Persuasively

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

PERSAUSIVELY

Acts 19:8-12

8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

NIV

Two types of people are described for us. First, we have Paul, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, who speaks boldly and argues persuasively about the kingdom of God to men who were supposed to be Godly and to believe in God. Second, we have those who became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. Could this be the same in our culture today? We know there are those who are obstinate. We know some publicly malign the Way or Christianity, at least those who live by faith in Jesus Christ. But are we speaking boldly, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God? Have we simply resigned ourselves to supporting a few missionaries, thinking we are, by proxy, speaking boldly about the kingdom of God? How do we know they are speaking boldly and arguing persuasively, or are they just doing some form of ministry that is not in contact with the unbelieving world any more than we are? So then, what are we supposed to do?  We wonder whether there are people within the church who say they believe but are just a bit obstinate, though it is doubtful they would malign faith in Jesus. Perhaps, we should try speaking about the kingdom of God. Not sure if we can speak boldly or persuasively, but maybe we can just talk about the kingdom of God, both in church and to anyone we encounter in our daily lives. If we remain silent, gather only around those who believe in Jesus, and never leave the confines of the church, so to speak, then who are we, and what is our life's purpose? Of course, even Paul, as persuasive as he was, came up against the obstinate, among those within the synagogue, but he did not give up; he went into the public square. Could it be possible that if we had that kind of faith that Paul had and spoke as boldly as he did, God might do extraordinary miracles through us? There have been some who have tried to sell the idea of people giving a financial gift to get a handkerchief or something, but they were, or are, charlatans seeking fame and fortune. What we know is that we have all been called to be witnesses about the kingdom of God, and we should be talking about Jesus to everyone. The key is whether we believe strongly enough to speak persuasively. 

The Evidence

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE EVIDENCE

Acts 19:1-7

19:1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

NIV

One of the reasons many churches and church people are against speaking in tongues is that it was for then, but not for now. First, we must deal with being baptized in the name of Jesus. We are supposed to repent, as was the message of the baptism of John. People were baptized in water as a baptism of repentance. Interestingly, the Greek word metanoia means to have a change of mind. It is not supposed to mean that we have a compulsion of guilt because of our sin, which some might believe. We simply have a change of mind, as we no longer want to live the way we used to, following our own pleasures, and now we want to live as followers of Jesus. However, Paul's point is that although it is good to change one's mind, we also need to be baptized in the name of Jesus and to receive the Holy Spirit. The new believers in Ephesus had not heard about the Holy Spirit, but we certainly have, as we have all the scriptures available to us, so we can be fully instructed about the Spirit. This is one of the times when believers received the Spirit, resulting in them speaking in tongues and prophesying. Without investigating the Greek, the word prophesying could be misunderstood. What we find is that it could be the idea of foretelling future events, such as a prophet like Isaiah did. However, the other use of this Greek word, profeeteuoo, is to utter forth under a sudden impulse, in lofty discourse or in praise of the divine. This was what happened on the Day of Pentecost, when the disciples were speaking in languages they had not learned, and people heard them praising God. Because the word of God is active, alive, and meant for all people in all times, in every nation, being a transcultural truth, we believe one of the many evidences of being baptized in the Spirit is speaking in an unknown language, or tongues. Of course, there are many other evidences of being filled with the Spirit which could take a book to fully explore; however, the point is that a change should take place within us, first, as we are baptized in water in the name of Jesus, although usually, many baptizers say, in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Second, a change should occur when we are baptized in the Spirit. We should be changed, as we are now being influenced by the Spirit, and there has to be some evidence of that change. The question is, do we see the evidence?

