Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Sometimes when we pray for others, we wonder if our prayers can ever really make a difference.  We pray and see no changes in the people or situations we are pray for and it can lead to discouragement and even doubt.  Today's story about Peter's escape from the prison is a great example of the power of the prayer and the faith of those who offered it to God.   Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison 12  It was about this time that King Herod  arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.   2  He had James, the brother of John,  put to death with the sword.   3  When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews,  he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.   4  After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.  5...

The news believers were first called "Christians" in Antioch.  What did it mean to be a Christian in the context of Acts 11? Does this still translate in what it means to be Christian today?  Let's see what the grace of God did there! The Church in Antioch - Acts 11 19  Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed  traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch,  spreading the word only among Jews.   20  Some of them, however, men from Cyprus  and Cyrene,  went to Antioch  and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news  about the Lord Jesus.   21  The Lord’s hand was with them,  and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.  22  News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas  to Antioch.   23  When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done,  he was glad and encouraged them all to r...

We live in a time where there is a lots of division in our country. Whether it is politics or race relations, we are facing we are a far cry from " One nation under God ".    Ethnic issues were equally present in Jesus' time.  One of the biggest ethnic divides was between a Jew and a Gentile.  Jews were strictly forbidden to associate with Gentiles, who were basically non-Jews.  The Jewish people of Jesus day divided people into two groups Jews and Gentiles.  We see in Acts 9 that this was about to change starting with the lead apostle Peter.  Acts 9:27-26 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.   28  He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile.  But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.   29  So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” 30 ...

As the early church faced persecution from their fellow Jews, one of the most zealous persecutors was a man named Saul from Tarsus.  Little did Saul know how much his life would change on his road to Damascus.  Saul’s Conversion 9  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.” This i...

Tertullian, the famous 2nd century Christian author and defender of Christianity, is credited with the quote, " The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church ."  He was one of the first developers of Christian doctrine and among other things he helped guard the church from "gnosticism", one of the most ancient forms of heresy.  Today, we see how persecution continued to grow in the early church after Stephen's death.   The apostles were scatterered throughout Judea and Samaria.  Let's read about what happened as a result of the persecution.  Philip in Samaria 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 ...

In Acts 7, we read of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, who just been appointed as the deacon in the church.  In the last chapter he was described as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. He would need it today as the religious leaders are furious with his speech in which he recounts the history of Israel.  If you want a nice summary of the book of Genesis from Abraham to Solomon read the beginning of chapter 7. But it doesn't end well for Stephen's after his first sermon. The Stoning of Stephen 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...

One of the most difficult transitions for leaders to make is the shift from  doing  to  leading . The Harvard Business Review says this about the importance of delegation if you want to be a great leader.   "While it may seem difficult, elevating your impact requires you to embrace an unavoidable leadership paradox: You need to be more essential and less involved. When you justify your hold on work, you’re confusing being  involved  with being  essential . But the two are not the same — j ust as being busy and being productive are not necessarily equal .  " Harvard Business Review, 10/10/17 The disciples needed to learn this as well.  The Choosing of the Seven 6  In those days when the number of disciples was increasing,  the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows  were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.   2  So the Twelve gathered all ...