Acts 9 " Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus.. " 

Damascus claims to be the oldest capital city in the world.  It has existed for around 5000 years.  It is now the capital of Syria, home to over 2 million people.  Over the years Damascus was ruled by many different nations and religions.  One of the oldest mosques was at one time a church named for John the Baptist.  Two of the main trade highways went through Damascus in Paul's day.  It was an important center of the Middle East. There were many Jews that moved to Damascus during the Roman occupation of Israel, establishing synagogues throughout the area.  Paul was motivated to make sure that Christianity was not moving into this major city.. 

But.. we know that Paul was actually being moved.. not by his own indignation.. but by the Spirit of God. Paul had.. unknowingly.. traveled to a personal encounter with the Living Lord on that road to Damascus. 

It began with a flash of light from heaven that knocked him to the ground.  Then he heart the voice, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"  His answer  reveals the beginning of Saul's transformation by the power of God's grace.. "Who art Thou, Lord?"   There was no doubt in Saul's mind at that point that he was in the Presence of Someone so great that He should be called "Lord".   The Lord answered Saul, " I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.. " 

The men around Saul were speechless... but Saul was blinded. He had to be led by the hand into the city of Damascus. For three days Saul fasted.. blind and overwhelmed...he prayed.  On the third day the Lord directed a reluctant Ananias to go to Saul and lay his hands on him. The Lord told Ananias that Saul was His "chosen instrument.. to bear [His] Name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel." 

Saul received his sight.. was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. Only then did he eat some food and was "strengthened".  From persecutor to believer.. look what one encounter with the Living Lord can do!

Father in heaven, You are great and mighty.. able to change the hardest hearts.. You alone can transform lives!  Thank You for loving us so much that we can come to You... because You choose us to be Your own. We are overwhelmed by Your grace and patience and kindness.. knowing that we are nothing.. helpless to save ourselves.. fully and utterly dependent on Your Spirit to bring us into Your Presence.. whether on a road.. or in a church.. we thank You for calling us by name and revealing our sins.. and forgiving us our trespasses.May we glorify Your name in all we do today, Lord, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Acts 8:25-40 It seems that Philip traveled back towards Jerusalem with Peter and John, but somewhere along the way an angel spoke to him, telling him to take the desert road to Gaza.  Gaza was located south west of Jerusalem, towards the Mediterranean Sea.  The Lord led Philip to meet an Ethiopian court official along the road.  This man worked directly for the queen of Ethiopia called Candace.  He was in charge of all of the queen's treasure, and "he had come to Jerusalem to worship." 

The man had procured a copy of the scroll of Isaiah and was reading it aloud as he traveled by carriage or chariot along the road.  The Holy Spirit told Philip to catch up to the carriage and so he ran along the road and heard the man reading.  He asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 

Well it just so happened that he was reading Isaiah 53  which is the Messianic prophecy about Jesus being "led as a sheep to slaughter".  The man wondered if this was Isaiah talking about himself or someone else and Philip "preached Jesus to him."  Whatever scriptures Philip used we are not told.. how long they talked we do not know.. but it was enough that the man ordered the chariot to stop when they came across some water and he asked to be baptized!

Philip spoke again " If you believe with all your heart, you may" The man testified clearly, " I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."  Then Philip baptized him right then and there!  The man went his way rejoicing.. but Philip was swept away by the Spirit and found himself in another town, Azotus ( Ashdod) miles away.   

Philip just kept walking north along the sea, stopping at city after city "preaching the gospel".  He ended up in Caesarea. Caesarea was an important city because it was the place that Herod the Great had built.  It had a great harbor where Paul would sail from and it was the place of his trial before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. The city had a majority of Greek citizens. 

It appears that Philip established a church there in Caesarea.. In Acts 21:8 we are told that Paul and his team stayed with Philip on his way to Jerusalem.  Philip had "four virgin daughters who were prophetesses".  It was at that time that Agabus, another prophet from Judea, came and took Paul's belt and tied up his own feet and hands to demonstrate what was going to happen when Paul went to Jerusalem.  The church wept for Paul and begged him not to go.. but Paul knew that he had to anyway.  There were disciples from this church that accompanied Paul to Jerusalem. Some of these may have been the Greeks that were seen with Paul and thought to have been brought into the temple.. leading to Paul's arrest. 