 

Encourage and Strengthen

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

ENCOURAGE AND STRENGTHEN

Acts 18:23-28

23 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. 24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. 27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

NIV

We are introduced in this passage to the disciple Apollos, a native of Alexandria. One of the truths we observe is that Paul was going from place to place, strengthening all the disciples. Could that not be the call on all of us within the community of faith? We are supposed to build each other up and encourage one another, which, in essence, strengthens us. The best way to do that is with the word of God. We can speak flattering words, tell us how good we are, or how nice we look, or what good things we do in the church, but that is not strengthening, encouraging, or building up. The word of God builds us up, encourages us, and strengthens our character and our relationship with the Lord. That was what Paul was doing, as we also see Apollos, who had been instructed in the way of the Lord, speaking with great fervor and teaching accurately about Jesus. Because he was not aware of the baptism of the Spirit, only of John's baptism, Priscilla and Aquila explained to him the way of God more adequately; in other words, they encouraged, strengthened, and built Apollos up so that he could be more fully engaged in the truth. Because they strengthened Apollos in the ways of God, he became a great help to those who by grace believed. That should be our story. We should be speaking to each other about the word of God so that we strengthen, encourage, and build each other up, so that we can go help others who, by grace, believe. We can say many things from our humanity, our opinions, our thoughts, but it is the word of God that does the work of strengthening, encouraging, and building up. We wonder what the ratio of our words is, between talking about all the things in this world, such as the weather, sports, hobbies, the latest scandal, gossip, or about our aches and pains, and talking about the word of God. Although many subjects in the world can be of interest, only the word of God instructs, encourages, strengthens, and builds us up. Should we not speak more about the truth of Jesus? Should we not encourage each other? 

His Will

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HIS WILL

Acts 18:18-22

18 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken. 19 They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. 21 But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus. 22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.

NIV

We are at another travel log giving some of the places Paul visited. There is one truth in this narrative that bears our attention. When Paul arrived in Ephesus and went into the synagogue to reason with the Jews, they wanted him to stay longer; however, he declined. What he told them is where we find the story in our lives. He promised them he would come back if it was God's will. Although Paul traveled to many places, we have already seen the Holy Spirit keeping him from going to some cities, then giving him that vision of the man in Macedonia, so he went there. In this narrative, his statement reveals the whole purpose of his life: to follow the Spirit's leading. He did not go where the Spirit stopped him, and he went where the Spirit led him. Is that not the way we are supposed to live as believers? Why do we think we have the right to decide where not to go, and where we should go? Can we make our own decisions about what we are to do or where we are going? That seems counterintuitive to the life of someone who has declared they are following Jesus. That raises another question about Christians in general. When we call ourselves a Christian, what are we saying? Are we declaring that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or are we just saying we are a Christian, meaning we believe in God? However, the point is whether we have decided to follow Jesus? That would mean we have accepted or received the Holy Spirit, implying that we are listening to the Spirit's leading. How, then, can we decide anything if we are relying on doing what is within God's will? Paul promised to return if it was God's will, and should be the key of life for all believers, God's will. Are we living according to our will, or His will? Do we think we live according to His will, but actually live according to ours, or what we think is right? Let us not try to lead by our will, but simply follow according to His will. 

I Am With You

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

I AM WITH YOU

Acts 18:9-17

9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."  11 So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. 12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 "This man," they charged, "is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law." 14 Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law — settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things." 16 So he had them ejected from the court. 17 Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.

NIV

A few things are happening in this portion of scripture, but there is one major truth for us to take to heart. First, we are not surprised that the Jews who rejected the truth about Jesus being the Messiah and all that happened to him are bent on violence against Paul. Why are men constraining themselves to a law that was meant to lead them to Jesus? It isn't much different today when believers constrain themselves to so many rules and regulations, or their traditions, rather than living in the freedom of Christ. However, there are some differences between the law of Moses, a hard-and-fast set of laws established by God, and the rules and regulations that men use today. The rules and traditions of today are fluid, changing as culture evolves, even when believers think they are using scripture to support their rules, regulations, and traditions. As interesting as all this is, the central truth we want to ponder is the vision Paul was given. This is not just for Paul, as God's word transcends time. We can hear God telling us not to be afraid, just keep on speaking, and not to be silent, because He is with us. Just the simple truth that God is with us should give us the confidence to speak up boldly wherever we go. Of course, Paul was called by Jesus to spread the gospel message. But has not God called all of us to be witnesses, to speak out about the kingdom of God? We cannot just go about living our daily lives being like everyone else, and then show up at church once a week for an hour and call ourselves Christians. Being a believer is a lifestyle; our whole being has been changed, and we cannot help but think about Jesus in everything we do, because God is with us. What would our lives look like if God were not with us? We cannot even imagine what would happen to us; it is beyond our imagination what our lives would look like in the absence of God's presence. Let us live with confidence and assurance that God is with us, that He watches over us, and that He directs our path and protects us from any attack of evil. Let us always hear those words: "I am with you."

