ACTS

Paul was leaving the next day so he was determined to speak for a long time. Eutychus was sitting on a window ledge - probably the coolest place to sit as the clammy sweatiness of the upstairs room intensified and the heat of the lights took hold. Eutychus fell asleep whilst Paul was talking - everyone's a critic. Eutychus may have heard what he needed to hear - sometimes that 'moment' can happen very early on in a sermon or in a conversation. The lights in the room are an indication that the christians were becoming more brazen and less secretive - they would have ordinarily met quietly and in the dark. The lights in the room would have prevented the people in the room from seeing outside - so unless someone directly saw Eutychus's fall then it would have been someone in the street who raised the alarm. I wonder if there were people in the street who were trying to listen - the lights, the buzz, the people, the rumours. Once Paul had come downstairs and stunned ...

politics and self-interest - it's like history is in a loop

“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent." justice politics belief morals Jesus Corbyn

I continue to pray to the unknown God.

when you are trapped - sing

The fiercest of arguments are those when both parties are right.

In this chapter, Paul gets stoned by a crowd and is dragged out of the city and left for dead. The other disciples gather round his body and he picked himself and walked back into the city. Amazing that in the bible it takes less words than I used. In this chapter, more words are spent chatting about other people getting healed and mundane details about travel. Maybe the conclusion that I should draw is - IT'S NOT ABOUT PAUL Maybe the interpolation of this is - IT'S NOT ABOUT ME

In the book of ACTS, it seems as though there is no gap between Saul's conversion and name-change and the beginning of his preaching and his journey. However, there's a big gap. Over 10 years. He didn't suddenly know his stuff. He must have researched. He must have thought. He must have prayed. He must have listened.

Peter is in jail. James has been killed. Let's pray for Peter. Dear Lord, please keep him safe. Dear Lord, please keep him strong. Dear Lord, please get him released from prison. Amen "Peter's here - he's standing outside" "Don't be stupid" Rhoda was ridiculed for reporting the facts of a miracle. Even though the facts were pretty easy to check. I think I pray for things in faith. Sometimes I pray 'earnestly'. Too often I try to explain away situations that should be deemed 'answers to prayer'. Rhoda was the one who went to the door. If the prayers about Peter were to be answered then the doorway was the best place to stand. I know that was her job but standing at the door should be our job when we have prayed. PRAY IN EXPECTATION THEN STAND BY THE DOOR

The first converts to be called Christians were from Antioch - that is all.

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean .”

Not everyone that walks into the back of church will turn into Paul. Not everyone that walks into the back of church spells trouble. But without Barnabas, the worrying stories about Saul would have got in the way of him fully becoming Paul. who am I supposed to be Barnabas for?

Stephen's death prompted a period of persecution for the early church. This in turn prompted Christians to move out into other regions. Growth from despair.

I can't help thinking that Stephen was trying to get himself stoned.

The Sanhedrin get called to pass judgement on 'false' prophets with astounding regularity in the New Testament story. Have they got nothing better to do? What would they say to me? What would they ask me about? What would they charge me with? What evidence is there in my life that I'm exalting Jesus?

Ananias and Sapphira die after lying about how much cash they've shared with the disciples. Pretending to be more generous than you are is certainly quite low but the death penalty seems harsh. I wonder whether it's a reminder that the folks in the old testament didn't get it all wrong with their understanding of God. Despite Jesus's message of love and grace and forgiveness, we should still 'fear God' - not as in 'be frightened of' but show reverence to or be in awe of. God is multi-faceted - he is the baby in the manger, he is the creator, he is the father, he is the one who forgives, he is the judge - we can't just pick the facet we like the best.

verse 22 - for the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. This man had been lame for over 40 years and yet he was now jumping and dancing. We should continue to pray for people with long-term illness or handicap. People who have perhaps accepted their circumstances can receive Gods grace. I am challenged again to pray for the people who are always prayed for.

verse 19 - Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. A prayer that is always answered 'yes' is - "I'm sorry, will you forgive me?" - God will forgive - he will wipe the sin away - but more that that he refreshes us - the word used implies the feeling of a fresh breeze that blows cooling air over you on a hot day So - ”I'm sorry" should put us in a place where God gives us a fresh start where he wants us to feel BRILLIANT.

The apostles got into the habit of eating together, being together and worshipping together. They also gathered in the temple courts together - wow - that was where Jesus had turned over the tables and the place where Jesus had been taken when he was arrested - some of the blood stains on the floor would have been his. Before Jesus had come to them, they gathered together in locked rooms. Before the Holy Spirit had come to them, they met together in private. Afterwards, they met everyday, in public, in the centre of the domain of the people that had killed their Jesus. Jesus gave them courage. Do I want courage? It would mean using it. Do I actually prefer meeting in a locked room?

The disciples chose a replacement for Judas Iscariot. The 2 candidates were Matthias and Justus Barsabbas. Both had been with Jesus from the start and had been witness to his works and his words, his death and his resurrection. BUT Matthias was chosen and Justus was not. What would he have felt? How would he have felt? What would he have done next? How would his relationship with the other disciples have been affected? How would his relationship with God have been affected? Justus should be the patron saint of unanswered prayers. Justus should be the patron saint of faithful people who don't get better. Justus should be the patron saint of disappointment and set-back. I want to believe that after a day or two of feeling sorry for himself, Justus was able to congratulate Matthias and then get on with the work that he felt God was calling him to. There are traditions that he lived out a holy and Christian life until he (just like most of the disciples) was martyred for hi...