The Bible is a story all about God, and every prophet, priest, king, and biblical hero in Scripture ultimately points us to Jesus Christ. However, in one sense, the Bible is also about us; the characters we meet do show us how we should live before God. Abraham’s faith, David’s repentance, and even Christ’s patient […]
Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he promised his followers they would be empowered by the Spirit to be his witnesses. And as the story of Acts begins to unfold, we see this promise coming true in marvelous ways! Yet while we are given several portraits of the joyous life of the early church, soon persecution […]
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 […]
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 […]
Acts 4 recounts the first of many instances of persecution experienced by the followers of Jesus. Here, Peter and John find themselves on trial before the very men who had accused and condemned their Lord. Yet they faithfully bear witness to Jesus, declaring that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no […]
What does the church need for effective witness in the world today? Do we need celebrity pastors to attract ‘seekers’ with inspiring messages? How about awesome worship ‘experiences’ that merely copy the world’s entertainment? Do we need a fresh demonstration of signs and wonders? Or should we keep quiet on the sound doctrine that the […]
The ascension of the risen Lord Jesus and the sending of the Spirit are the two primary events in redemptive history that explain the incredible growth of the Christian church in Acts. However, between them, Luke includes the brief story of how another disciple was chosen to replace Judas as one of the twelve Apostles. While […]
Acts is the second volume of the orderly account written by Luke (Luke 1:1-4). The first volume was his Gospel account, in which he “dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up” (Acts 1:1-2). This implies that Luke’s purpose in Acts is to continue the […]
After two years through the gospel of Luke we come to the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. But this is far from the end of his story. The exaltation of the risen Lord Jesus to the right hand of the Father, and the sending of the promised Holy Spirit, was the catalyst that sparked the […]
