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Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.
When God asks you to do something, what is the first thing you do or say?
Ananias answered God immediately he was called, but his answer to God’s command was to question Him!
How often do you question what God says to you? How often do you blindly go forward and do stuff?
If you are not willing to stop and think about what it is God is asking you to do, you may end up doing things for others without realising it and walking away from God!
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Acts 9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Both Saul and the people around him heard the voice of God; now all were afraid of what was going to happen.
This is no small thing happening here – but because of Saul and his stubbornness, everyone around him had to go through this ordeal at the time!
Don’t carry on doing your own thing in front of God because you too may face something which will stop you from wanting to eat or drink for a few days!
God is real. God is powerful. Don’t doubt Him!
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Acts 9:4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Saul was a man of God. What he did not do was make the connection between Christ and God because he was too tied up in carrying out the punishment for breaking the rules.
These were no longer the rules God laid out but a perversion of those commands given to Moses to suit mankind, or at least the Jews.
Don’t wait for God to have to shout at you! Stop and meditate on God’s Word and see how much Christ has done for you already!
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Acts 9:1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
Do you know anyone who is so violently against the church? I have known a few people who have been verbally abusive and aggressive toward the church, but not going out of their way to persecute the church!
Even when faced with threats like these, the disciples continued to preach the gospel – admittedly not in front of Saul because that would have been a bit silly.
God was the One who was watching and waiting for Saul; waiting for the right moment to touch his heart.
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Acts 8:37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
When the Ethiopian showed Philip he wanted to learn more about Christ, Philip was more than willing to help out.
When the Ethiopian showed him he was willing to stand by his belief in Christ and wanted to show it to be true, Philip was more than willing to Baptize him as well.
Our baptism is an outward sign of our inward beliefs; if we want others to see we believe in Christ, what better way to show them!
Don’t just trust Christ but show others you trust Him.
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Acts 8:30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
Philip continued to listen to God and went wherever He called him to; something we should aspire to do in our lives.
So when The Holy Spirit encouraged him to go alongside the chariot, he obeyed. What he found was a very important person riding along trying to read the book of Isaiah.
We need people in our lives who will help us to understand God’s Word, just as we should be willing to help others understand what we have learned.
Listen to God, obey Him and He will guide you where you are needed!
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Acts 8:24 Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”
This Simon we are talking about here was a sorcerer who was very good at his job; he was able to do things which were not coming from God.
When he heard the Gospel, he too believed it… but his heart stopped him from receiving the Holy Spirit.
Too often we stick to things in our lives which prevent us from living fully with and for God. We hold on to earthly ways and prevent God from working as He should be able to.
Allow God full control and trust in Him totally!
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Acts 8:16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Philip was going through Samaria telling people about Jesus and encouraging them to give their lives to Christ. He was baptizing them in the name of Jesus too.
But the Holy Spirit had not come upon them yet. They knew the word and they followed the teachings, but they knew they were missing something.
It was only when Peter and John also went to them and laid hands on them, praying for the Holy Spirit to come, that He did come into their lives.
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Acts 8:8 And there was great joy in that city.
Have you stopped to think about what happens when you tell others about Christ? Have you stopped to think what a difference you can make?
If you are looking for encouragement to go out and tell people about Christ, then start reading the book of Acts!
The more the Apostles were able to tell others about the Gospel, the more the people would become encouraged and filled with joy!
If you want to make someone truly happy, then allow them to see the same truth about Christ you have grown to know and love!
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Acts 8:4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
Did the acts of Saul stop the Christians from going out and telling others about Christ? Did he manage to stop Christianity from spreading?
No! The Christians were spread further apart because of the persecution, but they continued to tell others the Gospel.
In fact, you could say Saul was helping them in one way; the Gospel was going out further than it would if people were comfortable in their areas!
God may allow you to get uncomfortable so His Word can get out more!
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Acts 8:3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
Here is a man who is doing everything he can to get Christians put into prison. Why? Because it was against the laws he was trying to impose on people.
Which laws? You may ask… People had got so tied up with laws man had created they were actually fighting against God!
We do tend to get so tied up with ourselves and our own ways that we turn away from God as well.
Don’t let the world wear you down; hold fast to God and His ways!
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Acts 7:49 ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest?
How big is God? A simple question which we cannot answer when we understand part of God, but one a young child may be delighted to try and explain.
There is no limit for God which He cannot extend or surpass. There is nothing too small or too big for Him.
We may struggle to imagine just how fantastic the temple Solomon built for God actually was, but still that was not enough for God.
Don’t try to limit God – you cannot!
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Acts 7:41 And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
When you don’t hear God speaking to you, what do you do? Do you run off to try and make something which makes sense to you, or do you wait?
Sometimes in our lives we have to wait beyond our comfort zones; God is not constrained by the same time limits we are…
Trusting God means going out further than we are comfortable with, going out into deeper waters, going out where He says!
Don’t get carried away with your own thoughts, do what God has said has to be done.
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Acts 7:25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.
Moses had been kept safe through all the dangers faced by his family because God wanted him to be kept safe!
When God purposes something in your own life, you can bet you will see it come about one way or another!
Trying to run the other direction like Jonah is not going to help anyone; trusting God and obeying Him gives others the chance of seeing God in action!
Live with God. Live for God.
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Acts 6:11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
One of the things we face as we spread more of the gospel is people making up stories about us!
I count myself lucky I have been able to confront most of the people who talk about me and settle the bad words said about me; but what happens when people in authority say things about you?
If the world were as it should be, people in authority would demonstrate justice and holiness; they would not talk about us behind our backs.
Be holy. Follow God. Obey God. He can sort out the mess we cannot!
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Acts 6:2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
What has God given you to do with your life? Has He given you the position of preacher or teacher? Has He given you the position of carer or advocate?
Each of us has gifts we can use for God and He tries to steer us toward using those gifts effectively for His glory.
It is not right that we should give us using those gifts just so we can do more stuff for Him which society and community shout for!
Listen to God and not peer pressure!
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Acts 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
And now that we know this is the truth as we read it, not just because it has been going for thousands of years but rather because we have studied it and found it not wanting; what are we to do?
We are to do exactly as the disciples did: take the Bible, God’s Word, and share it with people as far and wide as we can.
Christ’s words to the disciples were to go out and spread the gospel. His example to us was to spread the gospel. Their example to us was to spread the gospel.
Isn’t it time we went out and spread the gospel?
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Acts 5:38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing;
Gamaliel was a very wise Pharisee who was watching the acts of the apostles closely. His advice was sound advice.
He told the leaders to leave the apostle alone and if it was not the truth it would all fizzle out; natural selection if you will.
What we see today is how this same Word has continued to be with us and lead us for thousands of years. It has not fizzled out because it is the truth!
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Acts 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
When we go forward and do things for Christ we should be careful not to get carried away and do things for ourselves.
Many times we like to stretch the truth in our own stories; we should not be doing so for God. Our God is holy and just meaning He does not do things wrong and He upholds His rules!
Just because people do not like us doing things for God should not stop us from doing so: Stand Up! Stand Up! For Jesus!
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Acts 5:25 So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!”
How willing are you to totally trust Christ for everything every day? We should all be totally committed to trusting Christ just as these disciples were.
Even when they were locked away in prison, God got them out so they would continue their work.
When we are given a commission we need to follow God’s lead and do what He says – He will be there every step of the way!