Crows Nest Uniting Community Church in Crows Nest, Queensland | Non-business places

Crows Nest Uniting Community Church

Locality: Crows Nest, Queensland

Phone: +61 7 4605 3135

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Community
• Non-business places
• Church
• Religious place of worship

25.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 20. Acts 8: 1-4, Persecution against the church. After Stephens murder at the hands of the angry mob, the church folk themselves became the fresh target. The zealous opportunists among the established religious ruling class, went from house to house arresting the Christians. We read in Acts 8: 1b (GNB): That very day (the day that St. Stephen was murdered) the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persec...Continue reading

25.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 46. Acts 17: 16-33, Paul at Athens. Paul arrived at Athens and while he was waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him, he toured the city and became aware of the large number of Pagan places of worship that existed there. The rampant idolatry of the city upset Paul greatly and so he sought out the people of the local Synagogue to discuss this matter and possibly also the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. He al...Continue reading

24.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 44. Acts 16: 16-40, Paul and Silas at Philippi. Many of us who went to Sunday School, remember this story as the time that Paul and Silas were beaten for delivering a slave girl from demon possession and then thrown into a dark dungeon. After being placed in stocks and feeling sore and sorry for themselves, they began to sing. But around mid-night, there was suddenly an earthquake and their chains fell off, t...Continue reading

24.01.2022 A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Amos by a Country Minister. (The Reverend Dave Graham J.P. (Qual), MATH, BTH, AD Min., Dip. Bib. Stud. AMOS 1: 1; An Introduction. (10th November 2020) Hi again everyone, even though we’re not in lock down and things are, apart from some restrictions and a greater awareness of precautions, back to normal, we are still not back together as a complete community of believers. One of the big things we are lacking, I believe, is a serious re...Continue reading

24.01.2022 A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Amos by a Country Minister. (Rev. Dave Graham) No. 8; AMOS 7: 1-8: 3; Four visions and a corrupt Priest. Here the prophet changes tack from the central message to the means of receiving it. For Amos tells of four visions he had received from God about what was to happen and why. Previously he had told of how God was determined to destroy Israel for their sins and of how they would be invaded by their enemies. But God gave to Amos two ...Continue reading

23.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 29. Acts 10: 21-33, Peter goes to meet Cornelius. Peter must have had an inkling that the vision that God had given him along with the instructions to go with the men who had arrived as Simons house, was all about his relationships with the Gentile people. For after he had heard of the reason they came, he willingly went with them. No arguing with God, no more hesitation, just obedience to do something that h...Continue reading

22.01.2022 A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Amos by a Country Minister. (Rev. Dave Graham) No. 6; AMOS 5: 1-27; God calls Israel to repentance. Amos begins with a song of lament over Israel. Virgin Israel has fallen, never to rise again! She lies abandoned on the ground and no one helps her up. (Amos 5: 2 GNB) Amos’ heart is breaking for the people under his charge as he speaks his message of judgement upon them. I’m sure he is close to tears when he foretells of the military ...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 40. Acts 14: 21-28, Paul & Barnabas report back to the church that commissioned them. In this short section, we read of how Paul and Barnabas head back to their home church, Antioch in Syria, which had formerly commissioned them into this missionary service. In Acts 13: 2b we read; The Holy Spirit said to them: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, to do the work to which I have called them. (GNB) And so we ...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 41. Acts 15: 1-21, A significant meeting of the church in Jerusalem. Sometimes, events occur that lead to a water shed moment in the history of a movement. And here in this passage today such an event occurred. For some teachers came to the church at Antioch (Syria) from the Judean church, who taught that you could not be saved unless you were circumcised according to the law of Moses. (Acts 15: 1) Paul and ...Continue reading

20.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 24. Acts 9: 1-19, The conversion of the Persecutor, Saul. This is a wonderful story of Gods grace towards a fearsome persecutor of his people. Up until now, most of the Christian converts had come from among the poor, the outcasts and the afflicted. Certainly, there were also some converts from among the priests and a few among the more well to do classes in society. But converts from among the zealots who ac...Continue reading

