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. 

He Leads We Follow

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HE LEADS, WE FOLLOW

Acts 21:1-6

21:1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

NIV

Once again, we are seeing another travel log, listing some of the places Paul and his companions visited. At Trye, they found some disciples. We are not told how they found them or by what method, all we know is that there were believers in Tyre, although we cannot find any reference to who preached the gospel message to them. However, we find in this narrative that the disciples urged Paul, through the Spirit, not to go to Jerusalem. The disciples were believers and must have also been baptized in the Spirit. They were speaking to Paul, urging him through the power of the Holy Spirit within them. This was no ordinary urging by men, but it was an urging inspired by the Spirit. However, Paul was also led by the Spirit, so how do we justify this urging through the Spirit? We know Paul encountered trouble in Jerusalem. What do we learn through this exchange between the disciples in Trye and Paul? First, we know the Spirit will lead us, not just into all truth, although that is an incredible fact, but he will also lead us on the path we are to walk. Second, what we have to say to each other should be guided or prompted by the Spirit. We can all have our own opinions on matters in life, including religious or spiritual ones. We can all have our own opinions about how to interpret the scriptures, to the point of disagreeing enough to go form another church. But the fact is, we should be building each other up until we all reach unity in the faith, and that can only happen if we are all led by the Spirit, rather than by our own self-interests. Paul had been warned by the Spirit of his pending hardships, yet he also knew he must follow the path laid out for him, even when others, through the Spirit, urged him not to go on to where trouble would meet him. Who was right in this matter, the disciples or Paul? We know the Spirit is not confused or at odds with himself, yet Paul did not heed their urging and left for Jerusalem. Could it be possible that this was just a test by the Spirit of Paul's submission to his leading? Could the Spirit have been giving Paul a chance to back out and not follow his leading? We just do not have the answers to those questions, but we know we should follow the Spirit's lead, wherever he leads us. This would mean we should not follow our own lead or opinions, but always seek the direction of the Spirit. When we say that we have decided to follow Jesus, then we cannot follow ourselves. The Spirit leads us, we follow. Where he leads, we will follow. 

Word of His Grace

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

WORD OF HIS GRACE

Acts 20:32-38

32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" 36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

NIV

This is a sad goodbye because Paul said they would not see his face again, but there is a truth we should ponder. We could consider that Paul never took money from the people he ministered to, but that does not compute in our time and culture. Some pastors are bi-vocational because the church does not pay them enough to support their families in the customs of our society. However, because, for the most part, pastors today are paid either by the local church or by the denomination. The truth we want to ponder is that Paul committed them to God and to the word of his grace, which would have built them up and given them an inheritance among all those who are made holy. Interestingly, being sanctified means we are made holy, which makes it impossible for us to sanctify ourselves; it is an act of God. Although Paul committed them to God, we can commend ourselves to God. Again, we find it interesting that the Greek word translated as "commit" means "to place beside or near." We can place ourselves beside God; however, God, the Holy Spirit, dwells within us, so then we are near to God, for he is near to us. To be near and have the word of grace, which can build us up and give us an inheritance among all who have been made holy, is incredible. The word grace can have various applications. First, grace affords joy and delight. But in the spiritual sense, being in the goodwill, loving-kindness, and favor of God. However, because of grace, it defines the spiritual condition of those who have the divine influence on their hearts and how that is reflected in their lives. We are supposed to build each other up, but the fact remains that we cannot build ourselves up; we are all built up by the power of the divine influence on our hearts. We also have the joy and serenity of knowing that we have a divine inheritance. Because of Jesus, or through Jesus, we are adopted as children of God and thus are co-heirs with Jesus in this divine inheritance. Let us commend ourselves to God and live with the word of his grace. 

Watch Out for Wolves

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

WATCH OUT FOR WOLVES

Acts 20:25-31

25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.   27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