Father in heaven,  thank You for men like Philip and Paul and others who preached Jesus!  May godly men and women, filled by Your Spirit, moved by Your Spirit, and even swept away by Your Spirit.. continue to preach Jesus wherever they go!  Fill us today, that we might hear Your voice and find those who You are sending us to.. and tell them about Jesus Christ.  Bless Your servants today Lord God. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

 Acts 8:4-24  Philip was one of the 7 men chosen to serve in the church, but when the church was scattered because of the persecution in Jerusalem, Philip went to Samaria.  He began preaching and "proclaiming Christ".  He also performed many signs and wonders, casting out unclean spirits and healing those in need.  The whole city was rejoicing because of what God was doing among them. 

One man in particular came to Philip to be baptized.  Simon was a magician. He gathered a lot of followers and enjoyed the attention he received for his magic. The people called him great.. like a god..   But, when he saw the miracles that Philip was doing, he was amazed and wanted to follow along. 

When Peter and John came to Samaria after hearing what the Lord was doing there, they began laying hands on the believers so that they could receive the Holy Spirit.  Here is where Simon's heart was revealed to the apostles... for he wanted the power to also lay hands on people to give them the Holy Spirit and he was willing to pay for that authority...  Immediately Peter rebuked him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God." 

Peter said that Simon's heart was full of bitterness and he was a slave of iniquity. He told Simon to repent and to "pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you."  Simon, in return, asked them to pray for him themselves.. 

Did Simon repent? Did he find true forgiveness?  Did he receive the Holy Spirit? We are not told.  Hopefully he humbled himself before the Lord and found salvation and freedom from the strongholds that Satan had trapped him in. 

Father in heaven, there are many people who claim to believe in Christ Jesus and may even be baptized.. but their hearts are still not right before You.  We need You, Holy Spirit, to examine all of our  hearts and bring us to full repentance and forgiveness in Jesus.. Set us free from every sin and stronghold that may keep us from having a right heart before You. Keep us, Lord, in the shelter of Your love and grace. Bring us into the fullness of Your Presence to the glory of Your Name we pray. Amen.

 Acts 8:1-3  "And Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death." Saul was a "young man" at the time of Stephen's death. He did not participate in the actual stoning.. but he was there, looking on with approval. It inspired in him a spirit of anger... and he "began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison." No wonder the church scattered.. leaving Jerusalem, where a "great persecution arose against the church." Saul was in the center of that great persecution.

These verses in Acts 8 introduce us to Saul.. at his worst. He testified about this himself.. 

Acts 22:4  "And I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prison."

Acts 26:9-11 "So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities." 

Paul wrote to Timothy about this also, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor... " In I Timothy 1:15 he wrote, "It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all." 

Saul/Paul never tried to deny his former life.. he never forgot the evil things that he had done. But.. he knew the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ who became his Savior and Lord.. It is Jesus who made him a new creation.. who gave him a new Spirit.. who completely changed his life and calling. 

Saul had listened to the words of Stephen and had watched him die. He only felt anger and hatred for those who believed. Yet, God chose to call him into a intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.. filling him with the Holy Spirit.. and using him to preach the Gospel.. and to die for the Name that is above all names...only God could change a man so drastically and perfectly. Hallelujah! What a Savior! 

Father in heaven, we are thankful that You sent Jesus Christ into this world to save sinners. You see every heart and know every one of us.. You alone can make us a new creation through faith in Jesus Christ. Fill us, Holy Spirit, that we might be Your ambassadors, telling others how You changed our lives.. removing us from being slaves to the dominion of darkness.. and making us citizens of the Kingdom of Light. All praise to You, God our Father, and to Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.

 Acts 6-7  The 12 apostles told the people to select 7 godly men to take charge of the things that might cause them to "neglect" the Word or their times of prayer.  They were all selected as men of "good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom".  Out of those 7 we find out more about Stephen.  

 Stephen is described further as a "man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit". (v5).. and also "full of grace and power"(v8).  He performed "great wonders and signs among the people."  And, he spoke with wisdom.. filled with the Spirit. (v10)

Because of Stephen's preaching he became a target of the Council.  They brought in false witnesses and accused him of blasphemy. Still, Stephen stood before them.. with a face "like the face of an angel." 

Stephen preached a powerful message outlining the history of the Jewish nation from Abraham to Jesus. He showed how time after time the people of God failed to obey God's word.. failed to worship the One True God.. failed to recognize the Messiah that had come in answer to their own prayers. 

And still.... they would not repent.. but became so angry that they stoned Stephen to death. 

Stephen saw Jesus.. standing at the right hand of God.  His last words were "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" and "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" 

Father in heaven, may we be full of Your Spirit, full of grace, full of power, and full of faith.  May we be made ready for the day when we stand before Your throne.. our spirits received by Jesus Christ our Lord. Will You do Your supernatural work in us that we might will and do what pleases You.  In the Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Acts 5: 12-42   God was at work in the apostles.. using them to present signs and wonders among the people.  They met in public at that time, in Solomon's portico, the same place that Jesus had preached a time or two. They were teaching about Jesus.. boldly proclaiming Him as both Lord and Christ, the Messiah; the "Prince and a Savior to grant repentance to Israel; and forgiveness of sins." 

The power of the Name of Jesus and the Presence of the Holy Spirit brought many people to faith... "multitudes of men and women were constantly added to their number."  God was at work in Peter.  He was so filled with the Spirit that people laid those that were sick on the streets so that his shadow would fall on them.  People came from everywhere to find healing and deliverance. And, of course, the Sadducees were filled with rage and "jealousy". 

The apostles were once again arrested. "But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the gate of the prison" and took them out.  He told them to go back to the temple and preach the "whole message of this Life."  So they did. 

It is almost comical. The High priest and his gang called for a meeting of the whole Council.  Then they called for the apostles to be brought out.  The officers went to the prison. The guards were standing guard. The doors were locked.  But, the jail was empty.  Nobody knew what had happened!  Then the report came in.. the apostles were back at the temple.. teaching!  Again, they were brought in.. again they were commanded to not speak in the Name of Jesus.. and again, they spoke boldly "We must obey God rather than man."

The council had the nerve to accuse the apostles of intending "to bring this man's blood upon us.."  They were the same ones who had said, " His blood be on us and on our children!" ( Matthew 27:25)  

Peter spoke powerfully before them, " The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.  He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."   They were guilty... but God was still in control! He still offered forgiveness to those who would repent and obey Him fully. 

Verse 33 says that they were "cut to the quick"..  but instead of repentance.. they were ready to kill the apostles.  One man, Gamaliel, stood up and addressed the Council.  He spoke with wisdom.  The Council needed to consider carefully what they would do next.  If this movement was not of God.. it would "come to nothing...... but if it is of God you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God." 

They listened to Gamaliel. They flogged the apostles and sent them home, telling them again to stop teaching about Jesus.  "And every day, in the  temple and from house to house they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." 

Father in heaven, all these years later, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is still being preached.  Let the power of the Holy Spirit fall on like those days. Let Your church stand up and speak up no matter who demands us to stop.  We must obey You and not man.  Help us to always be witnesses of the Truth.. that Jesus came, that He died to pay the price of sin for all of mankind..  that He rose again...  and that those who will believe in His Name and call upon Him will be saved and given the gift of Your Spirit. We give praise to the Lord Jesus, our Risen Savior at the right hand of our God!  Praise to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit . Amen

 Acts 5 Verses 1-11 tell the story of Ananias and Sapphira, the couple who sold some land and gave a portion to the apostles.  The problem was.. they lied about it.  They seemed to have claimed to give the whole amount that they received for the property, but  really it was just a "portion" of it.  The problem, as Peter explained, was not how much they gave or didn't give.. the problem was that the two of them together deliberately decided to  lie about it... 

Peter understood that Satan had "filled" their hearts.. to lie to the Holy Spirit.  They had allowed the spirit of deception.. the father of lies.. to lead them in this interaction with the Church of Christ.. to lie to the Spirit of Truth! 

Because of their actions both Ananias and Sapphira died.. separately.. on the very same day. "And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things." (v11) 

God was at work bringing men and women into His kingdom.  He used the apostles to do "signs and wonders".  But.. He also used this situation with Ananias and Sapphira to bring to light the Truth.  Coming to believe in Jesus Christ; living in the Spirit of the Lord; becoming part of God's church and kingdom.. is a sacred covenant with the Holy, Almighty God of heaven and earth.  Only by His great mercy and grace are we saved.. only by His great power and love are we forgiven and sanctified.  Had Ananias and Sapphira repented and spoken the truth.. they would have been forgiven.  But, they did not.  Satan tried to use them to bring disunity into the church.. and the Lord stopped that without hesitation. 

Unfortunately, it happened again soon enough.  Even worse, it still happens now. 

Father in heaven, You are our Holy and Perfect God, and we are Your humble servants .  We need Your Spirit to fall fresh on us.. day by day and hour by hour.. so that we might walk in Truth and live in obedience to Your Holy Word.  Help us we pray.  Jesus has overcome the enemy and by His holy Name we ask for cleansing and wholeness in Your Church. Break down the gates of the enemy. Lead us in righteousness and deliver us from  the lies and deception of the enemy we pray.. in Jesus' name. Amen.