Acts 9: 32-43

32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

- Acts 9:32-43

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In today’s passage, we read about two miracles/healings. We read about the miracles where God used Peter to heal Aeneas and Dorcas. Two themes that stuck out to me was how God used Peter to heal his people and how these events made other people who heard and saw them turn to Him.

Luke, the author of Acts, wrote that in both instances, people believed after they saw the miracles. After Peter healed Aeneas, all those who lived in that area saw it and turned to the Lord (verse 35). Similarly, after Peter raised Tabitha (Dorcas) - “this became known all over Joppa and many people believed in the Lord” (verse 42). We see here that Luke wanted to show us that these events happened so that people may believe. Aeneas and Dorcas were great testimonies of the gospel and because people saw and heard, they came to believe in our Lord. It shows how powerful our Lord is and how He uses these events to bring the gospel to everyone and transforms lives.

We also see here that God used Peter to perform a miracle and heal. In verse 34, Peter said to Aeneas “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” He said Jesus heals - it is Jesus who saved and healed Aeneas and not Peter. Peter also prayed for Dorcas before she was raised from the dead. He was completely reliant on God for these miracles. God can use us as his instrument to bring his good news to other people. We are also called to pray for our brothers and sisters just as Peter prayed for Dorcas. But we have to remember that it is not us who saves and changes our friends but rather it is God who saves and transforms people.

Though we might not be physically paralyzed or dead, we too need healing. Our spiritual life and our relationship with God is not always perfect. We sometimes have that moment of desolation when we feel that we are far away from God and we feel like we’re stuck and paralyzed. And so God can come in our lives and heal us. He also uses other people to help us get out of a dark hole and reveal himself to us just as he used Peter to heal Aeneas and Dorcas.

What area in your life do you need spiritual healing and who is someone that God used to help you?

Acts 9:1-19

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

-Acts 9:1-19

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From what we have read in Acts so far, we learned about this character named Saul who is so far away from Jesus. He commits sins in front of everyone by (a) allowing Stephen, a disciple, to be killed for talking truth about Jesus, and (b) destroying the church. We could see this man as a crazy, controversial character going against everything God wants. How dare he, right? However, in this passage, we witness the reconciliation of Saul and God through the Holy Spirit.

Throughout all this, Jesus has been watching all of Saul's doings. In verse 4, Jesus even talks to Saul from heaven. Didn't Jesus die? How is he able to talk to people on Earth? Well, Jesus is still alive in heaven!

Jesus shows and proves his power to Saul, such a non-believer, by blinding him. He led one of his disciples, Ananais, to heal him so that he can see. Once Ananais laid his hands on Saul, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit and was able to see. He eventually got baptized and became a follower of Jesus. Saul became a new man! He became saved through Jesus. In this process, Saul left his old sinful life and began a new radical life full of Jesus. Jesus didn't have to do this, but he showed grace and compassion because he wanted to save Saul from evil and sin. In verse 15, Jesus explains his plan for Saul's life saying that he will use him to demonstrate the Gospel to others. To explain to the gentiles and the Jews that Jesus is alive and still working. 

This passage lets us know that it IS possible for people like Saul to be converted into Christianity. I bet we can think of "Sauls" in our own lives -those people who you can't imagine being a Christian because of all their bad behavior. But know this: God invites everyone to learn about him and receive his gift of grace. As we ourselves witness more conversions and radical change like Saul's from people around us, I hope we can understand how amazing God is for bringing new life into this world.

Acts 8:26-40

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,

and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

33

In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants?

For his life was taken from the earth.”[b]

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] [c] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

-Acts 8:26-40

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Obedience to God leads to eternal significance.  As an AYL leader, a lot of high school kids and even college students ask me, “Mr. Juan, what’s my purpose in life?”  This is an incredibly crucial question.  I think for a lot of people that ask me this question, they are thinking about career paths.  They are thinking about what their jobs will be when they grow up—doctor, lawyer, teacher, business person, etc.

Careers are important and I do believe that God does call us to different careers, but our careers do not give us purpose.  They are but tools for the greater purpose of knowing God and furthering His Kingdom.

When we serve God by serving people, we’re accomplishing our true purpose in life.  We’re fulfilled in a way no job or no career can fulfill us by itself.  Only when our jobs and careers are used for godly purposes do they begin to fulfill us.

Philip here demonstrated how a life of obedience to God leads to eternal significance.  He obeyed God by meeting with this government official from Ethiopia.  Philip, as a Jew, probably didn’t interact much with Africans, and yet here he was sharing the gospel with this Ethiopian government worker.  Philip’s faith helped him to reach out to those who come from a difficult cultural background than himself.  Do I dare say that perhaps Philip’s faith helped him to overcome his own racism or biases toward another.

