 16 and Psalm 84 Acts 16 includes the fascinating account of the Holy Spirit’s very hands-on guidance of Paul, Silas and Timothy’s mission. First the Spirit kept them from preaching in the Roman province of Asia (modern-day Turkey). Then He would not allow them to enter Bithynia. It’s not that the Lord
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Daily Readings: Acts 15 and Psalm 82 “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements …” (v.28) Acts 15 reflects a watershed moment in the history of Christ’s Body, the Church. The early Church had to discern whether the LORD required Gentile believers
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Daily Readings: Acts 13 and Psalm 81 So much happened in Acts 13, but it all happened from the home-base of this wonderful fledgling Church in Antioch. Here, for the very first time in history, followers of the Jesus-Way were called “Christians” (11:26). And here, by an amazing work of God’s grace, people from different
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Daily Readings: Acts 10 and Psalm 78 God told Ananias that Saul was His chosen ambassador to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15) but in Acts 10 He laid the foundation for Saul’s extensive missionary work through Simon Peter. Knowing how difficult it was going to be for the Jewish apostles and all the Jewish followers to
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Daily Readings: Acts 9 and Psalm 77 The main focus of Acts 9 is clearly Saul’s radical conversion from being a persecutor of Christians to being an outspoken preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who “baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah” . However, the man who caught
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Daily Readings: Acts 8 and Psalm 76 Acts 8 bears testimony to the fruitfulness of the simple Gospel message. Having been scattered by Saul’s persecution, the early believers couldn’t help sharing the good news of Jesus wherever they went, and the Kingdom-Family of God continued to grow. One highly effective Christian was the deacon Philip
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Daily Readings: Acts 7 and Psalm 75 Jesus warned His disciples in John 16:2-3, “The time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.” Stephen was the first disciple for whom this came to
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Daily Readings: Acts 4 and Psalm 72 We saw yesterday how courageous Peter became once filled with the Holy Spirit, and how willing he was to risk everything for Jesus. That theme continues today. Hauled before the same religious authorities who had so recently put Jesus to death, Peter and John refused to be silenced.
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Daily Readings: Acts 2 and Psalm 70 1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest
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Daily Readings: Acts 1 and Psalm 65 The disciples returned to Jerusalem in obedience to Jesus’ command, to await their infilling with the Holy Spirit there. They “joined together constantly in prayer”, eagerly anticipating His arrival and, I suspect, praying fervently for His help in the great mission Jesus had left them to complete. During