A Chapter a Day...

This semester, quite of few of us from Christian Students on Campus here at UT-Austin started a Bible reading schedule that basically amounts to a chapter a day. We decided to begin in the book of Acts since many of us had been reading the gospel of John over the summer.

Last Monday, we were on Acts chapter 2. I read the chapter in the morning with two other friends on the 9th floor of Jester dorm. Later in the morning, three different people texted me the same verse, Acts 2:21, which says: "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Needless to say, that verse was running through my head when I went to lunch. While standing in line at the SAC waiting to order my teriyaki chicken bowl, I started explaining the Bible reading schedule to another friend. Behind us, a random guy overheard our conversation.

Actually, the guy definitely wasn't random. He and I had been prepared for a divinely arranged appointment at that very place and time. He asked if we were talking about the Bible, and after I told him we were, he asked me to share something with him. A bit surprised, the only verse I could think of was Acts 2:21, because I had read and received that verse in the morning. The conversation quickly turned to salvation, and I learned that he had not yet been saved. To make a long story short, after we both got our food, he called on the Lord and prayed to receive Jesus Christ as his savior! He was happy, I was happy, and God was happy too!

This past Monday (yesterday), we were on Acts chapter 8. A few friends from Christian Students and I went over to a house near the campus for lunch, where we read and discussed this chapter. The fellowship eventually turned to verses 35-38, which say:

"Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? Then Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him."

We soon found out that one of the brothers there had believed but had not yet been baptized. After looking through verses about baptism all throughout the New Testament, we settled on Acts 22:16, which says: "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized..."

At that point, we stopped waiting, took the brother to a nearby apartment complex, and baptized him in a swimming pool. God was happy again!

It's amazing what the Lord can do with a group of people who simply read a chapter of the Bible every day.