Aghavea Parish Church

Acts 9 The idea of Saul “breathing out threats” suggests that his fury towards the Christian people was all-consuming in his life.  Such was his desire to “kill-off’ the early Christian church that he went to the High Priest and obtained letter to the leaders in the synagogues in Damascus to allow him to bring back the Christians as prisoners.  Saul is filled with a zeal that is all-consuming and irresistable – certainly someone that is determined to see this task through to its natural end. Saul’s conversion is probably one of the most extreme in Christian history.  Saul, the Christian church’s greatest threat, is personally touched by Jesus in his vision on the road to Damascus.  The “Damascus road experience” enters the vocabulary as a description of someone whose life has been completely reversed!   Blinded and fasting, he is lead by companions to Damascus – where he spends three days waiting.  Ananias was plac...

Acts 8 Stephen’s death proved to be the catalyst for further persecution on the church.  While many of the men who had killed Stephen had been seriously affected by their actions – one young man had been affected completely differently!  Saul, who had held the coats, took this as his opportunity to  begin his personal vendetta towards this new Christian movement within the Jewish faith he loved so dearly.  His actions spark the “Diaspora” – the evacuation of the Christians from Jerusalem to the far flung parts of the known world. As a result of the Diaspora, Philip (one of the deacons who had been ordained in the previous chapters) arrived in Samaria.  Philip is undeterred, and immediately starts to proclaim the Gospel in the main square.  His message was accompanied by great signs, miracles and healings.  Demons were exorcised, people were healed, and all this was accompanied by great joy. This new power...

Acts 7 The deacon, Stephen, has been arrested and accused of blasphemy – and the accusations are that he has been preaching the Gospel!  When challenged by the high priest, his defence speech is a perfect example of how the Holy Spirit will inspire any of us to defend our faith – just as Jesus had promised. In his speech, Stephen invokes images of God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph and the pharaohs in Egypt, the ministry of Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon – all men who foreshadowed Jesus in the Old Testament, and men whose ministry was rejected by ancestors of old.  Eventually Stephen accuses them of even rejecting God’s Son, the Righteous One, without even recognising him as their Messiah! This is enough for the high priest and the council.  Stephen’s revelation of Heaven, seeing the Son of Man at God’s right hand is the reward that he is given.  His fate has been settled, and the witnesses and men standing nearby a...

Acts 6 Any church with people will have the same problems – people!  One of my former rectors used to say that the perfect church doesn’t have any parishioners, and he’s probably right!  Human problems aren’t something that the modern church has invented, even the very early Christian experienced human problems. As the church continued to meet together and share their resources.  There was quite a lot of camaraderie and fellowship, yet there was still a lot of prejudice amongst the Christians. There was some perception that the Hebrew speaking Jewish widows than the Greek speaking widows.  They took the matter to the Apostles, who realised that dealing with practical issues could soon overtake their spiritual duties.  Their practical decision was to appoint seven overseers or deacons.  Their responsibilities would include the looking after the practical side of the church – including a Gentile convert to Judaism, ...

While I didn’t keep it a secret over the weekend, I celebrated my 50th birthday on Friday 3rd January.  I had a lovely weekend with my family, but I thought I’d finished the celebrations when I arrived at church this morning for Holy Communion. Immediately following the service, David Atwell announced my birthday to the congregation, and invited them to spend a few minutes afterwards continuing our fellowship over tea, coffee and birthday cake! I’d like to thank Nuala Atwell, Eric and Myrtle Graydon (of Graydon’s bakery - other bakeries are available, of course), and my dear wife Kim (who it appears is excellent at keeping secrets) for supplying the cakes and teas, and for all the rest of the congregation for coming along to help celebrate my “special” occasion after the service. Incidentally, the decoration on the cake is a reflection of my love of reptiles. I don’t have a crocodile as yet - but plenty of smaller reptiles that look a lot like them!  I don’t think Aghave...

Acts 3 The disciples have been proclaiming the Gospel about Jesus, but they are essentially still Jewish in thought, faith and practice.  They have been consistent in their daily and weekly practices, attending the Temple for their worship.  As Peter and John attended one afternoon, they were asked for alms from a lame man – yet they offer so much more, proclaiming him healed in Jesus’ name. They immediately come to the attention of the crowds, with the once-lame man now dancing and praising God.  They run to Peter and John in the expectation that these two disciples were somehow Jesus’ successors, performing miracles in their own power.  Peter addresses the crowds again, and in his second witness to the people explains that the healing was nothing to do with them personally, but that they had simply been instruments of the Holy Spirit. The disciples go on to point out that all the prophets, all the scriptures had pointed to Jesus, an...

Acts 2 Acts chapter 2 is probably one of the most powerful chapters outside the Gospels.  The disciples had been obedient to Jesus’ last command and had waited together in a room.  The day of Pentecost (the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday – a Thursday) came as suddenly as Jesus’ birth had been.  This time there are no angels, no shepherds, no wise men (yet), and no manger!  This time belongs solely to God!  The Holy Spirit descended upon this group of weary and frightened disciples in a loud wind and tongues of flame.  They were instantly filled with the Holy Spirit and didn’t just start to speak with other languages, but they were filled with a new boldness and power. At this time, there were lots of Jews from all over the “known” world – and these uncouth Galilean were suddenly the centre of attention, as they were speaking the languages known to each.  Although the accusations flew about that they were dr...

Our New Year challenge starts today, 1st January 2020, in which we will be reading a chapter per day of the book of Acts of the Apostles.  This is the follow-up to the Gospel according to Luke, and he continues the history of the Early Church.  Join us throughout this month, and learn how the Early Church continues the mission entrusted to his disciples by Jesus. Acts 1 Luke breaks the fourth wall again by speaking directly to his desired audience, Theophilus.  He summarises what he has told so far, before continuing with his history of the Early Church.  He summarises the fact that Jesus had lived a proper human life (from his birth to his baptism, at least).  He relates his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.  He reminds Theophilus that many, many people had seen the risen Lord, and then, as he about to ascend into Heaven, he commands the disciples that should wait in Jerusalem to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit....