Knowing the Truth

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

KNOWING THE TRUTH

Acts 22:23-30

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." 27 The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," he answered. 28 Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied. 29 Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. 30 The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

NIV

We have come to the place in the life of Paul that had been brought to a boil, so to speak. We do not understand why the Roman commander thought it was necessary to flog Paul, just because the crowd was yelling and shouting, "Rid the earth of him, his not fit to live." However, it is not legal to flog a Roman citizen without a proper trial. So now we are at the point where we will see the Roman commander take Paul to speak before the Sanhedrin, but for now, what do we learn for our lives from this situation with Paul and the Roman commander?  First, the angry mob of Jews did not have the full story, the full truth about Jesus, although Paul tried to explain Jesus to them. They were driven by either fear, because their way of life had been threatened, they were resisting change, or their hatred for the Gentiles, whom Paul went to, drove them to respond ungodly, whom they professed to worship. Second, the commander acted as he believed was justified, but he did not have the whole truth about Paul, including the fact that he was born a Roman citizen. Our lesson is about how we act, or respond to situations we face in life, including within the community of faith. Do we allow any anger to well up within us because someone said something we vehemently or fundamentally disagree with?  Do we respond or take action either toward or against someone, such as gossip about them, without knowing all the truth about them? In all reality, gossip is sort of a flogging without the whip, although the tongue is a form of whip. Everything about the situation Paul was in lacked the truth that Jesus taught about love. When we live within the command of Jesus, knowing the truth about loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and body, and loving our neighbor, that is everyone, as we love ourselves, then all our actions and responses are driven by love, not anger. We must always live according to the truth. 

Sent

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

SENT

Acts 22:12-22

12 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him. 14 "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' 17 "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'  19 "'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.   20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' 21 "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" 22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!"

NIV

After Paul finished his testimony about how Jesus intervened in his life and how he turned from persecuting the people of the Way to becoming one of them, he told the crowd, who had been very silent up to then, that God sent him to the Gentiles. That is when their hatred boiled up once again, shouting, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" Something like this would never happen today, as we believers hold no hatred for the Gentiles, who in our day would be the non-believers, for in the truest sense of the word, we are all Gentiles, or non-Jews. However, in another sense, we are true Israel because we have circumcised hearts. In our world today, there are only two types of people: those with circumcised hearts and those with uncircumcised hearts. The Jews held such a hatred for the Gentiles because they thought God was only for them. He was the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Issac, their forefathers, and He performed miracles only for the Jews. He was their God and no one else's. Of course, we do not think that God is only on the side of us believers and that he would not do anything for those dreaded unbelievers. However, we were once among those dreaded unbelievers until Jesus intervened in our lives, as he did for Paul, changing us. We wonder why we do not show the love of Jesus to those whose hearts need to be changed, as much as we love other believers. We wonder why we only keep to ourselves, almost as if we lock ourselves inside the church, keeping the sinners locked out. Have we not been sent out to be a witness to the mighty acts of God and His free gift of salvation through Jesus? The Jews hated the Gentiles to the point that they considered them enemies, even enemies of God, just as they were told to drive them out of their lands. We are told to love our enemies, even those who have chosen to be enemies of God. He loves them just as much as he loves us, and he sent Jesus for them as he sent him for us. We are all the same, the creation of God. Let us be his servant, his witness to whoever he opens the door to. We need to be proclaiming his free gift, his grace, Jesus. We have been sent. 

Tell the Story

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

TELL THE STORY

Acts 22:1-11

2:1 "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 "About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'  8 "'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 "'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.'  11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

