Month: September 2020

Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. Acts 9:36 Today’s passage tells of Aeneas and Dorcas, one healed of paralysis and the other raised from the dead. I must admit that their names always make me laugh. One sounds unfortunately like a body part and one sounds like an…
Read more

And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. Acts 9:31 With movie theaters open (for now), my son and I recently saw a film in which the fate of the world hung in the balance. As time travel was involved, it was more than a…
Read more

And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. Acts 9:26 Occasionally, someone who has only known me over the last couple of years will tell me they have a hard time believing that…
Read more

They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him . . . Acts 9:24 I don’t blame my previous job for my drug addiction and subsequent disaster. I do, however, need to be cognizant of the triggers that led me to using and that contributed to each relapse. Looking back, I…
Read more

And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” And all who heard him were amazed . . . Acts 9:20-21 In both treatment and jail, I’ve many times heard grandiose delusions from the newly sober. Never mind that that they’ve relapsed too many times to count, they’re in…
Read more

I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. Acts 9:16 It is the duty and privilege of those of us who have found recovery to reach out to help those still struggling. This isn’t a suggestion. It’s a necessary part of active recovery, and if we refuse to…
Read more

Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. Acts 9:13 In theory, I desire the life God wants for me. The problem is that my vision of that life is often quite different from God’s vision. I imagine that following God means the…
Read more

Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. Act 9:8 Mired in my addiction, realizing I wasn’t willing to do what it took to get sober, I once asked God to do whatever it took to get me there. Previously, I’d prayed many times for a miraculous change to…
Read more

See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized? Acts 8:36 This week marks my sixth year of sobriety. Looking back at the profound misery and darkness of my addiction, it’s hard to understand why I didn’t choose recovery earlier. It’s not that I didn’t want to clean up or that I didn’t try.…
Read more

And he rose and went. Acts 8:27 I’ve always been good at coming up with big ideas. My problem is in my follow through. Oh, I can dream big, but when I realize how much work it takes to get where I think I want to go, I don’t want to go as badly. So,…
Read more