Foreword – Act three by E. M. Hicham – pastor, writer and international speaker

Throughout my spiritual journey, God has brought me into contact with mature Christians who have helped to shape my Christian walk. A few weeks after my conversion (15 years ago), I was invited to join a United Beach Mission’s French speaking team in Belgium, called Missions Vacances (‘Holiday Missions’). I had no idea what to expect! But that week was very influential in directing the rest of my Christian life. Gerard Chrispin was one of the leaders. He was also the Bible teacher for the week. I have wonderful memories of my time on the team. In particular, there are four things about Gerard which I have never forgotten: his humour; his ability to teach the Bible in a clear and accessible way; his love for souls; and seeing a qualified lawyer unashamedly declaring his Christian convictions in the open air. Gerard practised what he encouraged others to do, namely, make reaching people with the Gospel a priority.

I am glad to say that readers will find these four qualities in Gerard’s writings. Throughout this book, the reader will sense the author’s compassion for individuals to trust Jesus as the Scriptures are explained in a Christ-centred way.

I thank God for Gerard and for our friendship. I have a great sense of anticipation every time I pick up the books and booklets he has written. He writes in a gripping, elegant and logical manner. His uniqueness lies in his ability to explain the Bible in an easy to follow way. Many commentaries are too technical to follow, especially for new converts or those seeking answers about the Christian faith. The book of Acts can be controversial in some parts, but Amazing Acts deals splendidly with these sections. You can trust Gerard’s theological direction!

This book is the third of the very accessible Amazing Acts trilogy on the book of Acts. It is designed for individual or group reading. It can also form part of a correspondence course, which is available on request at two levels. More material can be found on the www.amazingacts.net website. This includes a free audio version of the book if you have purchased or been given a copy. It also includes for anyone a free chapter-by-chapter audio-visual version to listen to and to read, with the three questions at the end of each chapter.

I look forward to the time when these three volumes will be available both in French and Arabic. Until then, enjoy the privilege of reading this book in English! I strongly recommend it and pray that it will be a blessing to you as it was to me.

E. M. Hicham