Acts 22:30-23:35: Take Courage in the Dark

One sentence about the resurrection turns Israel's high court into a shouting match, and by nightfall Paul is alone in a cell with forty men swearing to kill him. Just when things seem darkest, the Lord Jesus shows up. He doesn't spring Paul from custody nor does he remove the danger. Instead, He gives him His presence and tells Paul to take courage, because he is going to Rome. That same Christ still comes to us where we are weakest, in the preaching of His Word and in His own body and blood at the altar, saying "take courage" to everyone who thinks tomorrow might undo them.  The Rev. Kelly Krieg, pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brenham, TX, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 22:30-23:35.  To learn more about Bethlehem in Brenham, visit bethlehemwmpenn.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: [email protected].