Enthusiasm

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

ENTHUSIASM

Acts 20:7-12

7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

NIV

How much did Paul have to say that he spoke from the morning through midnight? He did not have all four of the gospel accounts or any of the letters he had written, although his fourteen letters, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus,  Philemon, and maybe even Hebrews, give us just how much Paul had to say about living a Christ-centered life. He was filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit, excited to share all about Jesus and the incredible life available to those who believe in him. Yet, as enthusiastic a speaker as Paul was, a young man sitting in the window fell deep in sleep and fell out, dropping three stories to his death. Maybe Paul was not that great a speaker, if he put people to sleep, but he was talking all day and into the late hours of the night. But it was not the end of the young man as Paul went down, lay over him, wrapped his arms around him, and simply stated a fact, "He's alive!" Then he went back upstairs and continued to talk until daylight. What do we learn from this narrative? We may not be able to speak for that many hours, but Paul spoke from his heart. That is what we can learn, to speak from our hearts. However, first we should have the truth deep within our hearts, not just talk about the scriptures intellectually. God has said that he has written the law, his word, upon our hearts and minds, and so we should have that enthusiasm, that spark, that comes from being filled to overflowing with the Spirit. The one thing that is not as clear as it could be is the reason the people were comforted. Was it because they were able to take the young man who was dead, but now is alive, home, or was it because of everything Paul had to say about Jesus and the resurrection, that although we die, we will live and much more about how we will be changed in a twinkly of an eye when Jesus returns to take us up to heaven to live in the place he has prepared for us? We know that when we read the word of God, we are comforted. The word of God brings us great joy and peace; our hearts are settled as we can be still within our hearts because we know He is God. We can live stress-free, worry-free because we put all our trust in Jesus. Because we are filled with the Spirit, we can speak about Jesus with enthusiasm. 

Encouragement

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

ENCOURAGEMENT

Acts 20:1-6

20:1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

NIV

Although most of this is a travel log and a list of those who traveled with Paul, one truth stands out: the word "encouragement." When he set out from Ephesus, after the uproar had settled down because of the City Clerk, Paul first called all the disciples and embraced or encouraged them, suggesting he wanted them to remain faithful to Jesus Christ. When he set out for Macedonia, he traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people. We should learn that lesson well and keep it deep within our being. We should always be about speaking words of encouragement and building each other up, so we all walk faithfully, steadfastly, persistently, and continually in our believing in Jesus. We know Jesus is supposed to be the center of our lives, being the very core of our daily walk or activities. That is everything we do, wherever we go, whoever we encounter, Jesus is the center of our attention, our thinking, our speaking, encouraging people to trust wholly in Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life; no one gets to the Father except through Jesus.  He is the resurrection and the life; the only way to live, even though we die, is because of or through the work of Jesus. We can encourage others to keep their faith in Jesus, for it is by faith we are saved, not by works or anything that we can do. Yet, although we need to have faith in Jesus for our salvation, it is solely Jesus' work that saves us. Our salvation is not based on our faith, but on the work of Jesus. In that sense, our faith means that we accept what Jesus did for us, believing it is all about Him and what he did. These are truly words of encouragement because we cannot save ourselves, but Jesus saves us. Our salvation does not depend on us; it depends on Jesus. Let us always speak words of encouragement to each other. 

Grievances

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

 GRIEVANCES

Acts 19:35-41

35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash. 37 You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38 If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40 As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it." 41 After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

NIV

The city clerk was a man of reason as he laid out what was happening: they were almost at the point of rioting, driven by emotions or their own interests. He instructed them regarding a legal way to settle any dispute with the people of the Way. What can we learn from this advice from the city clerk? First, we would like to believe there are never any disputes within the church, or rather, the community of believers, but we know that what we would like to believe does not matter, as disputes have occurred within the church. In fact, disputes happen within marriages, even in the lives of believers. But it is the church that should be of one mind, guided by the principles of faith, scripture, and, of course, the Holy Spirit. Yet we know some believers struggle with unforgiveness, holding on to bitterness that is almost on the fringe of hatred. It seemed that Demetrius was motivated by his loss of income, which drove him to hate those spreading the truth about Jesus. Was he bitter because of the truth about Jesus, because he truly believed his faith in the goddess Diana was right? Maybe disputes are always about both people thinking their opinion is right. But how can we believers, if we have learned from Jesus and have a gentle and humble heart, still be in opposition, to the point of a dispute, including having ill feelings for one another or hurt feelings? The city clerk warned the men of Ephesus that they were in danger of being charged with rioting. Although we know that God have forgiven our sins, but at the same time are we being charged for having such attitudes that cause disputes among us? We know that if we do not forgive one another, God will not forgive us, so then should we not live in peace, especially when Jesus gave us his peace? If we live in accordance with the truth, we would be building each other up, encouraging one another, forgiving one another, in essence, loving one another, which should mean any disputes simply dissolve instantly. Can we disagree about something? Sure, but we are still supposed to love each other and therefore never allow any dispute to arise or harbor any grievance against one another.  

Great is God of Heaven and Earth

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

GREAT IS GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

Acts 19:28-35

28 When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29 Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. 30 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31 Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. 32 The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33 The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34 But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 35 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven?

