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Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch… Judea is at a higher altitude than Antioch. Judea is hill country, Antioch is near the coast of the Mediterranean. We read ‘go down’ and we think ‘south’ because of how we read maps. Again, an example of how we can read the bible with a western mind and misunderstand even some of the simplest of notions. …and were teaching the believe

A short, simple reading today, ok guys? At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of h

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Remember the men From Cyprus and Cyrene who first went to Antioch? These could be those guys. The first guys who fled Jerusalem and headed north past Samaria through Syria to Antioch; these men might specifically be the ones mentioned who spoke to the Greeks. Simeon is quite possibly the same Simon of Cyren

In our show, Acts 12 is where we start building towards the climax of the story of Peter and Abbie and the disciples who turned their world upside down. It’s got sad parts to it.  There’s another martyr for the Lord, James son of Zebedee; and two best friends, John and Peter, have to part company. Yeah, some sad stuff. It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intend

The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Alert: today I’m going to talk a bit more about our show than the immediate context of these passages. When Sherwin and I wrote this show nearly 30 ye

Sometimes it’s easier to see the connection between the past and present. At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “C

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. Meanwhile, not nearly as important yet equally true, I’m fighting off a flu, or cold or something. Remember me saying at the start that before we were done with this 28 day devo I figured motorcycles would be involved? Well… … my good friend and brother Robert Gauntt came for a two day visit and I did what I̵

And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word whe

Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” As you read this, remember the charges. Remember that false witnesses were secretly told to say that Stephen spoke blasphemous words against Moses and against God; “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses ha

Here is a sample of the kind of invitation that I’m hoping will be shared in every nation where internet access is available: invites for show You are invited: To share in an event that might possibly change your life. Please join me for a viewing of “Upside Down”, the musical seen all over the world, broadcast LIVE from it’s off off Broadway run at the Ferrara Theatre in St. Louis. Time: July 8th, 2016 at 8pm