Acts 7:1-51 / 35-36 – “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and…
Continue ReadingProverbs 25:14 – Like clouds and wind without rain is one who boasts of gifts never given. “’Good intentions stink,’ that’s what my pastor said” a brother in the Lord told me many moons ago. At first, not being sure of the intent of the statement, I wasn’t sure I agreed with the statement. After all, doesn’t…
Continue ReadingActs 7:1-51 / 17-10 – As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’ 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their…
Continue ReadingActs 7:1-51 / 8b-9 Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of…
Continue ReadingActs 7:1-51 / 6-7 – God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me…
Continue ReadingActs 7:1-51 / 4-5 – “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after…
Continue ReadingActs 6:1-7 – In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order…
Continue ReadingActs 5:40-42 – His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house,…
Continue ReadingActs 5:26-32 – At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. 27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said.…
Continue ReadingActs 5:21b-25 – When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the…
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