19.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 21. Acts 8: 4-8, The Gospel is preached in Samaria. After the Christians fled Jerusalem in response to the persecution there, they resettled in other areas, where they continued to share their faith. So their retreat from Jerusalem, was not an act of cowardice but an act of mission, albeit, one that was forced upon them by their changed circumstances.... One area, where these Christians went was Samaria, which was roughly 60 Kms. north of Jerusalem. It is here that we read about Philips witness and ministry. Philip was a Deacon, chosen by God and set apart by the early church to distribute money and food to the poor in Jerusalem. But with many of the Christians leaving Jerusalem, they did not go without their Ministers accompanying them to pastorally care for them. So here we read of Philip ministering in ways that exceeded what he was originally set apart to do, for Philip was now doing the work of evangelism among the community in which he and other Christians now lived. They told the local people about Jesus and apparently, many people listened carefully to the messages of Philip. But not only did Philip preach but also in the power of the Holy Spirit, he performed miracles which were reminiscent of the ministry of the Apostles previously in Jerusalem. Evil spirits were cast out and paralysed and lame people were healed. And all of this brought great joy to that city. So through the retreat of the Christians from Jerusalem to Samaria, the blessings that were formerly restricted to one place were then taken to another. And so we are reminded that God wants all people everywhere to share in his blessings and joy. This is the very essence of the Gospel, or Good News of Jesus Christ, which God calls upon every Christian to share. The challenge for Christians in every age has always been our willingness to go and share this Gospel message with the world. Sometimes, God brings about changing circumstances that force us to do just that. Prayer: God of the Gospel, help us always to be willing to share the good news of Jesus Christ to people around us, so that you might bring blessing and joy into their lives. And when we are unwilling to go, disturb our comfortable surroundings, so that we will have a greater impetus to go and share the blessings that you have given to us. Help us to become your agents of joy in the world. Through Jesus Christ our generous Lord we pray, Amen. See you again soon. Love and prayers, Rev. Dave

19.01.2022 A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Amos by a Country Minister. (Rev. Dave Graham) No. 7; AMOS 6: 1-14; God’s warning to Israel. Again Amos has bad news for Israel. If Jeremiah is regarded as the weeping Prophet, then Amos surely has to be the Prophet of doom. For in page after page, destruction is promised and God himself is bringing this upon his own people. If I find it difficult to write of such things, how much more difficult must it have been for Amos to preach the...Continue reading

18.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 39. Acts 14: 8-20, Paul & Barnabas in Lystra. After arriving in Lystra the Apostles began to teach and preach about Jesus Christ. Among their hearers was a man who had been lame all of his life (from birth Acts 14: 8) who had been apparently listening carefully to Pauls words, for Paul perceived that he now believed in Jesus. We are not told whether the man was a Jew or a Gentile, for that issue of race o...Continue reading

18.01.2022 A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Amos by a Country Minister. (The Rev. Dave Graham) AMOS 1: 2-2:5; God’s message to the nations around Israel. The message Amos received was directed towards specific recipients. He begins to tell the message by relating what might have been a specific insight at the time perhaps, from a storm over Jerusalem after a long drought in that region: The Lord roars from Mt. Zion; his voice thunders from Jerusalem. The pastures dry up, and th...Continue reading

18.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 27. Acts 9: 32-42, Peter Ministers in northern Judea. The Church was established and continued to grow where-ever the Gospel was preached, and so also the need for Pastoral care of the people in these new areas became apparent. Hence, on this occasion, Peter, who perhaps was the main leader of the Christian church, went to two towns in North Western Judea, Joppa and Lydda. These were located near modern day Te...Continue reading

18.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by ordinary people; 19. Acts 7: 1-60, Stephens Defence and Martyrdom. Stephen made his defence before this Jewish council. But, Stephen had no time to prepare an adequate defence, nor perhaps was he inclined to do so, for Christ had promised them that the words to say would be given when they needed them. (Luke 21: 14, 15) But in reality how would they properly prepare anyway? The people who opposed them were of various opinions an...Continue reading

18.01.2022 A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Amos by a Country Minister. (The Rev. Dave Graham) No. 4; AMOS 3: 3-8; Things happen for a reason. I found the purpose of this passage difficult to understand. For in it Amos asks a series of dubiously related questions to answer some questions about why some things might happen. And yet, the implied answers only offer one of a number of possible reasons. I have summerised these questions and the reasons implied within the text: ‘Why ...Continue reading

17.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 30. Acts 10: 34-48, Peter preaches to the Gentiles and witnesses an unexpected outcome. One of the things I love about Peter in the bible the way he expresses his thoughts and feelings in an honest and transparent way. When he followed Jesus around with the other disciples, it was always Peter that spoke up first. Others perhaps might has shared the same doubts and feelings as Peter, but were reluctant to spea...Continue reading

