The world tells us that the good life is to be found in financial security, physical fitness, beauty, sex, loving relationships (however we define them), and other comforts. To be sure, these things can bring us happiness. Yet many of us know that such happiness is fleeting. True satisfaction is always one job, drink, or […]
Throughout the Bible, God often gave his rebellious people powerful reminders of his holiness through judgment. For instance, after Aaron and his sons were set apart as priests, Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire and were consumed. Why? The word of the Lord after their death says it all: “Among those who are near me […]
The Psalmist declares: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). Yet one of the staggering truths of Scripture is that our sovereign God is pleased to unfold his unchanging plans through prayer; the Almighty has purposed to act in response to the prayers of his people. And we […]
As Christians, we love to hear inspiring stories of believers who lived boldly for the cause of Christ. We are deeply moved by the passionate witness of missionaries, evangelists, and martyrs. But what about us? Can we be so bold? Can we be like Peter and John, who stood before the Jewish council that crucified […]
Who are the people of God today? Who can say, “The Lord is our God and we are his people”? Scripture declares that, after the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, God graciously chose a people for himself out of all the nations of the world to be his treasured possession, obeying his […]
In Acts, the power to heal was given by the risen Lord Jesus to his apostles to lay the foundation of the church (Acts 2:43; Eph. 2:20). These miracles were redemptive signs that accompanied the preaching of the gospel and validated their message. And like all signs, they pointed to something else; they pointed to […]
The greater the authority rebelled against, the greater the punishment. To strike your brother is one thing, but to strike a police officer is another. But consider the consequences of rebelling against the Creator of heaven and earth, the infinitely holy and terribly just God. Every sin we commit is a direct assault on his […]
Having just mentioned the prayers, the signs of the apostles, and the church’s gatherings in the temple (Acts 2:42-47), Luke then focuses on a specific event concerning one sign, two apostles, a time of prayer at the temple, and a lame beggar. But why tell this story? First, this sets the stage for the next […]
One of the most convincing proofs that the risen Lord Jesus had poured out the promised Holy Spirit can be seen in the events following Peter’s sermon on Pentecost. Luke not only records that those who received Peter’s words were baptized were added to the church (v.41), but he also gives a comprehensive portrait of […]
