Times of Refreshing on the Threshold of Doom (Acts of the Apostles #8)

Christ Church - Moscow ID

Times of Refreshing on the Threshold of Doom (Acts of the Apostles #8)

September 29, 2024 • Douglas Wilson • Acts 3:19–26

Jesus Christ was a murder victim, killed by the ungodly men who ran the ecclesiastical machinery of ancient Jerusalem. They thought that they had dispensed with the Christ threat, but He exploded their plans by coming back from the dead. Now this risen one had predicted that He would come back from the dead, as His enemies well knew (Matt. 27:63). This prediction had been fulfilled, as they also knew (Matt. 28:11-15). But in addition to this, He had also predicted that Jerusalem would be flattened within one generation (Matt. 24:34). The city was now on death row, and the clock running down. The resurrection was therefore the guarantee that the destruction to follow was certain.

In this context, the great apostle Peter was offering the miscreants terms. He was giving them a chance to repent. Many did, but—in the teeth of the evidence—many others did not. It was not a matter of evidence.

The Word that Grows (Acts of the Apostles #14)

November 24, 2024 • Douglas Wilson • Acts 6:1–7

We see in this passage the formation of the Christian diaconate. The noun for deacon is not used here, but the context makes it pretty obvious. There was a daily distribution of food to widows and some inequities in that distribution were causing problems. The Twelve said that they should not leave the diakonia of the Word (v. 4) in order to diakoneo tables (v. 2). The noun form is the word for deacon (diakonos). And what we can learn from this is the evangelistic potency of good church government.

The Honor of Dishonor, the Grace of Disgrace (Acts of the Apostles #13)

November 17, 2024 • Douglas Wilson • Acts 5:27–42

One of the more remarkable blessings that the presence of the Holy Spirit brings is the ability He gives to believes to suffer scorn gladly. This is a remarkable thing in the moment, but it also serves as a portent of what it is to come. It is a statement in the present and a sign for the future.

The Unchained Word of Life (Acts of the Apostles #12)

November 10, 2024 • Douglas Wilson • Acts 5:17–26

The Founder of the Christian faith, the Lord Jesus, was murdered by the authorities. This is a fact that cannot be emphasized too much. After He ascended into Heaven, the second generation of Christian leaders all found themselves in jail within a matter of just a few weeks. This should tell you something about the nature of the faith we profess.