 

 

The Spirit's Leading

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE SPIRIT'S LEADING  

Acts 18:1-8

18:1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3 and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.   6 But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." 7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8 Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.

NIV

We are introduced to Aquila and Priscilla, who moved from Rome to Corinth, where Paul showed up after leaving Athens. Because of their shared trade in tentmaking, a friendship began that would last. However, the story here is that Paul reasoned with the Jews every Sabbath in the synagogue. Still, as we can see, the Jews opposed Paul's message, not only refusing to accept that Jesus was the Messiah, but they also became abusive. Why is it that people cannot have an intelligent conversation, even with opposing views, without becoming abusive, or to rail at, revile as the Greek word is blasfeemeoo, which is where we get blasphemy, to speak against the Spirit. Interestingly, Paul shook out his clothes in protest and told them, "Your blood be on your own heads!" This is where we come into the story. We might try to reason with people, even with members of our own families, but we are not the ones who can convince anyone, as that is the work of the Holy Spirit. It was plain to see that the Jews in Corinth were not open to the work of the Spirit, refusing to hear the truth about Jesus, even as well as Paul was able to reason. We certainly are not a match for Paul's skill at reasoning with others, but we can tell our story of how Jesus changed our lives. Yet, each person must make their choice, and some just do not accept the truth, but make up their own truths and even become somewhat abusive when we present the facts about Jesus. Do we shake our clothes at them and tell them their blood is on their own heads? That is difficult to do when they are either friends or family members. We want them to see Jesus as we do. We want them to be saved and gain eternal life. How difficult it is to think of their reward as anything other than heaven. Yet, all we can do is pray that the Holy Spirit will break through somehow. If they will not listen to reason, then all we can do is pray they will believe somehow, someday. Our ability to reason may not be enough, as Paul's was not in the Corinthian synagogue. But do we really shake off our clothes, or shake the dust off our feet, because we failed at reasoning? Maybe we need to go elsewhere, as Paul did, to find someone who believes, or we could just follow the Spirit's leading. 

God's Offspring

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

GOD'S OFFSPRING

 Acts 17:22-34

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' 29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone — an image made by man's design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

NIV

There is the gospel in a nutshell, though there are other truths we should explore as well. First, we should remember that we cannot build any structure sufficient not only to contain God but even to be worthy of God.  In fact, we should not entertain the idea that we can do anything worthy to serve him. Who are we, but mere mortals, the work of His hands, that we should think we can serve Him? Was man created to be the servant of God? Yet, we use that parable about the good and faithful servant as an example that we should be a good and faithful servant. The Greek word translated as servant carries several meanings. First, to willingly give oneself over to another's will. That would imply that we live according to the will of God, not that we are serving him, but serving others. Second, Christ uses us to extend and advance his cause among men. In the sense that we are serving the Lord, but not as a servant would prepare a meal for their master, or wash their master's clothes, but more like we do what he desires for us to do as his disciples, his learners, his listeners. God made us, whereas men may make idols, but man cannot make God, even into what they think he should be. We are the offspring of God, meaning we are his children, and a child does not serve his father; rather, the father provides for his children. When we say, "Our God reigns," we commit ourselves to his leadership and authority in our lives. In that sense, we serve under his direction, but we cannot do anything for God, meet any of his needs, for he is God who meets our needs. What we can do is repent, or change the way we think about our lives, turning from self to Jesus. Then, as Jesus said, we simply need to follow him. Yes, there is being a servant, but that is to each other. We are to serve one another, love one another, and build one another up. That would be serving God's will for our lives. Because we are His offspring, it would be "Like Father, like son", because God is not unknown to us, we know who our Father is.