God in Action in Acts

The Acts of the Apostles also recounts the sovereign Acts of God. I think back on preaching through this gripping biblical narrative in 2008, and so many of the Lord's mighty deeds come to mind, including:

The dramatic ascension of Jesus up to heaven (1:9); moving of the Spirit, sound of wind, visions of flame, giving of speech in foreign languages (2:1-13); doing of many signs and wonders through the apostles (2:43); healing of man crippled from birth (3:7); saving of 5,000+ to form the Jerusalem church (2:41; 4:4; 6:7); striking down Ananias and Saphira (5:1-11); miraculously freeing Peter and John from prison (5:19); a vision of God in his glory given to dying Stephen (7:55); turn­ing the persecution-driven scattering of believers into Christian mission (8:4); sending the Holy Spirit with power (8:15); navigating Philip to meet the chariot of the Ethiopian and lead him to Christ, and then whisking Philip away (8:26-40); boldly “arresting” Saul on the road to Damascus, blinding him, and transforming his heart (9:1-19); healing of Aeneas (9:32-35); raising Tabitha from the dead (9:36-43); giving coordinated visions to Peter and Cornelius so they’d meet (10:1-43); bestowing of the Spirit upon Cornelius and his household to speak in tongues and give praise to Christ (10:44-48); deliverance of Peter from prison as believers prayed (12:6-11); calling the worshipping Christians at Antioch to set aside Paul and Barnabas for mission (13:1-3); blinding of Elymas the magic­ian (13:4-12); joyful believing by Gentiles who were ordained to eternal life (13:48); granting signs and wonders at Iconium (14:3); healing of a crippled man at Lystra (14:8-10); preserving Paul through stoning (14:19-20); opening a door of faith to the Gentiles (14:27); blocking ministry in Asia to redirect Paul and Silas to Macedonia (16:6-10); opening Lydia’s heart to believe (16:14); sending an earthquake to break open the Philippian prison (16:26); speaking to Paul in a vision to encourage bold witness (18:9-11); tongues and prophecy accompanying baptism of new believers (19:1-7); doing of many miracles through Paul (19:11-17); raising Eutychus from the dead (20:7-12); giving prophecy by Agabus that Paul would be arrested (21:11); the Lord’s appearance to Paul in prison to say he’d testify in Rome (23:11); uncovering the plot to murder Paul (23:16); speaking to Paul on the ship to promise that all would survive (27:22); protecting Paul from a poisonous snake bite (28:5); healing many people on Malta (28:7-10); overall, the spreading of witness (1:8) all over the Roman world and to Rome itself (28:30-31).

Our God is an awesome God! Stand in awe. Bow in wonder.

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