17.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 67. Acts 27: 13- 44, Paul sails to Rome, through storm and shipwreck. When they headed out to sea again it was calm enough at first as they were carried along by a soft wind from the south. But then, a great gale started blowing from the North East which carried them further away from the Island of Crete and westward into the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. Being driven by the wind and the currents, they wer...Continue reading

16.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 49. Acts 18: 18-28, Paul returns to Antioch, while Apollos arrives in Ephesus and Achaia. After Pauls ordeal in court, he stayed with the believers in Corinth for many days before he decided to return to Antioch from which he had been sent some years before. Priscilla and Aquila accompanied him as far as Ephesus. At Cenchreae (a sea side port town not far from Corinth) Paul had his head shaved as a sign tha...Continue reading

15.01.2022 The Uniting Church serves the Crows Nest District at: Crows Nest, 17 Emu Creek Road., Crows Nest. 4698 1143. Gowrie Flat, 83 Moran Rd, Djuan. 4698 8229 Ravensbourne, 3136-3140 Esk-Hampton Rd, Ravensbourne. 46981528 and Thornville, New England HWay, Thornville. 4692 6103.... PLEASE NOTE BECAUSE OF CONCERNS OVER THE SPREAD OF THE CORONA VIRUS, ALL OUR PUBLIC WORSHIP SERVICES ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Thank you for your understanding. God bless you. MISSION STATEMENT: To bring glory to God through regular worship and effective witness of Gods love to the community.

15.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 53. Acts 20: 1-12, First to Greece then to Troas After the turmoil in Ephesus had settled, Paul finally left on his journey to Greece (to Achaia & Macedonia) and encouraged the Christians in the towns where the church had been established. We dont know how long all of this took, but when he came to Achaia, he stayed there for three months. When it was time for him to go back to Syria (Remember, Paul needed to... go to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice to complete the vow he had made) he heard that the Jews were plotting against him, so he altered his plans and went back to Macedonia and then on to Troas (on the north west coast of modern day Turkey). Then we are given a list of companions on this part of his journey and from where they had come; Sopater from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia and Timothy who accompanied Paul from Lystra perhaps a couple of years before. These companions of Paul sailed from Philippi (in Greece) to Troas (in Turkey) after the Jewish festival of unleavened bread (some time in April) and five days later Paul and other unnamed companions joined them in Troas after their sea voyage as well. At Troas the people gathered together for a fellowship meal on a Saturday evening, when Paul spoke to them for some hours (until midnight). A young man (possibly a teenager) by the name of Eutychus was sitting on the window sill listening to Paul, fell asleep and tumbled down to the street below. He was dead when they reached him. But Paul filled with the Holy Spirit, was not dismayed, and just embraced the boy. Suddenly, or gradually (were not told) he came back to life, and Paul reassured the crowd: Dont worry he said, he is still alive. (Acts 20: 10b GNB) and so they took themselves and the boy back up to the room where they had come from and celebrated, now with heightened reason, the Eucharist (breaking the bread) together. Finally the meeting ended and they (perhaps the parents) took the boy home in peace. Perhaps one lesson we can learn from this passage is that when God is present (and in all the story, God is the ever present unseen companion of Paul and the early Christians) there is always the potential that God can turn things around for good out of a bad situation. (Though I day say, that the boy also learned not to sit on window sills during long sermons.) Prayer: O ever present and guiding God, help us to constantly remember, that you have promised never to leave us nor forsake us, and that when bad things happen, you can always turn those situations around for our good. Thank you precious Lord, for your goodness to us. Amen. See you in a couple of more days, love and prayers, Rev. Dave See more

15.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 22. Acts 8: 9-25, The Gospel must not be commercialised. Here we have an interesting story of what happens when people come to faith in Jesus Christ. All who come to Christ, may be saved! But, as a result of coming to Christ we must also be changed. Old habits, ways of thinking and practices must change in line with the ways of Christ who saves us and then teaches us how to live. ...Continue reading

15.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 33. Acts 12: 1-5 & 19-25, Part 1: Herod, the persecutor and his fate. Im going to deal with this chapter a little differently to the others, for there are two stories going on here. One about Herod and the other about Peter. So lets start with Herod. This Herod, also known as Herod Agrippa, was the Grandson of Herod the Great (The infamous king who slaughtered the infants of Bethlehem in Matthew chapter 2). ...Continue reading

