God came down and suddenly, as the workers gathered for work one morning, they found they couldn’t communicate with each other anymore. The word “confusion” only begins to describe individuals’ personal terror, shock and isolation, and collapse of their society.
Acts Wednesday: Chapter 15, Unity
God was creating a new humanity – He was expanding the parameters of His chosen people to include all those who put their faith in Jesus. They would die with Christ and be born to new life, as a new person, a part of a new race of people who were all deeply connected to each other as brothers and sisters, beloved children of God.
Acts Wednesday: Chapter 15, Dissension
These divisions are pretty sharp. It’s hard to know how to keep integrity and still live koinonia with our brothers and sisters in the Lord whom we sharply disagree with.
The Plains of Shinar
So the descendants of Noah’s plan to build a colossal ziggurat in order to storm the gates of heaven and take over was not a surprise for God, and it didn’t force Him to scramble for some sort of Plan B to rescue His purposes for the cosmos, or for humankind.
Acts Wednesday: Chapter 14, Disaster at Lystra
Imagine the hairs pricking up on their arms and necks as Paul’s impossibly broken and bloodied body began to stir, his arms and legs now shifting in shape until they were true and straight again.
Acts Wednesday: Chapter 14, Prelude to Disaster
As the saying goes, anyone can start strong ... but the victory is not to those who start. It is to those who finish.
Table of Nations: Japheth and Shem
Last week, I covered the migration of Ham's descendents across the Middle East and through to the continents of Africa to the west and south. This week I'll follow Japheth into Eurasia, over the top of the world and across to the other side of the globe, the Americas. Shem will settle largely in the Levant.
Acts Wednesday: Chapter 13, Paul and Barnabas Commissioned
Expect trouble," I would say to them, "Once you make a commitment to lead in the cause of Christ, you will be opposed. Now that you have taken up God’s call you have put yourself into the sights of God’s enemy. Do not resent it. The Bible teaches that successful work for God may involve suffering and hardships.
Table of Nations: the Sons of Ham
Genesis chapter 10 acts as both an expansion and illustration of what Noah was prophesying
Acts Wednesday: Chapter 12, Herod, James, and Peter
Plenty of times you and I can feel imprisoned by our circumstances … there are all kinds of ways to find ourselves bound in chains, as Peter was, having to fall asleep between hostile guards.