Acts 3-5 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence [face] of the Lord” (Acts 3:19 RSV). by Jeff Earl In one of the most beautiful and compelling accounts in Acts, the apostles, Peter and John went to the Temple in the ninth hour (3 PM), the hour of prayer. Every day, a man who was lame from birth was carried to the gate of the Temple, where he […]
Acts 6-9 “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalemgreatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). by Joseph Ledwinka In the development of God’s precious disciples, change is the undeniable constant. God uses change as a tool to accomplish His sanctifying work. Change in relationships, responsibilities, direction, motivation, behavior, and ultimately change of heart, lead his people, sometimes through adversity, but always toward their sanctification. The thread […]
Acts 10-12 “And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter” (Acts 11:13). by Micah Hess The faithful witnessing and evangelical work of the early church added thousands to the church (Acts 2:41, 4:4, 5:14). But this early success of preaching the gospel also brought intense persecution from Jewish religious leaders, which in turn sent Christians fleeing from Jerusalem. As […]
Religious When the coronavirus forced churches to close their doors and give up Sunday collections, the RomanCatholic Diocese of Charlotte turned to the federal government’s signature small business relief program for more than $8 million. The diocese’s headquarters, churches and schools landed the help even though they had roughly $100 million of their own cash and short-term investments available. Overall, the nation’s nearly 200 dioceses, where bishops and cardinals govern, and other Catholic institutions received at least $3 billion. That makes the […]
Acts 13-15 “Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the fosterbrother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul” (Acts 13:1 RVIC). by Leonard Griehs Saul had been at Antioch for almost a year (Acts 11:26). He was ready. His new faith, received through divine revelation, combined with the holy Spirit, gave him an urgency to proclaim Jesus to the Gentile world. His fellowship […]