NIV

Because Paul will not return through that area again, men have been established as overseers, shepherds, or pastors of the congregation of God's people. We know those men who were appointed as overseers, or the Greek word means bishops, although the meaning is to be a shepherd of the church of God. First, we should note that the church is God's, and thus it does not belong to any person. The church belongs to Jesus because he bought it with his own blood. Second, the overseers, or in our day, we would say the pastors, must be called by the Holy Spirit, not by men. To be a pastor of God's people, the church, is an act of the Holy Spirit; it is not a job in the sense of having to be interviewed by people. It does seem to be the usual way today, but it is the call of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, who appoints shepherds of God's people. Thirdly, there are the wolves. They were there in Paul's day, and we have them in our days.  Paul warns about the wolves who will distort the truth to draw disciples away. They are the silver-tongued purveyors of deception who preach to draw people to themselves rather than to God. Perhaps it was easier in those days, because the believers did not have the word of God in any printed form, but only what had been taught them, so wolves could come along and distort the truth just enough for believers to follow them. Today, the wolves are all over the internet, television, and other media, spreading their distortion of the truth to gain followers who will support them so they can live a lavish lifestyle. We must be on guard against such people; they are not shepherds, they are deceivers. They do not know their flock, they do not feed God's people, they do not lead them beside still waters, the water of life, Jesus. Many good shepherds have been called by the Spirit to feed the church the whole truth of God. Let us keep watch so that we are not taken in by those wolves. 

Run

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

RUN

Acts 20:17-24

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

NIV

Paul said that he served the Lord with great humility and with tears, even in the face of opposition from the Jews. This is the first clue about how we should live with great humility and tears. We know what pride looks like, and we need to avoid it strenuously. If we are learning from Jesus, who said for us to do, then we would be gentle and humble of heart. Paul also told them that he did not hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful to them, which is another clue for our lives. When we speak with our fellow believers, we should not hesitate to talk about what would be helpful to them. We should be building others up, but also declaring that both believers and non-believers turn to God in repentance, or with a changed mind. The other truth we are faced with is this compelling sense Paul felt from the Spirit. This is one of the top clues we should ponder with an open heart. Do we live compelled by our own senses, or by the Spirit? Paul felt compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, not knowing what would happen to him there. That is the core of a Spirit-led life. When we live according to, or are compelled by, the Spirit, then we live outside our own plans. We think all too often that we want our plans to come to pass. That is the way of the world, the way we were raised: to find a path to success, an endeavor for life, to accomplish something, to accumulate stuff important to us. Do we make decisions based on our desires, or will, or are we living under the compulsion of the Spirit? The Spirit warned Paul that he would face prison and hardship, not an apple-pie-in-the-sky type of life. That is not to say we are supposed to be facing hardships, but the point is whether we are living under the compulsion of the Spirit. A key to living by the Spirit is to consider our lives as worth nothing, but to focus on finishing the race and completing the task the Lord Jesus has given us. For Paul, that was testifying to the gospel of God's grace. That could be our task, but we might be compelled by the Spirit to finish another task. The point is, whatever we have been called to or compelled to do, we should run that race to the finish line. How can we stop in the middle of the race? How can we think that we have already finished the race? No, we are compelled by the Spirit to run with the desire to complete the task we have been called to. We must simply run. 

His Arrival

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLE

HIS ARRIVAL

Acts 20:13-16

13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

NIV

Once again, it appears that we have nothing more than a travel log, except for the desire by Paul to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. Why did he want to be in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost? That was a special day in Jewish tradition, known as the week of harvest or the feast of weeks. For Christians, it is fifty days after the resurrection, but for the Jews, it is the beginning of the first wheat harvest, which occurs fifty days after the barley harvest. However, it does not appear that Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks, but rather for the day of Pentecost, which must have centered on the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Although everything is about Jesus, and Paul preached Jesus, he also spoke of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We believers talk about Jesus because he is our salvation. We accept the work Jesus did on our behalf, going to the cross, taking all our sins upon himself, paying the penalty for us, so that we are forgiven, declared holy and blameless in the eyes of God. Through Jesus, we have eternal life, as he promised that although this body will die, we will live. Jesus also promised to send the Holy Spirit, and that happened on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Therefore, we live in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit lives in us. Of course, we had to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and in some sense, we must also accept the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent him, but he told his disciples to wait for the gift from the Father, the promised Holy Spirit. Jesus told them and us that although we get baptized in water, we will be baptized with the Holy Spirit and will receive power when the Spirit comes upon us. Paul knew all about that power and wanted to spend time with the apostles in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. We celebrate Jesus, but let us also celebrate the Holy Spirit on the day of his arrival in our lives. 

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. 

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. 