15.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 69. Acts 28: 14-31, Paul arrives in Rome. Paul seems to have an extraordinary amount of freedom as a prisoner that wouldn’t be afforded most prisoners even today. For no sooner had they arrived in the Italian port city of Puteoli, then they met with some believers (i.e. Christians) who asked him to stay a week with them. This invitation was also extended to his entourage, who were perhaps non prisoner compan...Continue reading

14.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 34. Acts 12: 6-18, Part 2: Peters escape. This story has to be one of the greatest escape stories the world has every known. Not even, the great Illusionist, Houdini, ever pulled off an escape like this one. For Peter was placed in an inner cell of a secure Prison. Further-more he was chained (with 2 chains) between two guards with additional guards at the prison gates. In addition to this, Peter made no ef...Continue reading

13.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by ordinary people; 18. Acts 6: 8-15, The Arrest of the Deacon, Stephen. So once more we read about the Jewish religious/civil council flexing its muscles and arresting a leader of the church. Not an Apostle this time, but one of the new Deacons, who were in charge of distributing money and other forms of assistance to the poor. Stephen was a man full of the Holy Spirit and love for the people he served. He was also powerfully used ...Continue reading

13.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 31. Acts 11: 1-18, Peter reports back to the church at Jerusalem. The news of Peters encounter with the Gentiles in Caesarea travelled quickly all the way back to Jerusalem. Perhaps some heard the whole story of the conversion of these folk and rejoiced that God was reaching out to the gentiles too. But not all appeared to be pleased with what they had heard, for it had come to their attention that Peter had ...Continue reading

12.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 28. Acts 10: 1-20, God prepares the hearts of two men: Peter & Cornelius. Here we have a wonderful story of how God prepared the hearts of two men of different races to meet each other in order to accomplish an essential divine purpose. One was Peter, a Jewish Apostle, schooled in the law and customs of the Jews. A witness of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and of the work of the Holy Spirit i...Continue reading

11.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 48. Acts 18: 12-17, Paul at Corinth (part 2). After Paul had ministered in Corinth for a couple of years, there was a change of Governor over the Roman province of Achaia. And here we are given insights into what might be going on behind the scenes or in the hearts of people in the story, not by what is said, but by what is silent. For though Paul preached the Gospel in relative peace, the hearts of his enemie...s were seething with rage and jealousy about how the church was growing and that some of the people of the Synagogue had gone over to him. So with the change of Governor, the leadership team from the Synagogue seized Paul and took him to court to appear before the new Governor. The charge: This man, they said, is trying to persuade people to worship God in a way that is against the law! (Acts 18: 13 GNB) The law they were referring to was their understanding of Jewish Law and not Roman Law, for the empire tolerated many forms of worship, but even then, Christian worship was not in breach of Jewish Law either. Paul was about to give a defence of his actions when the judge suddenly interrupted the events and made his ruling. He was not going to arbitrate on matters pertaining to the interpretation of religious law, and so threw out the case and the petitioners too. Since this is an argument about words and names and your own law, you yourselves must settle it. I will not be the judge of such things! (Acts 18: 15 GNB) And this wise judge laid the foundations for the social doctrine of the separation of church (or religion) and state, which exists in many places around the world today. The protagonists were enraged and tried to get the judge to reconsider the matter by beating one of their own, Sosthenes, the leader of the Synagogue (perhaps the main instigator of this case) but the Judge paid no heed to their antics. It was a less than subtle attempt to intimidate the public peace and so to influence the court. But the Judge was having none of it. True justice is based upon truth and righteousness and not upon the offended feelings of a few. Pauls actions were not in any way wrong even though some were offended by them, and so the Judge acted appropriately. Perhaps the lesson we can learn from this is that sometimes, you dont need to defend the truth, the truth will defend itself! Sometimes, we just need to trust that true justice will prevail and that good people in places of authority will do what is right. Prayer: O God of justice, one day all of us will stand before your court to give an account of our lives, and your justice will always be fair and true. So help us to act justly in all of our dealings with others, that our conscience would always be clear and we will not be ashamed on that day when we stand before you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. See you in a couple of days time. Love and Prayers, Rev. Dave See more

