Follow The Money

Acts 16: 11-40

Now they are in Philippi, the the city of the church Paul wrote the Epistle to the Philippians to, which was a Roman colony. 

Their first convert there is a business-woman named Lydia, who invited them to stay at her home. 

It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 
Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.
She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the Name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! 
And it came out at that very moment.

It just so happened that a demon-possessed slave-girl was following them, crying out after them; but it annoyed Paul for a demon to be doing this, and he cast out the demon from her. He didn't want the promotion of a demon any more than Jesus had (Mark 1:23-25--Jesus told the spirit to "be quiet"). 

But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities,
and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews,
and are  proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or observe, being Romans.

The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.
When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;
and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

But when the girl's owners saw that they couldn't make money off of her any more, that's when the accusations came. And it doesn't look like they even had a chance to defend themselves, but were immediately beaten and thrown into the stocks in jail!

Just like today, when righteous people are persecuted, lied about, and slandered--follow the money. 

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. 
When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here! 

I wonder how many of the other prisoners' interest was piqued by their music? God was not going to let this situation go, but He provided supernatural help using the natural processes of the Earth to show His approval of Paul and Silas. 

And when the jailer thought the prisoners had escaped, Paul had to reassure him, and the result was that the jailer and his whole household were saved. 

In the morning when the magistrates found out that they were Romans, they were afraid, as they were going to just let them go quietly. Now they know that these men are asserting their rights, so they asked them to leave the city, to avoid any trouble with their superiors. 

So they stopped by Lydia's house and encouraged their friends there and left. 

O my Father, I pray for those people of Yours who are being slandered and persecuted today. There are people who are doing much good for the people and for Your Kingdom. And their enemies hate them so much that there is nothing they can do to gain agreement with them on anything. 

O Father, our enemy knows his time is short, and is so fierce! But he is no match for You, my sovereign Lord. Please protect Your servants, especially the ones who are in the public eye and seem vulnerable to damage from attacks. 

Keep Your servants, Your children, in Your sovereign care, Father. Protect us all as we go about doing Your work among the heathen and others who don't know You. Lead us to Your lost sheep, Lord, to draw them into Your One Fold with One Shepherd. 

And we will all give You all the glory, all the honor, all the praise; for it is You who has done it all! You thought it up, planned it out, designed how it would work and function, and are working everything out to completion. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!




 

The Spirit's Leading

Acts 16: 8-10

And passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us.
When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the Gospel to them.

Now God is leading Paul to the people He had prepared to hear the Gospel. The Holy Spirit had forbidden him to minister in Asia, then he had a dream, and took off right away to go to Macedonia. 

By the pronouns used, they and we, us, we see that Luke joined Paul's group at Troas. Luke wrote this book so we could know the correct history of what took place. 

Luke was a scientist, a doctor, and I think that he traveled with Paul to help him with his "thorn in the flesh," as it may have been a medical condition. 

We're not told what it was, Paul was not focused on himself that much, so we can apply this principle to whatever "thorn" we might experience.  

Paul was sensitive to the Spirit's leading, recognizing that it was the Spirit closing the door, and using the vision to show him the door that was now open. 

O my Father, please help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit as Paul was; help me to have the courage and boldness to go forward, recognizing Your leading in the closed and open doors You set before me.

Lead me, Father, to those lost sheep who are seeking refuge, give me Your words to share with them so they will know Your Love, and keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth to say only what they need to hear, not my own fleshly desires to spout off. 

And You will receive all the credit, all the glory and honor for all You have done. Every eye will see and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess in every language, Your praise and authority throughout all eternity, forever and ever.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

A Split Or A Disagreement?

Acts 15: 36-40

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the Word of the Lord and see how they are.
Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphilia and had not gone with them to the work.
And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

This has been called the first church split. But the church didn't split here, it's just Barnabas and Paul having a sharp disagreement. 

Paul was remembering how Mark was so overcome by the ruggedness and perils that he quit and went home, and was probably concerned that it was too soon to subject him to the same hardships again. It looks like he didn't trust Mark to follow through on his commitments. 

So Barnabas, the perennial encourager, took Mark to Cypress by boat, a different route than he had taken before that had discouraged him. Then we hear nothing more about where they went or what they did. 

The story continues following Paul in his journeys. 

O my Father, thank You for giving us this history book, recounting the first halting steps of Your church, until it is firmly established in the whole known world of the time. 

Thank You for showing us the courage and boldness of Your Apostles in their zeal to spread Your Word, the news that Jesus did it all! 

Thank You for preserving Your church through every generation, that we would not lose the precious Truth that our faith is founded on. That we can trust You to be strong enough to not allow the loss of a single idea, a single brick in the constitution of this building made of living stones. 

