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The Man Was Healed Not Because Of His Own Effort, But Because He Listened And Kept His Faith
In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. Acts 14:8-10, NIV There was this man who knew how it felt like to lack something. Perhaps, all throughout his life, he was looking for hope and healing. And here comes Paul, trying to present him the possible answers to his prayers. He listened to his message and received the hope…
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God Will Bring You To A Safe Place
He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. Psalms 18:19-20, NIV David knew that God would rescue Him and would bring him to a safe place despite the overwhelming situation he experienced. He knew that God would save him because he delighted in him. God saw his deeds and his heart. And he rewarded him because of his righteousness. This verse is a perfect reminder for us especially when feel like we are in an unknown battle. When our hearts are…
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God Is Always In Charge
Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. Acts 12: 23-24, NIV King Herod was against the early Christians. He even killed James and arrested Peter. But God moved by sending an angel to rescue Peter from prison. After that, King Herod continued to boast about what he had and failed to glorify God. The Bible said that an angel struck him down and was eaten by words. He had a very sad ending. The disciples went through so much fear and experienced…
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When You Find It Hard To Believe That God Answers Your Prayer
“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” Acts 12:15, NIV When Peter was arrested by King Herod, the early church fervently prayed for Him. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to Peter and set him free from prison. Peter then went to the house where the Christians gathered and to their surprise, they didn’t believe what the servant named Rhoda said. She recognized Peter’s voice and said to the disciples that he was knocking at the door. They won’t believe her that they even said to the servant that she’s out of her…
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God Will Send His Help
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Acts 12:7,NIV Peter was arrested and put into prison when he experienced this supernatural moment. Who would have thought that an angel would appear and help him? This is one of the stories in the Bible that reminds us that God can do the impossible. He rescued Peter from death. He commanded His angels to help and guide Peter on his way out. At the same time, the church also prayed for him. Imagine,…
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Keep on Praying
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12: 5, NIV This happened after James was arrested and put to death by King Herod. When the King saw that what he did pleased the Jews, he then seized Peter. This moment wasn’t easy for the early church. Imagine one of your dear brothers died for the sake of the gospel. Perhaps they also felt scared by what happened because it simply meant that their lives were threatened. But then, if we try to imagine, the church must’ve also prayed for James to be saved and set free. They must’ve also…
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We Never Really Know How God Will Turn Things Around
Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. Acts 11: 19-20, NIV The death of Stephen became one of the reasons why the early Christians were scattered in different places. Even though what happened to him was a tragic event, it seems that it became a way for them to share the gospel outside Jerusalem. The bad things that happened…
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We Need To Learn How To Deal With Gossips
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Proverbs 26:22, NIV Sometimes, people find satisfaction in spreading news that could potentially hurt others. They somehow label it as satisfying and entertaining. This is a sad truth that many of us experienced. We will meet someone who likes to talk about other people’s mistakes or weaknesses. And maybe, they think that it was normal and not really a big deal, but let’s wait until they also experience the same thing. Only then will they realize how painful it is. According to the book of Proverbs, the words of gossip are like choice morsels;…
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God Gave All Of Us The Chance To Connect With Him Through The Holy Spirit
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. Acts 10:44-45, NIV Peter visited the house of Cornelius, a centurion who lived in Caesarea. He was surrounded by Cornelius’ relatives when he started preaching about Jesus. These group of people were known to be Gentiles and Jews tend to treat them as strangers. But something wonderful happened the moment Peter wholeheartedly welcomed these people and shared Jesus to them. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard…
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We Believe In A God That Does Not Show Favoritism
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34, NIV Peter realized that God did not show favoritism the moment he met Cornelius. God used this centurion man to break Peter’s mindset. Before, he met Cornelius, he treated the Gentiles as unclean and unholy. But God taught him how to respect and accept others especially those believers who came from different nations. He realized that God accepts those who fear him and does what is right regardless of their ethnicity or different backgrounds. Sometimes,…
