Study Desk

"The number of our people in Egypt grew. There were more and more of our people there. The promise that God made to Abraham was soon to come true.

Moses thought that his people would understand that God was using him to save them. But they did not understand.

The Lord said, ‘I am the same God your ancestors had—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Moses began to shake with fear. He was afraid to look at the bush.

"This Moses was the one his people said they did not want. They said, ‘Did anyone say you could be our ruler and judge?' But he is the one God sent to be a ruler and savior. God sent him with the help of an angel, the one Moses saw in the burning bush.

"This is the same Moses who said these words to the people of Israel: ‘God will give you a prophet. That prophet will come from among your own people. He will be like me.'

This same Moses was with the gathering of God's people in the desert. He was with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and he was with our ancestors. He received life-giving words from God to give to us.

But God turned against them and let them continue worshiping the army of false gods in the sky. This is what God says in the book that contains what the prophets wrote: ‘People of Israel, you did not bring me blood offerings and sacrifices in the desert for 40 years;

You carried with you the tent for worshiping Moloch and the image of the star of your god Rephan. These were the idols you made to worship. So I will send you away beyond Babylon.'

"The Holy Tent was with our ancestors in the desert. God told Moses how to make this tent. He made it like the plan that God showed him.

Later, Joshua led our ancestors to capture the lands of the other nations. Our people went in and God made the other people go out. When our people went into this new land, they took with them this same tent. Our people received this tent from their fathers, and our people kept it until the time of David.

God was very pleased with David. He asked God to let him build a Temple for the people of Jacob.

"But the Most High God does not live in houses built by human hands. This is what the prophet writes:

Then Stephen said, "You stubborn Jewish leaders! You refuse to give your hearts to God or even listen to him. You are always against what the Holy Spirit wants you to do. That's how your ancestors were, and you are just like them!

But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God. And he saw Jesus standing at God's right side.

All the people—the least important and the most important—believed what he said. They said, "This man has the power of God that is called ‘the Great Power.'"

The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God. So they sent Peter and John to the people in Samaria.

You cannot share with us in this work. Your heart is not right before God.

Soon he began to go to the synagogues and tell people about Jesus. He told the people, "Jesus is the Son of God!"

He was a religious man. He and all the others who lived in his house were worshipers of the true God. He gave much of his money to help the poor people and always prayed to God.

One afternoon about three o'clock, Cornelius had a vision. He clearly saw an angel from God coming to him and saying, "Cornelius!"