NIV

Paul now stands before those who wanted to kill him, but at present, he is under the protection of the commander of the Roman army and stands just outside the barracks. Paul told them of his previous life as a faithful Jew who hated the people of the Way and went after them to persecute them, but then he told them of his encounter with Jesus of Nazareth.  From all the accounts of his travels and his testimonies to all the Gentiles throughout Asia, Galatia, Corinth, Ephesus, Thessalonica, as well as all the other places he boldly spoke about Jesus, we know Paul was passionate in his faith in Jesus. Although this is just the beginning of his testimony before the people, we want to focus on the fact that Paul had an incredible testimony about his encounter with Jesus and wanted to share it with others. How do we relate to the encounter with Jesus? Have we had an encounter with Jesus that comes close to Paul's? Have we had any encounter with Jesus, or do we just call ourselves Christians and sort of live according to some of the scriptures, at least the ones we chose? Do we have a testimony about an encounter that changed our lives forever, as Paul's life was changed? How many times have we shared our encounter with Jesus? Do we share anything about Jesus with anyone? Speaking on a personal, or in the first person, I have had an encounter with Jesus, an overwhelming encounter, including a miracle that changed me forever, that turned my life completely around. Am I perfect? No, I will never be perfect until I reach my heavenly home. But the encounter brought me from that city of darkness and death, over the chasm, by the cross of Jesus, into the city of light and life. I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love. Paul loved to tell the story, and we should all love to tell our story of our encounter with Jesus. 

From Chaos to Peace

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FROM CHAOS TO PEACE

Acts 21:30-39

30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 3 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Away with him!" 37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. 38 "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" 39 Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." 0 Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:

NIV

With the whole city of Jerusalem in an uproar, with people running from all directions as they seized Paul and dragged him from the temple, its gates were shut. Why would the gates to the temple, dedicated to God, be shut? Was that closing off Paul from the temple, or an attempt to close in God, while they beat Paul, trying to kill him? These are Jews, who profess their obedience to the Lord God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, yet right there in front of the temple of God, they are wanting to kill a man. However, with the Roman commander and his soldiers intervening, they stopped beating Paul. He took him into custody, in chains, and brought him to the army barracks. Up till now, the Jews were out of control, maybe even thinking they were doing God a favor by killing Paul. But Paul was God's man; he had done what God wanted, as he was led by the Spirit, and now, after men wanted their way, it was time for the Spirit to take over and get things done his way. We notice that after Paul received permission to speak to the crowd, as he motioned to them, they were all silent, and he began to speak to them in Aramaic or Hebrew. What we learn is a lesson for all times. The Spirit leads the way, and God's will is always accomplished. When the Spirit speaks, or we could say, when God speaks, we should be like that crowd, silent. It may be that we spend too much time talking to God, asking him for what we want, and then spend too little time being silent, listening for his voice, his directions, his leading in our lives, his plan, his purpose for us. It is possible that when we shut the gate of our heart, shutting God out, so to speak, life might get a little chaotic, as we run in all directions, trying to do what we think is the right thing, but not knowing for sure, so we run in another direction, trying something else we think is right, but never finding it, unless we stop, remain silent, and listen for his voice, his leading and then we will be right where we are supposed to be, doing exactly what God desires us to do, then chaos is turned into peace. 

Attitude of Service

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

ATTITUDE OF SERVICE

Acts 21:26-29

26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. 27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." 29(They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.)

NIV

There is nothing about the gospel in this narrative, but it does point out that the Jews wanted to live under the law, and if anyone, such as Paul, spoke out about Jesus and how he fulfilled the law, and established a new covenant, they would stamp on them. When those who are referred to as the Jews must have been the Pharisees, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law. Interestingly, they lived by the peoples tithes and offerings. Some may have generated income by providing legal counsel or charging fees for their services. Some could have been landowners, receiving income from renters. The point is, they may not have been so much concerned about the law as about their income being affected if the message Paul was spreading about Jesus became more popular and people stopped seeking out their services, or if their influence over the people diminished. Paul did not want to influence people to follow him, but to follow Jesus. How do we bring this into our lives, especially among the people of God? There is a difference between wanting influence over others and wanting to serve others. There are pastors, if we can use that term, who are silver-tongued purveyors of deception, seeking influence over people to receive a substantial income and live in luxury. But are they serving the people? Most pastors do receive an income from the church where they serve, but that is up to the people. Considering that Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers are gifts of the Spirit to the church, those who serve in any of those positions should serve as such. Of course, the guidance and influence come from the Holy Spirit, who is poured out on all who receive him. If we are going to influence anyone, it should always be in the direction of Jesus; however, rather than influence, encouragement, building up, and exhorting others to live as followers of Jesus, which would not be for personal gain or power, as it was for those Pharisees and teachers of the law. Those who have been called to serve God's people should have learned from Jesus to be gentle and humble of heart. Jesus said that he did not come to be served, but to serve. Let us all serve one another, having the attitude of service. 

