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Acts 8:1-9:43<\/strong><\/span> Wow.\u00a0 Acts chapter 8 verses 18 & 19 should be a warning to each of us to not lose sight of where spiritual power truly comes from \u2013 \u201cWhen Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people\u2019s heads, he offered money to buy this power. \u201cLet me have this power, too,\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cso that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!\u201d\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Scary stuff\u2026\u00a0 but I have a hunch this type of thing still happens today.\u00a0 People want to \u201cbuy\u201d faith or buy spiritual power.\u00a0 God ain\u2019t selling it.\u00a0 It\u2019s a free gift.\u00a0 Salvation is free.\u00a0 It ain\u2019t for sale.\u00a0 I pray that each of us realizes that our faith in Jesus is a free gift.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t buy it.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t earn it.\u00a0 And we most definitely should not exploit our free gift of faith in any way for $.\u00a0 That is scary to consider.\u00a0 And if we are blessed with what appears to be spiritual power in any way, I pray we realize that this power comes only from God, and not from ourselves.\u00a0 And if we ever happen to think that spiritual power comes from ourselves, then I am sure we will quickly learn the maxim \u2013 \u201cThe Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.\u201d\u00a0 Spiritual power goes bankrupt quick if we ever try to claim it as our own\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Today in Acts chapter 8 we read about Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch. In verses 34 and 35, just after the eunuch has finished reading verses in Isaiah 53 about Jesus, we will read \u2013 \u201cThe eunuch asked Phillip, \u201cTell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else? Then Phillip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>I wonder about this in our lives today \u2013 do you think there are people that you know who are trying to understand who God is and what God is saying, just like this eunuch was trying to understand? Are there people in your life who may be seeking God and Jesus? If so, will you be like Phillip was for this eunuch for these people in your life? Will you begin with wherever these people are (\u201cthat very passage\u201d), even if they are very far from God, and begin to share with them the good news about Jesus? Yes, this story about the Ethiopian eunuch is a very quick conversion story. Not all of our stories of having conversations with others seeking God will turn out like this. In fact, I\u2019d venture to say that many will take many months and maybe even several years. But, even if it takes a lifetime of conversations with someone about the good news of Jesus, isn\u2019t it worth it? Who in your life is God calling you to share the good news about Jesus with? Will you begin those conversations now? And, perhaps most importantly, will you begin praying for those that God has placed in your life \u2013 praying that they will come to understand who God truly is?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Bible.org\u2019s commentary on today\u2019s Acts readings titled \u201cSimon and Simon\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span> and commentary titled \u201cThe Ethiopian Eunuch\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Big readings today!\u00a0 Saul is converted to Christianity by Jesus himself!\u00a0 I think this is the most powerful conversion story in all of the Bible!\u00a0 Below is the phenomenal painting \u201cThe Conversion (of Saul) on the Way to Damascus\u201d by the Italian Baroque Era painter Caravaggio, circa 1600:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n As I was reading Acts chapter 9 today, I thought more about Ananias than I have before.\u00a0 Can you imagine being Ananias and being asked to go find Saul of Tarsus?\u00a0 Ananias demonstrated amazing faith in today\u2019s readings.\u00a0 \u00a0God\u2019s words to Ananias about Saul in verses 15 & 16 are powerful \u2013 and as we now know, so very true: \u201cBut the Lord said, \u201cGo and do what I say. For Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for me.\u201d\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Great stuff\u2026\u00a0 In your life, who might God be calling you to go visit \u2013 like he called Ananias to visit?\u00a0 Is there someone who is waiting for you to visit them, lay hands on them, and open up their hearts to receive the Holy Spirit?\u00a0 Will you be Ananias for that person?\u00a0 Below is an image of Saul\/Paul (kneeling) and Ananias from today\u2019s readings:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n Wow.\u00a0 Something about Acts chapter 9 verse 31 really stood out to me as we read about the early church today: \u201cThe believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Read this verse again.\u00a0 Whaddya think?\u00a0 The believers of the early church were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know about you, but I want to walk like that!\u00a0 I love that dichotomy \u2013 that balance \u2013 of walking in fear and comfort.\u00a0 No \u2013 don\u2019t get me wrong \u2013 I\u2019m not talking about a fraidy-cat type of fear.\u00a0 But I am talking about a healthy \/ respectful fear \u2013 I mean, just look at the image above again of the lion and the man of God.\u00a0 I don\u2019t mean to bag on the man of God by any means, but I think it is safe to say that he was walking in the \u201cfear of the Lord\u201d when he shunned Jeroboam\u2019s invite, but then he may have not been walking in the \u201cfear of the Lord\u201d when accepted the old prophet\u2019s lie.\u00a0 And, like the old prophet in today\u2019s Kings readings, do you think that people will lie to you and me today?\u00a0 Will the Enemy, the Destroyer, seek to lie to us?\u00a0 If so, do you think there is value in walking in the \u201cfear of the Lord\u201d today?\u00a0 While \u2013 at the same time walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 There is something about the wisdom of this verse in Acts today that I really really like.\u00a0 This may be one of those verses to really meditate upon.\u00a0 I think there is so much value in this verse for our lives\u2026\u00a0 \u00a0Today \u2013 are you walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Great readings today about Peter healing and raising the dead in Jesus\u2019 name!\u00a0 Verse 40 is amazing: \u201cBut Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, \u201cGet up, Tabitha.\u201d And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up!\u201d <\/em>Below is a fresco of this scene (though Peter is not kneeling and everyone had not left the room\u2026 still some great art! \ud83d\ude42 from the year 1424 by the Italian Renaissance painter Masaccio, which is in the Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video:<\/strong> Philip\u2019s evangelism of the Ethiopian eunuch in today\u2019s readings in Acts reminded me of the Casting Crowns song \u201cDoes Anybody Hear Her\u201d and our call to evangelism of others in our life today:<\/span><\/p>\n
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Bible.org\u2019s commentary on today\u2019s Acts readings titled \u201cThe Conversion of Saul\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n