Scripture: Acts 28: 26-27

Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Scripture Commentary: Do you hear God when He is talking to you?

… Or are you hearing your inner voice?  God is talking to us every day through His Word. If you are so preoccupied with yourself that you can’t hear him, you are lost.

Paul was trying to tell the people about Jesus.

Some of the people heard and some did not, just as today some will listen and learn about Our Lord Jesus Christ and some will not.  The choice is yours.

In Paul’s time the people had to wait for someone to bring the news.  We have the new!  We can look back and see what happened.  Also, we have The Holy Bible to tell us the Good News.

God is telling us how to follow Him.  He also gives us a blueprint for how to treat our fellow man.  God loves us so much. He gave His only begotten Son to show us the way.

Can you hear God talking to you?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Acts Chapter 28

Scripture: Acts 10: 34-35

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Scripture Commentary: Always strive to do what is right in God’s eyes.

This chapter in the Book of Acts tells us about Peter doing what is right by carrying the Word of God not only to the Gentiles but also to the world.  God sent Peter to tell Cornelius about Christ because Cornelius was seeking God but he did not know Christ.

We are God’s Messengers.

God saw the good in Cornelius.  In his position, he would carry the Word to Rome.  What would happen to people who don’t know Jesus Christ if we don’t tell them?  We aren’t to judge if people should know about Jesus.  We are to spread His message whenever and wherever we can.

God told Peter to take the gospel to a Roman and Peter obeyed.  Are you obeying God’s mission for you?  In every corner of the world there are hearts restless for God’s Word.  They are ready to receive the gospel but someone must take it to them.

Seeking God is not enough.  Someone must help place people on the correct path.

We are to take down all barriers of language, culture, prejudice, geography, socioeconomic level, and education to bring people the good news of Jesus Christ.

How will seekers find Jesus without someone to point the way?  God is asking you to show someone the way to him.

Read the Entire Chapter
Acts Chapter 10

Scripture:  Acts 9: 1-4

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Scripture Commentary: Saul set out to persecute but then he met the risen Christ.

Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute anyone who followed Jesus Christ.  But on the way he was confronted by the risen Jesus Christ and was brought face-to-face with the true God.

As you travel your road to Damascus, you too will come face-to-face with God.  And when you do and he stops you, will you take the time to listen to him?

Jesus comes to everyone to show them the way.

Sometimes God breaks into a person’s life in a spectacular manner, and sometimes it is a quiet experience.  But as with Saul, God comes into your life to show you how to live, work, and love.

And like Saul, when that time comes you must acknowledge Jesus as Lord, confess your sins, surrender your life, and resolve to obey him.  True conversion comes from a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.  It leads to a new life relationship with him.

What road are you on?

And are you hearing what God is saying to you?  Or are you just hearing yourself?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Acts Chapter 9

Scripture: Acts 2: 20-21

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

Scripture Commentary: We can call on the name of the Lord at any time, and during any situation.

To call on the name of the Lord when we are in need, and living a Christian life can be two different things. When you ask for forgiveness, for salvation, do you change your ways? Do you avoid repeating the behavior that you needed the Lord to save you from?  Often times we do not.

We go through life making mistakes but God forgives.

We ask for God’s forgiveness and go on living our lives, not the life God planned for us. We go through life making mistakes. At times we may think God has not forgiven us.

He doesn’t just forgive our first folly; he forgives again and again and again. He promises to forgive us if we are willing to give ourselves over to him and what he wants for us.

Peter was an unstable disciple during Jesus’ ministry. He let his bravado be his downfall, and he went as far as denying Jesus. Jesus forgave and restored him. In the end, Peter became powerful and dynamic. He spread the Gospel.

God will always forgive you.

There is always a place for you in his house as long as you are willing to walk in.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Acts Chapter 2

Scripture: Acts 8: 9,13,18

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Sa-ma’-ri-a, giving out that himself was some great one: (9)  Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.(13)   And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money.(18)

Scripture Commentary: Money won’t get you into heaven

In our world, everything has a price. We live in a world of wealth, of bribes, and of materialism. Simon thought he could buy the Holy Spirit’s power with money. Peter harshly rebuked him. The only way to receive God’s power is to do what Peter told Simon to do; turn from sin, ask God for forgiveness, and fill up with his Spirit. God gives the Holy Spirit in return for you giving yourself to him.

You can’t put a price on God

Can you calculate the price value of our Lord Jesus Christ? “O Lord, if you get me out of this mess, I will be good,” or “If you help me hit the lottery, I will do what you will have me to do.” Do these phrases sound familiar? Do you have a price for your service to God?

Do not put a price on giving yourself to God. God wants you to serve him out of your faith. No amount of money can buy salvation and forgiveness. None can buy God’s love. Give yourself to our Lord Jesus Christ. He will show you the way to salvation.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Acts Chapter 8

Scripture: Acts 8:18-22

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,  Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.  But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.  Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Commentary: The Savior is God’s gift to us

As with Simon, are you not right with God? Are you praying for things and living a life focused on yourself? When people see others doing well in their lives, they wish the same for themselves.

We want without having to do anything for it. Simon was willing to pay for something he had already had. We have the Holy Spirit in us. We have to pray and study God’s Word. When we live the life God has for us, we will receive the Holy Spirit for it is a gift from God to us.

As Peter told Simon, money and earthly possessions will perish, but our Lord Jesus Christ is forever. This is the gift we have if we repent and believe in Christ as our Savior.

Learn a lesson from Simon and do what Peter told him. Pray to the Lord and live the life God intended for you. When you live for Jesus Christ, you begin to truly live.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Acts Chapter 8

Scripture: Acts 2: 38-40

Then Peter said unto them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, “Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”

Scripture Commentary:

Peter said repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.  He will pardon our sins so that we can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

If we do not ask God to forgive us, how can we do the work for him? God knows our weaknesses. He is willing to forgive. If we go to Jesus, ask for forgiveness and repent, He will remove the yoke that we have been carrying.

We must turn to Christ and depend on him for forgiveness, mercy, guidance, and purpose. We cannot save ourselves, only God can save us. When we are baptized we identify ourselves with Christ.  We become part of a community of believers. We are saying, “I am a child of God. He is my Lord and Savior.

Go into the world and tell your story of how God has worked in your life.  He is using you to build up His church.

Read the Entire Chapter
Acts Chapter 2