Walking with Jesus with Pastor Doug Anderson Podcast

   Every society in the world has various forms of punishment for criminals. In many countries that includes capital punishment. Methods of execution vary widely around the world, both now but especially down through history. We all know crucifixion has been one of the most brutal, but stoning is another. Yesterday we watched Stephen defend himself and the apostles before the angry Sanhedrin Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem. What was the charge levied against them? They had been teaching God’s truth about Jesus and helping those in great need in Jerusalem. Doesn’t sound like much of a crime, does it? As he concluded his statements, Stephen pointed to heaven and proclaimed: “Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever felt the exhilaration of being selected for a very significant assignment or position? Do you remember the feelings of inadequacy but also excitement for the opportunity? Join me again back in Jerusalem, about 2000 years ago, as seven men have been carefully selected, by those in the spiritual ‘great awakening’ which was turning Jerusalem upside down since the arrival of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost. (Acts 2)  Yesterday we looked closely at the CRITERIA for their selection found in Acts 6:1-4. Today let’s look at WHO these selected men were? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Selections are something you and I do every day, perhaps several times a day. We choose between options available to us, often MANY options! Elections are political selections. Draft days are athletic selections. Shopping is all about selections whether it’s in a physical store or online. Even dating and marriage is about selection, isn’t it?   Join me again in the middle of a nearly out of control spiritual movement in Jerusalem in which thousands of people are turning to Jesus as their Savior, Messiah and Lord. There was great need for a selection to be done! As we saw yesterday, in all the excitement, a problem is developing which is serious because the needs of certain dear widows are being overlooked. Yes, an unfortunate, prejudiced selection process seems to be leaving certain widows left unserved while others are more than adequately cared for. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever been in a situation where growth was happening so fast things were getting out of control? Maybe a snowstorm that’s turning into a blizzard; or a rainstorm that’s turning into a hurricane; or a few sick people that’s turning into a pandemic?  In the past few days, we’ve been watching Jerusalem turned upside down, about 2000 years ago, when the Holy Spirit of God came upon 120 followers of Jesus on Pentecost day. (Acts 2:1-12) By the end of that day 3000 people had been baptized and joined this “Jesus movement”! (Acts 2:41) Things were getting out of control!!(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   What do  you consider the most powerful forces in our world, whether military or political or natural disaster? Are they any you would consider ‘unstoppable’? Today let’s look at one that qualifies and it is exciting because God Himself empowered normal people like you and me to be part of it!  Yesterday I left you in a gathering of the most influential, powerful religious leaders in Israel. They were called the ‘Sanhedrin’ and they had gathered to decide what to do about the nearly “out of control” spiritual ‘great awakening’ happening in Jerusalem. Since the Shavuot/Pentecost festival everything was turned upside down, by the Holy Spirit empowered disciples proclaiming the wonders of Jesus in languages they did not know! (Acts 2:1-12) And then there was the healing of a crippled man by Peter and John through ‘the power of the name of Jesus’! (Acts 3) And more recently other miracles by these Holy Spirit anointed followers of Jesus. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   What happens in your soul when you see the black clouds beginning to gather and the wind start bending the trees around you and maybe the rain starts pelting down on you? Do you get excited knowing you are about to experience a powerful lightning and thunderstorm demonstration of God’s power? Do you close windows and doors and maybe take cover? And what would such an event look like if it was a spiritual storm rather than a rainstorm? Join me again back in Jerusalem, 2000 years ago, in Acts 5, in the Bible. Yesterday we watched a shocking event as Ananias, and his wife Sapphira were actually struck dead by God as they brought a large financial gift to help the needy in Jerusalem!(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you noticed how big a role MONEY plays in every society, most relationships and even the spiritual journey many people walk? Yesterday we were in Jerusalem watching an amazing thing. A Jewish Levite from Cyprus named Joseph (Barnabas) sold a piece of real estate he owned and brought the money to the apostles for help in meeting the needs of people he didn’t even know!  Barnabas was profoundly impacted by the “Great Awakening” happening in Jerusalem, with more than 5000 men (Acts 4:4) having trusted Jesus to be their Savior, Messiah and Lord; and then many of them generously giving financially to help the needy. (Acts 4:32-37) But a problem was brewing!!(Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

  Has your life ever been threatened? Have you ever been in a situation where you knew that if you did a particular thing; or went to a certain place; or even said some specific words you might be arrested, tortured or even killed?  There are many places in our world, even today, where people live in that type of DAILY fear, did you know that? Maybe YOU are in such a place right now? That was the situation the disciples Peter and John were facing about 2000 years ago in Jerusalem. Let’s rejoin their story and see what we can learn from them. (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you ever found yourself facing very strong opposition and yet you were confident that what you were doing and saying was truthful, helpful and right? What does God want us to do when we face such challenges? Join me again in Jerusalem, about 2000 years ago, as a large crowd, watching a miraculously healed cripple man dance, was praising God, while religious leaders were dumbfounded and frustrated! Suddenly everything changed in that remarkable scene as opposition rose up. Acts 4 tells us authorities came and confronted Peter who had been explaining to the crowd what God was doing in this miraculous healing. The authorities seized and arrested Peter and John and put them in jail overnight without trial! (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

   Have you found there is sometimes great power in a person’s name, especially if that person is someone with great authority? Let’s jump right back into a historic scene in Jerusalem about 2000 years ago when apostle Peter was pointing at a jumping, dancing man. Why was the man dancing? Because this man had been a cripple his whole life, but now he was miraculously healed by God’s power.  In explanation, Peter said something radical to the crowd: “By faith in the name of Jesus this man, whom you see and know, was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has completely healed this man, as you can all see.” (Acts 3:16) Now what does that mean my friends? (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here