Paul didn't receive his whole assignment at once. He simply had to take the next step in obedience. And I believe that is often how God works with us: He may not show us the whole journey, but He tells us what to do next.
The Lord's Will be done
Finish the race, complete the task
Acts 20.24 says: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; if only I can finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
What a powerful statement. Paul considered his own life nothing compared with finishing the race and completing the task God had given him. All the suffering, all the hardship, and all his personal desires were secondary to that one purpose.
Compelled by the Spirit
Paul was full of concern because he says, “I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.” He didn't know what awaited him. He didn't know what the consequences would be. But he knew he had to go. That is what it means to be compelled by the Holy Spirit. You may not know everything that lies ahead, but you know that God is telling you to go – and when He compels you, you obey.
The Power is in the Name of Jesus
Acts 19:11 gives us something we haven't seen recorded in quite this way before: “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul.” Even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and people were healed and evil spirits left them.
Here we see another dimension of the healing ministry. God was working so powerfully through Paul that even cloths that had touched him were being used as a point of contact, and the sick were healed.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Paul explains in verse 4 that John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. John told the people to believe in the One who was coming after him – that is, in Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul laid his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came upon them. They spoke in tongues and prophesied – and there were about twelve men. What an incredible picture of the power of the Holy Spirit!
Don't be afraid, God is with you
One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and said, “Don’t be afraid. Keep on speaking. Don’t be silent, for I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city. I was extremely conscious of that in my own ministry. I spent 30 years working in communist countries, and another 30 years afterwards – 60 years in all working throughout the former Soviet Union. And during those years, there were four attempts to assassinate me. Yet I was always conscious that God was protecting me.
God can be found
The Power of Prayer
This is the only occasion in Scripture where prayer is answered by a literal earthquake. I wish more of us would pray with that kind of faith and expectancy today. This was no routine prayer meeting – it was prayer that shook the earth, broke chains, and opened doors. That is the kind of praying the Church needs once again.
Jesus is the healer
Salvation by faith alone
The Power of Expectant Prayer
The Gospel is for all
Jesus came into the world to save the lost. He came to die for sinners. He did not come for one group of people or another. He did not come only for the Jews or only for the Gentiles. He came for all people, so that everyone might have the opportunity to be saved. And today, our calling is to take that message of salvation to everyone.
Led by the Spirit
God still transforms lives today
If you are a believer, you too are called to be a witness, just as Peter, John, and the other disciples were. As Acts 10:39 reminds us, we are witnesses to what Jesus has done. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God still transforms lives today, and He invites every believer to testify to His saving grace and His mighty power.
God works healing miracles through you
In Acts 9, Peter encountered a man named Aeneas who had been paralysed for eight years. Recognising his need, Peter did not anoint him with oil or lay hands on him. Instead, he simply declared, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Immediately, Aeneas got up. There was no gradual recovery, no delay; the healing was instantaneous. The miracle demonstrated the power and authority of Jesus Christ working through His servant.
Following God's instruction
Looking back over my life, I can see how the Lord has ordered my steps. He has given me specific instructions and sent me to particular places. The evidence lies in what followed. My first overland journey to Jerusalem opened my eyes to the suffering of the underground Church behind the Iron Curtain. From that point onwards, at every stage of my life, I was acting under the Lord's direction. Time and again, God did exactly what He had promised.
The Holy Spirit will change your life
What happened on the Day of Pentecost was not a one-time event. Again and again, throughout the later chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, we read of people receiving the Holy Spirit. Each time, there was a remarkable transformation. They were filled with a new dynamic power, and it became unmistakably clear that the Holy Spirit had changed their lives.
Miracles confirm the Gospel
One truth I can never escape is this: the miracles recorded in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles were the evidence that confirmed the truth of the message.
Acts 8:6 tells us what happened: "The people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did." They didn't just hear Philip's words – they saw the power of God at work. The message and the miracles went together.
The Holy Spirit is given to all Believers
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts chapter 2 came upon the 120 believers, but there is absolutely no question that God's intention was never to limit His Spirit to that small group. The same Holy Spirit was given for all believers, empowering ordinary men and women to live as bold witnesses for Christ.