Month: September 2024

As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The man replied, how can I, unless someone instructs me? ” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:

“He was lead like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, ” Tell me, was this the prophet Isaiah talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him about the Good News about Jesus.

As they rod along, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News here and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.” (vv. 26-40, NLT)

But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend out time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well-respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following ” Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.

So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too. (vv 1-7, NLT)

The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. But one one else dared to join them, even though all the people had hight regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord – crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evils spirits, and they were all healed.” (vv. 12-16, NLT)

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God. “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in. them – You spoke long ago by the Holy Sprit through our ancestor, David, your servant saying,

‘Why were nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together agains the Lord, against His Messiah?’

“In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, Your holy servant whom You anointed. But everything they did was determined beforehand according to Your will. And now, O Lord, hear their threates and give us, Your servants, great boldness in preaching Your word. Stretch out Your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of Your holy servant, Jesus.”

After this prayer, the meeting place shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.” (vv. 23-3, NLT)

“Friends, I realize that what you and our leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah – that he must suffer these things. Now repent of your sins and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped away. Then the times of refreshment with come with the presence of the Lord, and He will again sent you Jesus, you appointed Messiah. For He must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through His holy prophets. Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully, to everything He tells you.’ Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut of from God’s people.'” (vv. 17-23, NLT)

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity – all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (vv. 42-47, NLT)