You have promised to never leave us, and You are still with us today. We can count on Your Word. 

Father, thank You for Your faithfulness, that You have also given to Your church to be faithful in the purpose for which You leave us here after saving us, and not taking us home immediately.  

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

How The Church Would Be

Acts 15: 1-35

The First Church Council

The church is still in its infancy and is struggling to clarify what it is they need to believe and practice. 

Some of the Jewish believers from Jerusalem wanted to hang on to portions of the Law and how God had given circumcision to distinguish His people from others. So they insisted that these new believers should also be circumcised. 

But Barnabas and Paul saw that God saved Gentiles and gave them His Holy Spirit and made no difference between the Christian Jews and the Christian Gentiles, but that they were all Christians together.

So Paul and Barnabas gathered in Jerusalem with the other church leaders from both Jerusalem and Antioch, and discussed how they should proceed. 

This was the first Church Council. 

After much discussion on both sides, they wrote letters to all the Christians in the whole area to share what they had agreed on for how the church would be. 

They realized that God had saved the Gentiles and accepted them without being circumcised or following any of the Old Testament laws, so they wrote:

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden that these essentials:

That you abstain from things offered to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. (Vs. 28-29.)

So Judas and Silas went with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch, and when they read the letter they rejoiced because of its encouragement (v. 31). 

Then Judas went back to Jerusalem, and Silas stayed there with Paul and Barnabas. And it looks like they established a school there, because they continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of God, with many others also (v. 35). 

The instructions to the church didn't include anything about circumcision or any of the other Levitical laws; only that they wouldn't participate in any of the idol worship that was so prevalent there, and not consume blood or animals that died of unknown causes, and to reserve physical relations for marriage. 

We also would still today do well to observe these prohibitions. 

We don't need to worship or pray to any other than God; we can be careful to eat only foods that are safe; and we must reign in our passions to confine them within the bonds of matrimony. 

The Ten Commandments have never been repealed. We follow them now as principles of attitude and conduct. 

When we love God back, and we love one another as Christ Loves us, then we will be obeying all the Laws; because they are all based on God's Love for us. 

The World's view of "love" is a scewed concept that is narrow and even damaging to relationships and our own health. Love is confused with lust, and with permissiveness, and even with ownership. 

But God's Love cared so much for us that He sacrificed His own Son for each of us, to cleanse us thoroughly, so we could live with Him. His Love will not allow any shadow of a stain of sin to dwell in His home, and He will not force Himself on anyone. So those who refuse Him are cutting themselves off from Life and light and goodness. 

O my Father, You are so good and gracious and gentle. You have all power and authority over everything that exists, because You made it. 

And You have given Your Son to have possession of all creation, because You made it all together, and He purchased it with His own Blood. 

Thank you so much, my Father, for loving me so much, knowing me as You do. Thank You for cleansing me, so that I am now fit to live with You. Thank You that you want me to live with You! 

Father, I pray for all those who don't realize Your great Love!  Please send me out into Your fields that are ripe for harvest, Your mission fields where Your lost sheep are seeking You. 

And You will receive all the praise and honor and glory, because it is You who have done it all. You thought it up, designed it, planned it all out, and You are carrying out Your plans, to complete this whole program, just like You want.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!




 

Our Boasting

II Corinthians 10: 12, 17-18

For we dare not make ourselves of the number of those who commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise, they are without understanding.

But he who glories [boasts], let him glory in the Lord (quoting Jeremiah 9:24). 
For it is not he that commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. 

So we are to judge ourselves soberly, not thinking more of ourselves than we ought, nor less of ourselves, either.  

It is God who sets our value and worth. He made us of dust, and He knows that our flesh is weak. 

But the value He places on us is of such high worth that he sent His own Son to die, to be our Savior who Redeems us from this worthless existence to a position of Royalty, as children of the great King! 

So in this World we don't need to be important or admired or elevated. This World is only temporary, and we will only spend a few moments here, in school, to prepare for that Graduation. 

That's when we will be pronounced Adult Children of the Great Potentate, the kings and queens who will rule with Him on His Throne.


I agree with Francesca Battistelli when she sings:

I don't need my name in lights
I'm famous in my Father's eyes
Make no mistake
He knows my name
I'm not living for applause
I'm already so [admired]
It's all His stage
He knows my name

from the album If We're Honest

My sister Francesca has come to the understanding that it is God who will say to her, "Good job, daughter!" 

And that's what I am looking forward to hearing, also. 

O my Father, I thank You and I praise You for all You have done. I admire Your greatness and wisdom and power and authority. I am astounded that You would call me into relationship with You to sit on Your throne with You and rule under Your Headship. 

