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SENT BY GOD Today we come to a new season and direction of the early Church. From chapter 13 to the end of the book of Acts, we see the launching of the ministry of Apostle Paul and the spread of the gospel to mostly Gentile world. This is also where we see Saul being referred to Paul for the first time (Acts 13:9). It was not so much of a name change but a new focus. We will also see a shift from Jerusalem to the city of Antioch which will now be the new missionary base to reach the Gentiles. Many ministries abound today. Sometimes you begin to wonder who sent some of them. In our age, it has been highlighted by the TV and internet. The “TV evangelist” has become something of ridicule. The early church did not have this reputation and the ministers were ordained and sent by the Holy Spirit of God. Paul and Barnabas were sent by God. Has God sent you and me and to whom? They will also deal with false prophets and deceivers along the way and we must do the same. Acts 13: 1-12 1In t...

God Why James? We are introduced today to King Herod, another enemy of God and of the Church. Remember that there was a King Herod (the great) who had ordered the killing of all boys two years and under so that he could kill the baby Jesus (Matthew 2). There was also another Herod who ordered the killing of John the Baptist and had his head brought to him in a platter (Matthew 14). Herod of Acts 12 is the grandson of Herod the great and cousin of the Herod who had killed John the Baptist. I guess for the fun of it, he decides to kill Apostle James, the brother of Apostle John and then goes on to arrest other Christians including Peter. Herod’s intent was to kill off the Church leaders and stop the spread of the Gospel. Did he really accomplish that? In the midst of this great persecution and killing of Apostle James, God was doing incredible things in the early Church times. Things that you read and say, “I must be dreaming”. Today, we come across another miracle of God designed in...

The First “Christians” @ Antioch The Church is spreading by the “Acts of the Holy Spirit”. In fact the proper reference to the book of Acts should be “Acts of the Holy Spirit” and not “Acts of the Apostles”. The Apostles were instruments who listened, obeyed and cooperated with the Holy Spirit of God. Last we saw Peter being instructed by the Holy Spirit to go to the Gentiles, the house of Cornelius and a new Church community was born in Caesarea. Peter’s obedience met opposition from Jewish believers in Jerusalem. 2”So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them." Acts 11:2 Peter had to explain what happened and “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." Acts11:18. The ministry to the Gentiles will continue at Antioch by the power of the Holy Spirit and we ...

The First Gentile Church God is on the move to accomplish all that he destined to do to save men and women from our sins. The promise of the Father which is the thesis of the Book of Acts is being fulfilled on a day basis. Let’s remind ourselves of this promise of God to live in us. 17" 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” Acts 2:17-18. We have seen this promise fulfilled among the Jews in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. We also learned about the baptism of the Ethiopian who was going to take the gospel to Africa. Now God is going to open the door to the rest of the Gentile world through the ministry of Apostle Peter. We will see later that the ministry to the Gentiles would be spearheaded by Apostle Paul while Peter focuses on the Jew...

What about Dorcas? Last week we studied about the miracle of new life that God gave to Saul (known to us as Apostle Paul). Only God has the power to grant for all life both physical and spiritual. Saul the murderer has been transformed by the power of God. We learned of Paul that “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, ‘Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?” Acts 9:20-21. Saul (Paul) will suffer as Jesus predicted and “the Jews conspired to kill him.” Vs.25. Today, we learn of another miracle of life for the purpose of prospering the spread of the good news of Jesus. Everything God does have a purpose. Dorcas, a believer in Jesus was sick and died and has been raised from the dead through the ministry of Apostle Peter. God can use us while alive and while physically dead to prosper the Gospel. Dorcas was a case in point. Acts 9:36-43 36In Joppa there was a...

Anything Is Possible – Saul’s Conversion The Guinness World Record is the documentation of the things people have been able to do that normally seem impossible or no one else have done before. There is no better record of impossible things becoming possible than the Bible. With the documented proofs of miracles and signs and wonders, what else could we ask for? In Acts 9, we come to one of those wonders of the world. Saul, the persecutor and harasser of believers in Christ is now a believer. This type of miracle is clear evidence that the Holy Spirit is in-charge and has been establishing the Church with little assistance from man’s intervention. Welcome to an incredible and amazing story of Saul’s (who was also called Paul, Acts 13:9) conversion. There is HOPE for everyone. Acts 9: 1-19: 1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he foun...

The Gospel to Africa Most companies hire consultants to come up with business plans on how to strategize and grow the company. Various goals and objectives are set with timelines on when to accomplish them. This is good business practice especially when the plans are followed and implemented. When it comes to the CHURCH Inc.; though not a corporation but a worldwide family of God, Jesus left us with His strategic plan. It all goes back to Acts 1: 8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. So far in Acts (1-8), we have seen this Master Plan implemented by the Holy Spirit through the apostles and disciples. The Church had been born in Jerusalem; persecution has spread it into Judea and Samaria. Now, the Holy Spirit is on the course to carrying the GOOD NEWS of salvation to the Africans (one of the ends of the earth). This is an exciting journey es...