11.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 65. Acts 26: 4- 32, Paul’s Message to the king. The Message that Paul brought to the king was more implicit than explicit, though he did bring a challenge to Agrippa at the end of it. The message was that Jesus had proven himself to be the Messiah and that Agrippa and all people should believe it. He began his message by telling his own story. He had been raised as a Jew who faithfully practiced his religion...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 23. Acts 8: 26-40, Philip ministers to an Ethiopian Official. So far in the book of Acts we have read of how the early Christian leaders had shared their faith in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. But here, the Gospel is about to be taken to Ethiopia through the witness of a newly converted Ethiopian Government official. Up until now, the Christian leaders had responded to the needs of the people around them and i...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by ordinary people; 17. Acts 6: 1-7, The choosing of the 7 Deacons. So far in the Book of Acts we have read of the last gathering of Jesus with his Disciples, his ascension, the day of Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit, many conversions, miracles performed at the hands of the Apostles, persecutions, care of the poor, hypocrisy in the church, more persecutions and much growth of the church. It seems like so much has gone o...Continue reading

07.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 36. Acts 13: 13-41, Paul & Barnabas minister in Antioch in the region of Pisidia; Part 1: Pauls message. In this passage, we read of Paul and Barnabas missionary outreach to the people of Antioch in the region of Pisidia (the south west coastal area of Modern Turkey). They had travelled there by boat from Cyprus and landed at Perga a city of Pamphylia, where John Mark left them to travel back to Jerusalem. We...Continue reading

07.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 47. Acts 18: 111, Paul at Corinth (part 1). Paul eventually moved on from Athens to Corinth, not under compulsion by some angry mob as he had previously experienced at Thessalonica and Berea, but because his mission was to bring the good news to as many people as he could in as many places as he could reach. We are not told whether any of the trouble makers from Thessalonica had come to Athens to hound him, bu...Continue reading

07.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 32. Acts 11: 19-30, Continued expansion & the ministry of Barnabas. After the martyrdom of St. Stephen, much of the church was scattered from Jerusalem and where-ever the believers went they preached the good news about Jesus Christ. We read at the beginning of this section how the gospel had reached Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. Initially many the Jewish believers of this diaspora preached the gospel to th...Continue reading

06.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 50. Acts 19: 1-10, Paul serves in Ephesus. So here we read of Apollos going to Corinth while Paul arrives in Ephesus. And while he was in Ephesus, he encounters some disciples who were around prior to the day of Pentecost for they had been baptised by John the Baptist. They were followers of Messiah of whom John taught, who had not yet received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; in fact they had not even heard of... the Holy Spirit. So Paul instructed them and baptised them in the name of Jesus Christ, and God sealed their faith by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he had done to the other Christians. This happened as Paul laid his hands upon them, by which perhaps, God signified that what Paul taught them was true. Afterwards, Paul went and taught in the Synagogue and continued to do so for the next three months. He talked with all who were willing about the kingdom of God and the essential place of Jesus Christ within it. Some believed but others became stubborn and refused to believe. This group eventually began to speak evil of the way of Jesus Christ and (no doubt) of his followers. So Paul eventually left the Synagogue and took those who did believe with him. He then started fresh discussions (possibly on the same issue, the Kingdom of God) in a new location; the lecture hall of Tyrannus, which was probably a private school operating in Ephesus at that time, though what they taught we dont know. Yet it must have been a popular school, for Luke makes the observation that during the two years that Paul taught from there; all the people who lived in the Province of Asia, both Jews and Gentiles, heard the word of the Lord. (Acts 19: 10b, GNB) Perhaps one thing we can take away from todays passage is that when one door of opportunity shuts, God opens another with even greater possibilities than before. Thus Paul reached more people with the Gospel from Tyrannus hall than he could have from the Synagogue. Prayer: O living Lord of the church, guide us every day as we seek to serve you. Close the doors of service that might frustrate us or be fruitless but open doors where our service for you can be truly satisfying and fruitful. To the praise of your glorious name we pray, Amen. See you in a couple of more days, Love and prayers, Rev. Dave See more

05.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 25. Acts 9: 20-25, Saul shares the service and strife of the believers. What a radical transformation had taken place in Sauls life. From a persecutor of the Christian community to one who served them. His period of discipleship amongst the Christians was brief (only a few days) before he began to preach beside them. Ive been in the Church all of my life, and Ive never seen new converts being allowed to pre...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 52. Acts 19: 21-41, The Riot in Ephesus and its aftermath This section begins with Paul deciding to go back to Greece and from there to return to Jerusalem. He also, indicated his desire to go to Rome. But suddenly, the relative peace of Ephesus was changed through civil unrest. God had changed the lives and minds of many in the city and the surrounding area, so that fewer people were interested in buying the ...Continue reading

