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Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. —Acts 11:24 NLT Key Thought Earlier in the book of Acts, we met Stephen, who was described as being "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). Now Barnabas is...

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. —Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Trust. It can't be half-hearted. Either it is a full trust or it is clouded with suspicion and...

"As I began to speak," Peter continued, "the Holy Spirit fell on [Cornelius and his household], just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' And since God gave these Gentiles...

[Bless the LORD] who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. —Psalm 103:5 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... God is a God of renewal and blessing. His desire to renew and bless us is not just a desire to bless us once with our salvation. God...

[Peter:] "The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with [Cornelius' messengers]. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house." —Acts 11:12 NIV Key Thought To Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, the apostle Peter had to justify why he went to the house of...

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. —Romans 6:3-4...

Then Peter asked, "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that [Cornelius and his relatives and friends] have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?" So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days...

Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. —Proverbs 16:3 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... The real question behind this promise is very simple: How do I define success for my plans? The answer is very simple as well: bringing glory to God for his grace (see Eph...

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message [on Cornelius and his relatives and friends]. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. —Acts 10:44-45 NIV...

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. —Galatians 6:2 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... This is just another way of saying, "Love your neighbor as yourself!" Jesus came to bear our burdens and carry away the stain and pain of our sin. (Read Isaiah 53 for a powerful...

[Peter, to Cornelius and his relatives and friends:] "This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel — that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of...

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? —Romans 6:1 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Grace doesn't mean that we are sloppy with sin. We have died to sin when we surrendered our lives to...

Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you." —Acts 10:19 NLT Key Thought Peter wants to know the meaning of his vision — read Acts 10 for the details of that vision. What he learns about the vision is shocking for him...

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. —Isaiah 40:30-31 (KJV) Thoughts on...

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. —Galatians 2:20 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Christianity is all about dying to...

When [Paul's] friends learned of the plot [to kill him], they got him out of [Jerusalem], took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus. Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country — Judea, Samaria, Galilee — the church grew. They...

So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." —Acts 9:17 MESSAGE Key Thought Acts 9 tells the story of one of the...

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. —Galatians 5:25 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... It is one thing to talk about being filled with the Spirit; it is quite another to live under the Spirit's control and direction in our life. Paul is reminding us that we must do more...

Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the...

Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. —Proverbs 31:8 (KJV) Thoughts on Today's Verse... Christians in every era are called to defend the rights of the weak, speak up for the disenfranchised, and protect the life of those who are vulnerable. This...