Acts Bible Study Chapters 24-27: These chapters cover Paul’s trials, his defence of his faith, and the hardships he faces as he heads to Rome to appeal his case before Caesar. 'I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.' (Acts 27.22-25, NIV.)
The Apostle Paul on trial
Steadfast in faith and righteousness
Acts Bible Study Chapter 5: I remember the day when the Lord challenged me to serve Him. I was 15, on holiday on the South Coast of England, walking on the sea-front with some young Christians and I couldn’t enter into the fun that they were having because God was speaking to me – and the devil was speaking to me. The devil was saying, ‘Don’t listen, it’s OK, things are fine. You’re doing well – you got saved when you were 8, and you got baptised in water when you were 12, you started preaching at 13, that’s enough,’ and God was saying, ‘I want more.’ God was not calling me to be a preacher or an evangelist at that time, God was asking me to give my whole life to Him. Simply to give everything to Him.
Stir up the gift of faith
Stir up the gift of faith. The Apostle Paul writes, 'I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.'
The Road to Glory
In such struggles and conflicts that we have, Paul says in Philippians 2, the key is to be like Jesus. We have to seek and to know what God’s Plan and Purpose is. In my praying to God the Father, I pray through Jesus – He is the Intercessor. He lives to make intercession for us. None of us is perfect. I’m not perfect. We all fail. It’s because of our imperfection that Jesus is the Intercessor – He paid the price for our sin!
Built on the Rock of Christ Jesus
Possess all the blessings of God (Secret to 70 years of ministry)
I want you to possess all the blessings of God! The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1, ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.’ To most of us, the ‘heavenly places’ are Heaven itself, something future. But what Paul is saying, is that God has blessed us NOW with all spiritual blessings – blessings which we should now be enjoying!
When Truth falls
In Acts 3, Peter and John were brought before the whole religious council – the High Priest, his kindred, the rulers, elders and scribes – for questioning, “By what power, by what name have you healed this lame man?” And Peter replied, “If we are being examined about this man and how he was healed, let it be known to you and to the whole of Israel that by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom God raised from the dead, even by Him does this man stand, totally healed!” The religious leaders then responded, “Did we not strictly command you that you should not preach in this Name? But you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine!” But in v29 Peter and the other Apostles answered, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Our allegiance is to Jesus, the Son of the living God, who was raised from the dead; it is Him we must obey!