NIV

It is interesting how one man can become a mob, with most of them not even knowing what the protest is all about. Demitrius, the silversmith, was in the center of it all, and his motivation was his profit or his concern about money. However, he used the goddess Artemis as his excuse to create this riot. When they heard about what he suggested would happen to their beloved goddess, they rushed into the theater 6as one man. We wonder if people are that vehement about a statue in a temple that cannot hear, see, or speak to them. It is this statement of the city clerk that is the most bothersome. The way he worded it makes it sound like the image of Artemis fell from heaven. How is that possible since the temple and an image would have been crafted by the hands of men? The name Artemis in Greek means Diana, and it was supposed that her image was a gift from Jupiter to the city of Ephesus. No doubt this was perpetrated by the priests who served, or made their income from serving in the temple. How could anyone have seen a statue fall from the sky? Lies can be easier to believe than the truth. The crowd was confused because most of them had no idea what the commotion was about; they were only following a few who had caused it. How would this play out in our culture today? The news is happy to report on the protests about anything. However, it is the world, or the people who serve themselves, who usually cause the chaos of the protest. Why are we Christians so silent about our God? The people of Ephesus shouted loudly, creating chaos over a god they had never been blessed by, or heard speak, or had any written account of. We have both a written account of our God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We have eyewitness testimony to the truth of Jesus, and we have first-hand knowledge and experience of the Holy Spirit's presence within us, yet for most of the time, we remain silent in the public square. There are a few high-profile people who get some attention, but we as believers barely speak to anyone in the world about Jesus. Shouldn't we be causing a crowd? The men of Ephesus rushed into the theater as one man, or as one accord. We wonder how much accord there is among believers when we see so many divisions, with so many denominations, each with its own interpretation of scripture. There are even differing views within a single church. How could we stand as one accord that would throw our community into an uproar, shouting, "Great is God Almighty of heaven and earth." 

Divine Majesty

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

DIVINE MAJESTY 

Acts 19:21-27

21 After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also." 22 He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer. 23 About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24 A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. 25 He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. 26 And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. 27 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."

NIV

With Timothy and Erastus going on to Macedonia, Paul stays in Ephesus, and that is where the trouble over money starts. Interestingly, the silversmith named Demetrius seems to be more concerned about his income from making items related to the goddess Artemis. Of course, we know it is a false god that has no ears to hear, eyes to see, or mouth to speak, but the point is the temple that was built to worship it, which brought in a high income for all the tradesmen in Ephesus. Demetrius was smart about stirring up the others, using both their income and Paul's declaration that man-made gods are no gods at all, and that Artemis will be discredited and robbed of her divine majesty. This type of story has not changed much over the years. There are plenty of man-made gods, or man-made idols, that people worship today. These idols do not have temples, as was the case in Ephesus, but there are other ways to worship idols. We could not name all the idols of this world, but the point is that we believers should not make anything in this world an idol. Although money was at the root of the problem in Ephesus, that may be the root of many problems in our culture as well. Perhaps money has become an idol in our culture, and we wonder if that idol has not crept into the church? Thinking of an idol as some divine majesty goes totally against the one true Divine Majestic God. There is nothing made by the hands of man that could ever have any divinity, although what man makes can be worshipped. This does not mean believers should divest themselves of all their money, for we all require a certain amount to provide for the necessities of this life. Jesus taught about money, and we know that the love of money is the root of all evil, as we know from the letter to Timothy. Let us not get distracted from the faith and look to the ways of the world for our success and supplies. There is nothing more important than to trust our Lord God Almighty for everything in this life and for the life to come. He is the only True Divine Majesty. 

Authority Over Evil

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

AUTHORITY OVER EVIL

Acts 19:13-20

13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15[One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.   20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

NIV

The name of Jesus is powerful in the mouths of those who accept him as their Lord and Savior and are determined to follow him, but these seven sons of Sceva were neither believers in Jesus nor followers of Jesus. Yet they wanted to have the power to drive out demons, trying to use the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches. That proves they did not have a personal relationship with Jesus, but only the Jesus that Paul preached about. What we know in the spirit world, per se, where demons reside, roaming around looking for someone to enter or possess, know exactly who Jesus is. What we call demons are merely the fallen angels that sided with Lucifer, who was cast out of heaven; therefore, they were once in the presence of Jesus. There is power in His name, but that power is reserved for His disciples, or learners, who follow Him and His teachings. There are times when Jesus encountered someone who was possessed, and the spirits knew who he was, but he commanded them to be silent and come out of that person, and they obeyed because Jesus had all the authority over them and still does in our lives today.  This narrative also contains a warning against using the name of Jesus if He is not Lord and Savior over our lives. However, at the same time because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we have decided to follow him, no turning back, or do we follow at a distance, or semi-follow, that is say we follow him, but live our own lives, following our own path, making our own decisions, or choices, but we continue to attend church, and may even do some deeds within the church. Because of how the spirits treated the seven sons of Sceva, great fear seized many, and the name of Jesus was held in high honor. That is, or should be, our story, holding the name of Jesus in high regard, honoring his name, after all, we call ourselves after his name, Christians, people of Christ. However, when we live in Jesus, and He lives in us, and we are filled with the Spirit, we have the power of His name over the evil in this world. We may not go around looking for evil spirits to cast out in the name of Jesus, but we know that no evil spirit can come against us, giving us a beating, or causing us any harm, because they cannot deal with the name of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit; in fact, they run in the other direction, away from us. It may be true that they might try to create an illusion before us, attempting to lure us into their trap, but they cannot harm us.  We also want the word of the Lord to spread openly in this world, but it first needs to spread openly within our hearts. When we live in Jesus, and He in us, we have authority over evil. 

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.