simplelife

Daniel speaks on Acts 8:9-25, about a magician who tries to buy the favor and power of God. He is told that some things cannot be bought with money. The priceless gift of God is his salvation - that we are bought with a price, the blood of Jesus. Have you accepted that gift? Read the story: Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,   and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”   They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery.   But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.   Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jer...

They're not popular subjects - persecution and suffering. At IES Bandung this week, we discuss the persecution of the early church. My great-grandpa was martyred for sharing his faith in south Russia at the turn of the century. Hearing the story from my grandma (his daughter), I expected to be killed for my faith at some point, too. Whether you read personal stories of suffering and biblical examples, you learn that following Jesus does not guarantee a safe or persecution-free life. The prophet Jeremiah and the early church's deacon Stephen are examples of suffering for speaking God's truth. We discuss Stephen's stoning. He responds to the angry crowd by praying to God instead of fighting back. In contrast, the religious leaders, including Saul, are outraged and furious. Later, Saul meets Jesus after persecuting the early Church and carrying off believers to prison. His life is transformed by an encounter with Jesus and the prayers of a faithful believer named Ananias. ...