Acts 16

Here is the way--
walk ye in it.
Hold not back from
impossible things.

God is extreme:
roadblocks, demons,
visions, prison,
travel toward grace

is not for the weak,
but He strengthens.

Acts 15

Who provides God’s favor?

Is it Abraham,

wandering in tents,

sacrificing Isaac on a mountain?

Is it Moses,

leading Israel,

living in the law that God has written?

Or is it God Himself

who calls all men together,

loves them as one body,

covers them with Jesus,

and sees them as His children?

God's favor rests in Jesus,

not rules and stipulations;

approval is His gift,

not dividend He owes us.

We live in warm acceptance

when Christ is our identity

and Moses is our background.

Acts 14

The story is spreading,

though peril and hatred

remind us that Jesus

is met with compunction.

We shall not grab glory,

nor shirk our commitment—

but walking toward heaven,

we share God’s salvation.

Acts 13

If you woke up this morning

immortal,

unrottable,

what fear would you shake?

What quest waits?

Does it drown you--

to know that God made

a street for you to hike

before He made time?

Some hate,

some are blind,

but since you woke up this morning

forgiven,

your journey is rising.

Acts 12

The chill of execution
falls over the morning

(my close friend
James was killed
already,
so the threat
is true)

but I sleep
soundly between
the guards.

I am chained
to the promise
that the God I serve
encompasses despots
who see themselves

as his equal.

Though others are shocked
by my rescue,
I witnessed
healings
gifts
miracles
overwhelming love
JESUS

remind those who follow
that prison can’t contain the good news

Acts 11

Who am I, that I should stand in God’s way?

God grows His church—

sharing His crazy, undying passion

with the undeserving,

the bigoted, the proud,

using the voices of undeserving, prejudiced,

arrogant believers

to feed those He loves.

The world will call them by a Name

that is gentle,

patient,

meek and humble in heart—

which in God’s eyes,

is their whole

identity.

Acts 10

Cornelius

was first outside

the Family

to be courted by the Maker.

Devout and faithful,

he always tasted emptiness

when he donated

coin and when he prayed,

because God lavished His passion

on the Jews.

Cornelius loved and obeyed,

sensing shunning

and cold silence.

The angel’s announcement gave

light and hope

to Gentiles who yearned for God’s

blessing...

Peter’s story was followed

by a miracle—

a language Cornelius didn’t know

that showed God’s gift

can be found

by all

those God loves!—

since God’s silence

was not disapproval.