Gary Gleans

                                                                                       Acts 7:35-43 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.  36  This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.  37  This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’  38  This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.  39  Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,  40  saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’  41  And they made a calf in those day

                                                                                  Acts 7:17-34 But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt  18  until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.  19  He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive.  20  At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God's sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house,  21  and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.  22  And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. 23  “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.  24  And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.  25  He supposed

  Acts 7:9-16 And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him   10  and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.   11  Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.   12  But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit.   13  And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.   14  And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.   15  And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,   16  and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. As Stephen continues his review of the history of Israel, he turns to

  Acts 7:1-8 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”   2  And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,   3  and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’   4  Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.   5  Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.   6  And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years.   7  ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’   8  And he gave him the co

  Acts 6:8-15 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.   9  Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.   10  But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.   11  Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”   12  And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council,   13  and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law,   14  for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”   15  And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was

  Acts 6:1-7 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.     So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.     Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them   and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.   They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.   So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number

  Acts 5:17-42 17  But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy   18  they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison.   19  But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,   20  “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”   21  And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest came, and those who were with him, they called together the council, all the senate of the people of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.   22  But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,   23  “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them we found no one inside.”   24  Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly

  Acts 5.12-16 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico.     None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem.     And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,   so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.     The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. The work of the Holy Spirit is evident in the lives of the early church as well as in the lives of the apostles.   God was demonstrating that these men were given authority to serve in His name.   The miracles they performed were very similar to those that Jesus Had performed earlier.   The acts they performed and the message they gave were clearly a con

  Acts 5:1-11 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,   and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.   But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?     While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”     When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.     The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.     And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.”     B

  Acts 4:32-37 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.     And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.     There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold     and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.     Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,   sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. The success of the early Church is undeniable.   They were up against impossible odds from a human perspective.   They were being persecuted from all sides and were seen as a threat to the established rel

  Acts 4:23-31 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.     And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,     who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage,      and the peoples plot in vain?   The kings of the earth set themselves,      and the rulers were gathered together,      against the Lord and against his Anointed’— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,     to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.     And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,     while you stretch ou

  Acts 4:13-22 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.     But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.   But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another,   saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.     But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”     So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.     But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,   for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”     And when they had further threatene