Ethiopia today has a predominately Christian population.  Philip sharing the Gospel with this Ethiopian potentially led to the Gospel reaching Ethiopia for the first time, and today the Gospel is still thriving in this country.  That’s eternal significance.

In what areas of your life do you need to surrender and obey God?  Do so and watch God use you for an eternal significance.

Acts 8:9-25

9 A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” 11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.

12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. 19 “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

20 But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. 22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”

24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”

25 After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.

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The Holy Spirit is Not for Sale

In this passage, a former sorcerer named Simon converts to the Christian faith. Not unlike many new Christians, Simon is eager to grow in his faith. He sees the "veteran" Christians Peter and John laying their hands on believers and bestowing upon them the power of the Holy Spirit, and then he decides he wants this power too. He offers Peter and John money to obtain this power.

Peter was aghast! He rebukes Simon saying that his heart is not right. Simon is repentant and asks for prayer to be forgiven. I guess you could say Simon made a rookie mistake thinking he could by the power of the Holy Spirit.

But the mistake Simon made is duplicated millions of times everyday in our modern society. People think that if they "do" more, they can gain God's power or favor. Sometimes people think they can buy God's favor or power, as Simon thought. For example, when people need God, they tend to donate more money to a church or ministry, hoping they will win God's favor. Sometimes people try to achieve this by going on a missions trip or going to church more frequently or even going back to Harvesters.

But that's not how God works. There is nothing we can "do" to win God's favor... not our money, not our time, not our deeds. Our blessing depends entirely and 100% on Jesus alone. Simon learned this 2,000 years ago, hopefully we will learn this too.

- Brian Hall

Acts 8: 4-8

4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

Acts 8:1-3

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.

-Acts 8:1-3

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Think of a person in your life that’s the farthest away from Jesus.  Think of someone that’s really, really hard for you to imagine as a Christian.  That was Saul, who later becomes “Paul” and writes the majority of the New Testament as one of the  greatest Christian missionaries who have ever lived.

Saul, who later changed his name to “Paul,” helped put Stephen, the first Christian martyr, to death.  Saul would then continue to persecute the Christian church.

But as we will see later on in the Book of Acts, Saul would encounter Jesus in a powerful way and become a devout follower of Christ.  Even after becoming a Christian and changing his name to “Paul,” many people still doubted Saul’s intentions because of his past.  But soon, they realized that Saul’s conversion to Christianity as the real deal.  God has changed and transformed Saul’s heart.

That person in your life that seems farthest away from Jesus, that person could be a future Paul.  What seems impossible to you is possible with God.  Yes, God can change anyone. 

Take some time to pray for that person in your life that you feel is farthest away from God.  Ask God to do the impossible and transform that person’s heart toward Him.

Acts 7:54-60

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

-Acts 7:54-60

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Stephen was known to be first christian martyr, or the first to have died for being a follower of Christ. After delivering a powerful message alluding to many historical accounts warning his opposition of their disobedience to God, Stephen is still persecuted even to the point of death.

There are two interesting things we can see in this passage. First, continuing with the theme of seeing parallels of Christians in Acts and the life of Jesus, as Stephen was being stoned, not only did he give up his life to Jesus, but he also prayed for the people murdering him. Rather than having anger or desire for revenge, he instead asked God for forgiveness on behalf of his murderers, very similar to Jesus's words as He hung on the cross when He said "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

Second, the author points out a specific name who was among those stoning Stephen: Saul. As we will read later on, this character has a huge role not only in Acts, but in much of the New Testament as well. However, in this case, we read that he was among the murderers and had a role in the murder of Stephen. We will learn more about Saul later on.

Stephen displayed tremendous faith in this passage - not only from the beginning when everyone around him was furious, but even up to the point when he knew his death was imminent. I would think that he knew he was in danger after delivering his message, yet he had faith and God displayed his presence to him right then and there. Furthermore, as he was being stoned, he was in much pain and suffering, yet at peace with Jesus and was ready to be received by the Lord.

Standing firm in our faith is difficult enough with all the pressures and temptations in the world. How much harder then is it to have faith when your life is on the line! Being stoned might sound like something thing that doesn't happen anymore, but the reality is that there are still Christians around the world whose lives are in danger because of their faith. We are blessed to live in a relatively safe environment, but may still find it difficult to trust in God and have faith. We can look to the first christian martyrs, the many other martyrs that follow Stephen, or our fellow Christians around the world and be encouraged to stand firm in our faith especially during the difficult times.