Jesus or The Law

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

JESUS OR THE LAW

Acts 21:15-25

15 After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples. 17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."

NIV

Paul finally reached Jerusalem and met with the elders, those whom Jesus had called to follow him. They praised God for all that Paul reported about how many Gentiles had turned away from their idols and turned to Jesus. However, the bothersome part of this narrative is what the elders told Paul about how many Jews had believed, all of them are zealous for the law. Although the law was given through Moses, God had given them Jesus. How then can they be zealous for both the law and Jesus? Because they were Jews, they would always be Jews who had received the law and lived under it from the time of their birth; they just added Jesus as their promised Messiah, but remained zealous for the law. Had they not heard from at least one of the apostles that the law was set aside because it was weak and useless, for the law made nothing perfect? Had they not heard there is a better hope, Jesus, by whom we draw near to God? Did they not hear that Jesus had said that he set aside the first, the law, to establish the second covenant in his blood? Why did they insist on keeping the law, which included sacrifices, the blood of animals that could not wash away their sins once and for all, only the blood of Jesus does that? We wonder if some of the law has crept into the church. We Christians come from various backgrounds, some raised by parents who lived through the more puritanical period of the church, where the rules guided their behavior more than the grace of God. Some were raised in a sinful home, where religion, or anything about Jesus, other than to use his name in vain, was discussed. At some point in our lives, we must make a personal connection with Jesus and confess him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again to see the kingdom of God, or as we say, be saved and have eternal life. What is bothersome is that we wonder if we, or some, have held to the law or the rules of behavior as being holy and acceptable to God. If living in Jesus makes us perfect, or if we are declared by God to be holy and blameless in his sight, even if we are still imperfect in the flesh, then our holiness, or righteousness, is solely through the work of Jesus, not through our works of following rules and regulations. Of course, we want to live in a manner that pleases the Lord. Surely, we do not look for ways to sin. The walk is on a narrow path, but we have the Spirit to lead us, not the law or rules we may have established, thinking they make us holy. The Jews wanted Jesus and the law; they could not have both, and neither can we. Jesus and he alone is the only way.

 

His Will Be Done

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HIS WILL BE DONE

 

Acts 21:7-14

7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'" 12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."

NIV

Paul and his companions have reached the shores of Israel, and at Caesarea, they find the home of Philip, who was one of the seven deacons chosen by the people. As interesting as it is that Philips' four daughters prophesied, there is one main point in this narrative. Although the prophet Agabus acted and spoke for the Holy Spirit, Paul's companions and the people pleaded with him not to go to Jerusalem, and, though he would not be dissuaded, they gave up. They made this profound statement: "The Lord's will be done." Should that not be at the center of all this regarding our lives? Should we not always be content with the Lord's will being done in our lives? It is difficult to give up our own will, what we want to do, how we want to do it, and when we want to do it. We want to make our own decisions in life and plan for our future, but what about the Lord's will for our lives?" How do we justify doing what we have decided in light of what the Lord decided for our lives? We have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and he guides us into all truth, but that also requires that we listen. This is when it comes down to having a circumcised heart, exposing our hearts to the voice of the Spirit, who reveals the Lord's will for our lives. Yes, we are also filled with power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, or fills us, but that power is not to be used according to our will, but his will. Paul asked them why they were weeping and breaking his heart. At first, they were not concerned about the Lord's will, but they did submit, understanding that Paul's life was in the Lord's hands. That is how we should be living, in his hands, as He is the potter and we are the clay. He is the one who breaks us, melts us, molds us, into a vessel of his choice, and then fills us with his presence and power. However, we all have that choice, to live crippled by our own will, or live empowered by His will. We choose His will be done.