Jesus’ Work Has Just Begun

The book of Acts, sometimes called the Acts of the Apostles, follows the four gospels in the New Testament and tells the story of the Christian church in its very early days.  Luke, who wrote one of the gospels to “Theophilus[1], is also the author of Acts, which he begins like this:

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach.

Note that word “began.”  Considering that the book of Luke ended with Jesus’ ascending into heaven[2], why does Luke write in Acts that Jesus “began to do and teach”?  Because what Jesus did before leaving earth was only the beginning.  Jesus’ activity in the gospels was only the start of His mission and story, and now He rules from the right hand of God the Father and continues to “do and teach” through His people by His Holy Spirit.  He will continue to do this for all eternity.

Therefore, Jesus is still personally active in the world.  Are you listening and learning through consistent prayer, Bible study and fellowship?  See what He will continue to “do and teach” through you and His church!


[1] Luke 1:3
[2] Luke 24:51

Bible in a Year: Week of July 15 – 21

Fellow travelers:

Below are the chapters to read this week if you’re following along in my Bible in a year schedule, divided into morning and evening readings.  Follow along any way you want: you can just do the evening reading, flip the morning and evening, or read it all.  Whatever works for you and your schedule!  It doesn’t have to be Bible in a Year for everyone.

This week we finish Song of Solomon and Luke.  There will be 3 morning chapters on Friday instead of on Saturday to keep the end of Luke together.

Monday, July 15
Morning: Song of Solomon 5, Luke 18
Evening: Joshua 10

Tuesday, July 16
Morning: Song of Solomon 6, Luke 19
Evening: Joshua 11

Wednesday, July 17
Morning: Song of Solomon 7, Luke 20
Evening: Joshua 12

Thursday, July 18
Morning: Song of Solomon 8, Luke 21
Evening: Joshua 13

Friday, July 19
Morning: Luke 22-24
Evening: Joshua 14

Saturday, July 20
Morning: John 1-2
Evening: Joshua 15

Sunday, July 21
Morning: John 3-5
Evening: Joshua 16

Jesus is the Best Fisherman

During His life on earth, Jesus called 12 men to special positions as His disciples or apostles.  Out of these 12, at least 4 and possibly 7, were fishermen, a common trade at that time.  The gospels have many fishing stories, including one in Luke 5 when Jesus is about to call His first disciples.

One morning after Simon Peter and some other fishermen had been working all night without catching anything, Jesus decided to preach from Simon’s boat to the crowd that was following Him.  After teaching, Jesus told Simon: “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”[1]  Simon answered: “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”[2]

Simon ended up obeying, but not before objecting: “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!”  Some questions may have gone through Simon’s mind: Did this travelling rabbi just tell me how to do my job?  Nighttime was the best time for fishing, and they caught nothing, so why did He tell them to try again?  Maybe Jesus, as a non-professional, didn’t know that?  Maybe the felt like “I’m the expert here!”

However, Jesus knew what He was doing because when they obeyed, “they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.”  There were so many fish that, they “filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”[3]

One lesson of this story is that Jesus can perform miracles by controlling nature.  Another is that Jesus had an unlimited ability to help Simon and the others do their jobs!  And if Jesus was better than professional fisherman at fishing, what does that mean for other jobs?  Jesus always knows better than we do about any job!

So, whether you’ve had a productive day, or you feel like you’ve “toiled all night and took nothing” don’t hesitate to ask Jesus for career advice! As Simon (later known as Peter) wrote in his own letter, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7


[1] Luke 5:4b
[2] Luke 5:5
[3] Luke 5:6-7

Bible in a Year: Week of July 8 – 14

Fellow travelers:

Below are the chapters to read this week if you’re following along in my Bible in a year schedule, divided into morning and evening readings.  Follow along any way you want: you can just do the evening reading, flip the morning and evening, or read it all.  Whatever works for you and your schedule!  It doesn’t have to be Bible in a Year for everyone.

Monday, July 8
Morning: Ecclesiastes 10, Luke 9
Evening: Joshua 3

Tuesday, July 9
Morning: Ecclesiastes 11, Luke 10
Evening: Joshua 4

Wednesday, July 10
Morning: Ecclesiastes 12, Luke 11
Evening: Joshua 5

Thursday, July 11
Morning: Song of Solomon 1, Luke 12
Evening: Joshua 6

Friday, July 12
Morning: Song of Solomon 2, Luke 13
Evening: Joshua 7

Saturday, July 13
Morning: Song of Solomon 3, Luke 14-15
Evening: Joshua 8

Sunday, July 14
Morning: Song of Solomon 4, Luke 16-17
Evening: Joshua 9

Bible in a Year: Week of July 1-7

Fellow travelers:

Below are the chapters to read this week if you’re following along in my Bible in a year schedule, divided into morning and evening readings.  Follow along any way you want: you can just do the evening reading, flip the morning and evening, or read it all.  Whatever works for you and your schedule!  It doesn’t have to be Bible in a Year for everyone.

This week we finish Mark and Deuteronomy and move on to Luke and Joshua.

Monday, July 1
Morning: Ecclesiastes 3, Mark 16
Evening: Deuteronomy 30

Tuesday, July 2
Morning: Ecclesiastes 4, Luke 1
Evening: Deuteronomy 31

Wednesday, July 3
Morning: Ecclesiastes 5, Luke 1
Evening: Deuteronomy 32

Thursday, July 4
Morning: Ecclesiastes 5, Luke 3
Evening: Deuteronomy 33

Friday, July 5
Morning: Ecclesiastes 6, Luke 4
Evening: Deuteronomy 34

Saturday, July 6
Morning: Ecclesiastes 7, Luke 5-6
Evening: Joshua 1

Sunday, July 7
Morning: Ecclesiastes 8, Luke 7-8
Evening: Joshua 2