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Showing posts with the label miracles

Isaiah 18, Part Three: The Signal

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Isaiah 18, Part Three: The Signal Isaiah had greeted ambassadors sent by a land of "whirring wings, beyond the rivers of Cush", probably referring to Ethiopia, south of Egypt. The alliance between Judah, Egypt and Ethiopia was condemned by God. Isaiah foretold that nothing would result except shame and disgrace for Judah. Now, Isaiah tells the ambassadors to look toward the east, to "a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering..." A People Feared Near and Far Isaiah 18:2 (ESV) Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide. Who were the people "tall and smooth, a people feared near and far"? This passage begins and ends with reference to a nation "tall and smooth...a people feared near and far": Isaiah 18:2 (ESV) Go, you swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation m

Acts 8: Baptism, The Holy Spirit, and Tongues

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Acts 8: Baptism, The Holy Spirit, and Tongues Acts 8:18-19 What has gone before... Philip's preaching brought crowds in Samaria to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Sustainer. They gladly proclaimed their repentance and dependence upon God through water baptism. But something more was yet in store for these new believers. Peter and John prayed for the Samaritan Christians and they received the Holy Spirit. Moving on... "Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, - Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Acts 8:18-19 (ESV) Simon the Magician was a believer , baptized along with crowds of men and women who had listened to Philip and saw the signs that he did. Simon must have also been among those for whom Peter and John prayed, and upon whom the Holy Spirit had fallen. Luke does not describe what "receiving the Holy Sp

Big Enough to Save

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Big Enough to Save "Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people." Acts 6:8 (ESV) In our modern, commercialized minds, Stephen does not fit the image of "Table Server". Rather than function as a mild committee member, helping to make food distribution fair, he lives a life "full of grace and power", "doing great wonders and signs among the people." The apostles were right to view ministry leaders, leaders of any Christian ministry, as reflectors of Christ Himself, requiring hearts of honesty, full of God's Spirit and wisdom. GRACE: pistis (persuasion, credence, conviction, reliance, constancy and truth); from peitho (to convince, pacify, conciliate, assent or rely) The ESV translation uses "grace", but the original word is better translated as faith. Stephen was full of faith. Faith in Christ provided the motivation for all that Stephen wanted and all that he did. Stephen was comple