Daily Devotional

October 20, 2019

“At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” (Acts 26:13-14)

Paul’s defense before Agrippa, recorded in...

October 19, 2019

“Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” (Acts 25:17-19)

There are certain “defining moments” that fundamentally...

October 18, 2019

“And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” (Acts 24:25)

Procrastinating when God’s Spirit calls is extremely dangerous. When Jim Gilmon was young, he had rheumatic fever, and the doctor told him he would never be healthy. Jim promised God his life if He would heal him, and God did. However,...

October 17, 2019

“And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” (Acts 23:11)

At some point in life, everyone faces hard places. When such times occur, it is comforting to remember that God knows exactly where we are, and what we need to cheer and encourage our hearts.

Dixie Matthews is one person who...

October 16, 2019

“I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” (Acts 22:3)

At times, people try to associate themselves with a person who is famous or has a reputation for excellence in a specific...

October 15, 2019

“Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.” (Acts 21:13-14)

God’s will is perfect, even when we do not understand it. Reuel Green was fifty-six years old when he suffered a...

October 14, 2019

“And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.” (Acts 20:36-38)

Effective spiritual leaders hold a special place in the hearts of the people in their congregations. This can be seen in...

October 13, 2019

“And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.” (Acts 18:23)

“There are faces before me tonight; there are voices pleading for the Gospel!” With those words, George Hughes acknowledged the deep longing in his heart to go back to Africa. Four years earlier he had made his first missionary trip to that continent. In the intervening years,...

October 12, 2019

“Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace.” (Acts 18:9)

Since the days of the Early Church, there have been those who have spoken boldly for God in a setting of mockery and derision. One such incident occurred during the 1700s in the country of Prussia.

Frederick the Great, who ruled Prussia from 1740 to 1786, was widely known as an agnostic...

October 11, 2019

“For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” (Acts 17:28)

As young teenagers, my brother and sister were arguing over a matter of opinion. Since it was an opinion, neither could be wrong but they both could have been right. They went back and forth at each other for a while, and then my very frustrated brother...