2016 Day 106 – Acts 9

15 Friday Apr 2016

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A few years ago when I first read through the Bible, the biggest thing that stood out to me was this: There are no perfect men in the Bible (Jesus being the exception). And if God can use all these imperfect men to carry His message of grace, mercy, and salvation, then there is hope for me. One of the most unlikely instruments to carry our God’s perfect plan was the Apostle Paul. In Acts 9:15-16 we see what God has in store for him, 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” God does not wait for us to be perfect, He waits for us to be willing. There is nothing we can do (aside from rejecting God altogether) that precludes us from being used by God in His perfect plan. We just have to be willing.

2016 Day 105 – Acts 8

14 Thursday Apr 2016

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Sharing the good news of Christ is not a planned action, it is something we should do whenever the opportunity arises. In Acts 8:35 Philip took the opportunity given to him and shared the Gospel with the Ethiopian, Then Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. We should not be waiting for the perfect opportunity. There is no right or wrong way to share. It should just be an extension of who God created us to be.

2016 Day 104 – Acts 7

13 Wednesday Apr 2016

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What does God call us to be? Does God call us to be brave? Does He call us to be strong? The truth is, He calls us to be none of those things. God calls us to be Obedient. Even in the face of persecution, pain, and potentially death, God calls us to trust in Him. In today’s reading we read about Stephen. Stephen was obedient to the point of death. And in the face of death Jesus appeared to him and welcomed him home. In Acts7:59, having been obedient to Jesus’ calling on his life, Stephen is ready to go home, While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ” Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” When it is our time to go home to Jesus, will be ready? What do we need to do in this life to know we have done all that was asked of us?

2016 Day 103 – Acts 6

12 Tuesday Apr 2016

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In today’s reading we are introduced to Stephen who was one of the seven chosen by the Apostles to supervise the distribution of food to the needy in the early church. Because Stephen was so filled with the Spirit, the religious leaders seized him under false accusations. Acts 6:15 describes what the Sanhedrin saw when Stephen came before them, All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of and angel. Stephen was filled with the Spirit because of his great faith. He had peace in knowing he was doing the work God had laid out for him. When we know we are in God’s will, we feel peace and have confidence we are where we need to be.

2016 Day 102 – Acts 5

11 Monday Apr 2016

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The religious leaders tried everything they could think of to stop the Apostles from preaching the Gospel. It was interesting to see a Pharisee provide some wisdom to the situation when he addressed the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:39, But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourself fighting against God. People have tried to distort and stop the Gospel from spreading, but even after 2,000 years the light still finds a way through the dark. You can fight God’s will all you want, but in the end, God’s plan is perfect.

2016 Day 101 – Reflection Day

10 Sunday Apr 2016

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Hope everyone has a great day of reflection and worship. This is a great day to catch up on reading and spending time with family and friends.

If you ever come across anything you’d like me to post on this blog, please feel free to contact me at dino.evangelista@gmail.com.

2016 Day 100 – Acts 4

09 Saturday Apr 2016

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In today’s reading we see a clear example of what we are called to do in Acts 4:32, All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. It is easy to think the apostles were describing something similar to socialism, but it’s not that simplistic. We should recognize that nothing in our possession is our own. We should be willing to use our blessings from God to help. When others are in need we are called to provide; it’s that simple. It’s not a government, social, or economic solution; it’s a spiritual one that comes from a heart of giving.

2016 Day 99 – Acts 3

08 Friday Apr 2016

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We will often become frozen to act because we feel we don’t have the right gifts, talents, or wealth to have an impact, but God only asks us to be willing. In Acts 3:6 we see how little the Apostles had, Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” But what they did have was an abundance of faith. That is all God asks of us: to trust in his power and strength and to be willing to act.

2016 Day 98 – Acts 2

07 Thursday Apr 2016

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When the Holy Spirit came over the believers, it created confusion. The people questioned what had happened and what they should do. Peter stands up and says in Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” After Peter said this, there was no more confusion as to who Jesus really was. The apostles already knew the truth and many others believed, but this is where the Church and outward ministry of believers really started with the Holy Spirit and our ability to be led through Him.

2016 Day 97 – Acts 1

06 Wednesday Apr 2016

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Today we begin the transition from the Gospel of Jesus to the start of the Church. The Church (with a capital “C”) is what we refer to as the body of believers of Christ. This is not a building. It is not comprised of associations or denominations. It is the body of Christ manifest through those who believe in Him and have a desire to serve Him in the light of eternity. While I am not against the congregation of believers in buildings, I do believe we get too caught up in our own idea of what Christianity is supposed to be about. We also get too caught up in defending our individual nuances of the details of our beliefs. In the end, we are called to do two simple things. 1) Love God. 2) Love others. If we can figure out how to accomplish those two simple things, we will be in great shape.