A Strange Idea

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

A STRANGE IDEA

Acts 17:16-21

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

NIV

We are now with Paul in the Greek city of Athens, where there were many idols throughout the city. We are familiar with Greek mythology, including gods such as Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, and Hades. The point is that Paul used that to start talking about Jesus and the resurrection. The group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers disputed what Paul was saying. Interestingly, the Epicureans did not acknowledge any gods, except in name, but they absolutely denied that any gods exercised any government over the world or its inhabitants. Instead, they believe good was defined by the gratification of the appetites of the senses. So they would not believe in any resurrection. As for the Stoics, they did not deny the existence of the gods but believed that all human affairs were governed by fate, so they too would not have believed in a resurrection. Is it any wonder they disputed the idea that Jesus was a god who came to earth, died, was resurrected, and then went back to heaven? They must have thought Paul was out of his mind. However, there is another truth here regarding them taking Paul to the Areopagus so he could speak to them about this strange idea. These were men who sat around all day, spending their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. Here is where we come into this story. Why would we want to sit and listen to all the latest ideas, or ideologies, philosophies, or other human thoughts about life, or listen to ideas about astrology or astrological signs that determine our personality? There has been the New Age movement, using the rainbow, plus all sorts of human ideas that have no meaning of truth about God. Paul was not persuaded by their thinking, but was steadfast in the truth about Jesus. We will get to his great speech before all those men, but for now, we should learn that we know the truth, we listen to the voice of the Spirit within us, rather than to the meaningless ideas of men. We should be careful not to be influenced by men's strange ideas, but rather to be the influencers of men, telling them the strange idea about Jesus.

 

A Noble Character

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

A NOBLE CHARACTER

Acts 17:10-15

10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. 13 When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

NIV

Why are we told that the Bearans were of a more noble character than the Thessalonians? Interestingly, the Greek word translated as "noble" is eugenes. This is the base of our English word for human genes, or our genetic makeup, which could be defined as our character. There is a distinct difference between our personality and our character, in that our personality is what we show others, or who we are when we are with people, but our character is who we are when we are alone. This is who the Bearans were, and their character shone through in their personality and how they received the message with eagerness and examined the scriptures for themselves to verify what Paul said was true. This is a genuine way to know in one's own heart the truth about Jesus and the free gift of God, eternal life. It is good to hear the message, but unless we do our own research, searching the scriptures, we would only have what could be considered as hearsay. Just because someone tells us something, it does not mean it is true. Of course, we would hope that someone called to preach or shepherd God's people would exercise due diligence in the word of God, encouraging and strengthening them in their faith in Jesus. Of course, there are also those silver-tongued purveyors of deception that we need to be careful not to be drawn into their false teaching, much like the Jews who came to Berea, trying to stir up trouble for Paul. They did not have noble character, and it showed in their efforts to agitate others against Paul and his message. When people are like that, agitated, angry, and protest against the truth, that is the time to shake the dust off our feet and leave town, as Paul was sent to the coast, for his own safety from the protestors. However, we should glean the truth about having a noble character and how our inner self, the self who loves the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, the real us, should shine through our personality, loving each other. Let us live with that noble character. 

Jealously

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

JEALOUSLY

Acts 17:1-9

17:1 When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.   6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

NIV

Jealousy is not acceptable unless it is God's jealousy for his people. What we do not understand is why some Jews would be jealous of Paul and Silas because they were proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, or the Messiah. Were those jealous Jews ones who thought they had the power in the synagogue? Were they stirred up because Paul and Silas gained favor and their reasoning about Jesus turned Jews to join them, accepting Jesus as the Messiah? The worst of this whole narrative of the actions of the Jews in Thessalonica was that they were giving their allegiance to Caesar, or at least looked as if they were, to gain allies in their argument against Paul and Silas. However, their jealousy also made them liars. If we learn anything from this narrative, we should learn two truths. First, never allow ourselves to be silenced about speaking about Jesus to everyone we meet; in fact, we should be talking about Jesus first in the church, then in the marketplace. What we don't understand is that believers seem to want to talk about everything except Jesus. Secondly, we have no reason to be jealous of others, for we will all receive the same reward: eternal life. However, it is in this material and positional life where jealousy can rear its ugly head. Some have more possessions than others, and some are in a more powerful position, or seem to be, than others. It may appear that some are more liked, or that people form little cliques, which could cause jealousy among those left out. What it all comes down to is that jealousy is self-centeredness, and that causes conflict.  Let us always want to talk about Jesus; after all, we profess that we follow Jesus, rather than false gods. Let us rid ourselves of any or all jealousy, for we are all the same in the eyes of our Lord.