by Elizabeth Etta
Acts 5:
Reading chapter 5 re-emphasizes that the wages of sin is death.
It reminds me of the trap of the Devil especially in our world today which
comes in the form of money, wealth and riches. The devil is out to deceive us
that these things are more important than doing God's will.
This chapter also shows God's righteous anger. The Lord sees all
that we do, all our sins and without confession and repentance, his wrath remain,
as in the case of Ananais and Sapphira.
Also our leaders, our priests, our parents, they are God's representative
on earth. Therefore we must respect them, because God can use them to either
pronounce blessings or melt our justice according to his purpose.
Acts 6:
This chapter describes Stephen as a man filled with God's grace
and power. This incited jealously among the Jews. As a result he was arrested
and falsely testified against. Yet again he is bold, standing before the
leaders and preaching. The elders are furious and they stone him to death.
Stephen's life inspires us to live a Godly life. Stephen's story shows us that
God is with us in life and in death.
There are always people who will oppose the Gospel, who think
Christians are deluded and unfortunately for them (I am
not being judgmental, just honest) unless they repent and accept Jesus as the Lord
of their lives, they are condemned. This is the reason why we as Christians
need to pray to the Holy Spirit for boldness to reach out to the lost. It is
the same Spirit that was in Stephen and the disciples that is with us still
today.
Finally, Stephen prayed that God does not hold the sin against
them. It really is remarkable how Stephen followed the example of Jesus when he
prayed, "Father forgive them" I believe it is because of Stephen's prayer
that Saul was saved and had an encounter with Jesus and would later be used for
His ministry.
Acts 8:
This chapter asks the question: "What is holding me back from
experiencing the full grace and spirit of the Lord Jesus in my life:
The magician Simon of Samaria, was very powerful in the acts of
magic as he performed many signs and wonders and the people paid attention to
him saying that he must be using the power of God.
Many of us today, even Christians, are being led astray by signs
and wonders. Some of us believe horoscopes, palm readings. It is important to
ask in prayer that the things we see, we read, we hear, do not lead us astray
and that we do not believe false teachings and consider them Godly teachings.
It is only the Spirit that can reveal this to us.
Also we see that Simon had gotten baptized, but yet he wasn't
fully convinced about God, he is still craving power, hence he tries to pay Peter
and John for the power of the Holy Spirit. Most times we try to gain God's
favour, maybe if I serve in church, maybe if I give more money to charity,
maybe if I volunteer, etc then God will bless me. While these are all very
important aspects of the Christian walk, we must not forget that our salvation
is by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
Another interesting part of Chapter 8 is that of the encounter
between Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. The Eunuch is led to understand the
scriptures by Philip and this leads him to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God and the Eunuch did not hesitate to be baptized immediately.
God knows our hearts, if we truly want to know more about Him
and His word, He is willing to teach us and extend His mercy toward all.
Dear Lord,
Help me to understand that Your desire is for my salvation and
to not take it for granted. I also pray that You reveal the areas in my life
where things may be holding me back from fully living my life according to Your
will. Let me not be distracted by the things of the world, but continue to look
to You for my sustenance.
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