God sees us and cares about the circumstances in which we are living. Peter was in prison for the third time, where he was awaiting trial and almost certain death. He may have been recalling this very moment when years later he wrote, “The Lord watches over everyone who obeys him, and he listens to their prayers. But he opposes everyone who does evil” (I Peter 3:12).
Read More prayer, collaboration with God, participantHerod must have felt invincible. He seems to be in complete control of everything. He welcomes the flattery of those who celebrate him as a god. Herod says what he says in order to impress people. The people of Tyre and Sidon, looking to secure food to satisfy their hungry bellies, prostrate themselves before the tyrant and say whatever they need to say to him in order to gain his favour.
Read More power, getting, spiritual nourishmentThis passage preserves for us the account of the beginning of the great missionary movement that has continued to our day. It is a watershed moment in the book of Acts. Within a matter of years, Paul was able to say, “The good news is spreading all over the world with great success” (Colossians 1:6).
Read More participants, prayer, discipline, God’s will
At Perga their travel companion and helper, John Mark, left them for reasons unexplained. We know that Paul was hurt by his desertion, because later on he and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement about taking John Mark with them on their second missionary journey (Acts 15:37-39).
Read More blessing, vulnerability, brokennessPaul is passionate about the gospel he proclaims. He recognizes human failure, but that is background only. Against that backdrop he shows how the grace of God has been moving through people’s failures to accomplish his purposes. As Paul finished his sermon he restates the major events in the life of Jesus, and rehearses the ways that people responded to him.
Read More freedom, forgiveness, invitation, good newsPaul and Barnabas travelled into the Roman province of Galatia. The church that they start in Iconium is likely among the churches Paul would later address in his letter to the Galatians. They speak so effectively here that significant numbers of people believe their message about Jesus.
Read More choice, rejection, memory, oppositionSometimes the greatest barrier to people hearing the good news of Jesus is not their outright rejection of it. It is rather their fascination or preoccupation with outward expressions of God’s power without grasping the truth of which those acts testify. In Lystra Paul interrupted his sermon in order to recognize a man who was dramatically crippled since birth.
Read More truth, radical change, knowing GodBy the time Paul and his companions reach Derbe, they are remarkably close to his home town of Tarsus. Perhaps he could have stopped in to visit family and then taken a relatively speedy route back to their home base.
Read More short-cuts, (life of) faith, challenge, courageHave you ever felt overwhelmed by life circumstances and wondered, “Why is this happening to me?” Recent events have shocked you. Chronic conditions are not resolved. Stress and tension have pressed in on you. The circumstances of life afford us unparalleled opportunities to trust God.
Read More temptation, wisdom, testing, trialJames knows that the greatest temptations we face are often not those trials on the outside; they are actually the inward enticement we feel to do wrong. If we are not wise outer trials quickly lead to temptations on the inside. We entertain the possibility of satisfying a good thing in a bad way.
Read More sin, death, obedience, choice, bait