05.01.2022 A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Amos by a Country Minister. (The Rev. Dave Graham) No. 3; AMOS 2: 6-3:2; God’s message to Israel. As God’s message had previously come to the other nations, now the message of God came to Israel. Again God speaks of their recurring sinfulness and of their wickedness of selling their own people into slavery who could not pay their debts. And while, according to the law, people could be forced to work for another Israelite for up to 7 year...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 43. Acts 16: 1-15, Paul and Friends next Missionary Journey. So Paul hit the road again, this time taking Silas with him. They travelled to Derbe, Lystra and Iconium. At Lystra they were joined by a well respected young man by the name of Timothy. Timothys father was Greek and his mother was Jewish, but Timothy hadnt been circumcised. This would have caused difficulties for him being accepted by the Jewish c...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 45. Acts 17: 1-15, Paul and Silas at Thessalonica & Berea. After Paul and Silas left Philippi, they travelled through two more towns (Amphipolis & Apollonia), on their way to Thessalonica. We are not told of any missionary activity in those towns and so perhaps might conclude that nothing noteworthy happened there. Perhaps the Holy Spirit who was their constant companion and guide did not allow them to minis...Continue reading

04.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 51. Acts 19: 11-20, Where does your power come from? In this section, we read how God was performing miracles through Pauls ministry, to such an extent that even handkerchiefs and aprons used by the Apostle were taken to the sick, and they would recover. Their diseases would disappear and even demons which possessed some of the people were driven out by the appearance of these pieces of Pauls apparel. And th...Continue reading

02.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 68. Acts 28: 1-13, Paul ministers in Malta. After a gruelling two weeks of stormy weather at sea, Paul and his companions arrive on the Island of Malta. The people were friendly and helped out all of the people who had escaped from the doomed ship, building a fire to warm them and no doubt creating some rudimentary shelter to protect them from the driving rain. As Paul was collecting wood for the fire, a snake...Continue reading

02.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 37. Acts 13: 42-52, Paul & Barnabas minister in Antioch in the region of Pisidia; Part 2: the outcome. Paul preached his message perhaps wondering whether any hearts had been changed. The closed minded mockers he had heard, but what about those whose hearts were open? He didnt have to wait long, for as they were leaving the Synagogue, a majority of the people invited him back on the following Sabbath to tell ...Continue reading

02.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 42. Acts 15: 22-41, The letter to the Gentile Churches and a sad parting. After the council at Jerusalem had decided on the issue of what rules the Gentiles had to comply with in order to be regarded as Christians, they decided to send two highly respected leaders of the Judean Church to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch. These men would verify the resolution as contained in the letter from the counc...Continue reading

02.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 35. Acts 13: 1-12, Barnabas & Saul, Partners in ministry. In the book of Acts, we read of three different Ministry Partnerships: Barnabas & Saul; Barnabas & Mark and Saul (Paul) and Silas. And so we have in this passage an account of the first of these....Continue reading

02.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 26. Acts 9: 26-31, Saul eventually serves with the church in Jerusalem. This section starts out by saying: Saul went to Jerusalem and tried to join with the disciples, but they would not believe that he was a disciple, and they were all afraid of him. (Acts 9: 26 GNB) Given the fact that he had to flee from the Jewish authorities in Damascus and that news of his conversion would soon reach the church in Jeru...Continue reading

02.01.2022 A Devotional Commentary on the Book of Amos by a Country Minister. (The Rev. Dave Graham) No. 5; AMOS 3: 9-4:13; Israel’s doom resulted from their stubborn refusal to listen to God. Amos begins this section by rhetorically shaming Israel for their sins. Tell those that live in the palaces of Ashdod and Egypt: ‘look at the great disorder and the crimes being committed. In Samaria’ (Amos 3: 9 My Paraphrase) The Israelites should have known better, after all they had the law ...Continue reading

02.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 66. Acts 27: 1- 12, Paul travels to Rome, during the storm season. Finally Paul begins his journey to Rome. Paul and a number of other prisoners were handed over to a Centurian by the name of Julius, who was an officer in the Emperor’s Regiment, which might indicate that he was returning to his home base. The boarded a ship at Adramyttium which was enroute for other ports on the south coast of the Province o...Continue reading

01.01.2022 Devotional Commentary on the Book of Acts by a country Minister; 38. Acts 14: 1-7, Paul & Barnabas in Iconium. When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Iconium they went to the Synagogue to meet with the people there. In the process they spoke of their faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and convinced many, so that they too became believers. Once again, the new believers were both from the Jews and the Gentiles; for by now, the Apostles were drawing no distinction between the two commu...Continue reading