In 1947, American artist, Martyl Langsdorf created the iconic Doomsday Clock image for the cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The image was intended to signal how close humanity was to self-destruction.

Acts stops its record of the early church, but leaves a pattern for us to follow: give the gospel to those nearby; stay awhile or arrange for others to stay awhile to confirm them; move on to others who need Christ; repeat the process wherever you go.

Who is it that calls when we are ill;
With cheerful word and right good will;
And lingers gently then to pray
And soothe our care and fear away?
Our Pastor!

Neither a rabbit’s foot nor a religious ritual can accomplish forgiveness. I John 1:9 is not a formula or magic wand to ward off sins. Only God can forgive sins.

“How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!' This statement completely confused His disciples since, being Jews, they thought wealth was a sign of God's blessing. Jesus explained...

II Cor. 11:3 – “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

A story is told about a woman who was fascinated with snakes. She especially loved a large, seven-foot constrictor that she allowed to sleep with her. But she began to notice over several weeks that it had stopped eating.  Fearing for the animal’s life, she took it to a professional veterinarian to seek his advice.

Psalms 19:13 “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.”

My doorbell rang. Through the peephole, I saw two cleancut men. They were strangers to me, but I had an inkling about why they were at my door. They wanted, at least, to attract me to their cult and, at most, to convert me to it. What happened–and didn’t happen–next may be useful to you.

James 3:5 – “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”

But there is, perhaps, another way of looking at the text. Our good deeds, like the tongue, may sometimes seem small, but the action produced by them might have a powerful “matter,” effect, or result that is also kindled.