Teach me, Father; that I will know how to wield the power of Your authority over whatever "cities" You see fit to give me then. 

Help me in my weaknesses, be my strength in all that You have placed before me to do. Bless my efforts to follow in Your footsteps, to provide value and benefits to others, to show people everywhere how much You Love them with Your unconditional Love, and to draw them to Your Light and Life.  

Send me, Father, into Your fields that are ripe for harvest; Your missionary fields, where Your lost sheep are waiting to be found. 

Allow me, my Father, to share Your Love with everyone everywhere. I want them all to know how wonderful You are, Father! 

And I anticipate with joyful eagerness that Day when every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess understanding and admiration, and boast of You, Lord God Almighty! 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!




 

A Swelled Head?

II Corinthians 12: 2-4

I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows--such a man was caught up to the third Heaven. 
And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows--was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak (it is not possible for a man to utter).  

Yesterday we saw that Paul was stoned and left for dead in Lystra, before he got up and was fit to travel the next morning (Acts 14:19-20). 

Some think that Paul did die by stoning that day, and God brought him back, resuscitated and healed him, to fulfill his mission of planting all the churches he did. I can't imagine how he was well enough to travel after being stoned otherwise.

And while he was dead he had this vision that he wrote about fourteen years later.

The first Heaven is our atmosphere around the Earth that we breathe. The second Heaven is the Universe around us. The third Heaven is the place where God lives, outside our Universe. 

It's this third Heaven that Paul saw that day, and he heard a language of words that are not pronounceable by the human tongue. 

Wow! to have such a glorious experience or vision or whatever it was, no wonder Paul didn't want to focus on all that, so he wouldn't get a swelled head! 

That's why he wrote that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, of the flesh, but mightily powerful through God for the destruction of fortresses, casting down imaginations and reasonings, and every high and lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (II Corinthians 10:4-5).

Because of this, right after his account of this glorious memory, Paul says:

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself!
Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 
And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. ...
So when I am weak, then I am strong (12:7-10). 

This is a good lesson I need to remind myself of from time to time. 

I know that God has privileged me to gift me with an understanding of how to "connect some of the dots" to get a much bigger picture of who God is and what He is doing, and how much He really loves us!

And He has led me to share some of this understanding with others by using this blog. And He has given me His faithfulness and constancy to be able to add another entry every day.

I know that this is not in me, in my flesh, to do any of this! So it has to be God doing it. 

O my Father, You are so good to me! I don't know why You chose me to make me Your own daughter, knowing me as You do. 

But You did, and I thank You so much! It is all You in me that enables me to do anything at all that is positive or righteous or encouraging or wise. Like Paul I recognize that in my flesh I can do nothing at all! 

Just like Jesus taught, that I must be connected to the Vine in order to produce any product; like the toaster has to be plugged in to work. And I must be plugged in, so I can work, too. 

Otherwise, I'm just the hamster spinning my wheels without going anywhere. 

O Father, thank You so much for plugging me in! Thank You for applying Your grace to me to cleanse me, and to give me Life, so I can grow.

Thank You for putting my feet on level ground, on that Rock that is firm, so my steps will be confident and bold and my feet will not slip or trip.

Lead me, Father, to do everything that You planned for me to do. Let me serve You with all my strength and all my wherewithal which You have given me. 

Never let me go, as You have promised to be with me; let me not wander from Your path, either with my feet or with my mind. Create in me that new heart that will think Your thoughts, feel Your feelings, see with Your eyes, and have Your perspective and attitude toward everything in my little world. 

Father, enlarge my boundaries, that I may be used of You to do great things in Your eyes, to have many precious jewels in the crown that I will cast at my Lord's feet. 

And You will receive all the glory, all the honor, all the credit, all the praise; for all the wisdom and knowledge and strength and cunning is Yours. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 




 

The First Missionaries

Acts 13 & 14

In the church at Antioch were several important prophets and teachers, and while they were fasting and working, the Holy Spirit told them to set apart Barnabas and Saul to be the first missionaries. They didn't take this lightly, so they fasted some more and prayed about it, then they laid hands on them in ordination and sent them out.

The first missionary journey: Barnabas and Saul. And they also brought John Mark along with them. 

Saul is first called Paul on Cypress (13:9), and ever after remained Paul. (Saul means Great One, Destroyer, and Paul means Small One, Worker.)

Mark left the company of the missionaries to return to Jerusalem from Perga at Pamphilia (13:13). From what I've read, it seems that this road they were taking was extremely rugged, and not even a road in some places. Evidently it was all physically too much for Mark, which prompted him to give up and go home. 

13: 46

It was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken to you (Jews) first: [but] since you repudiated it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

This became the pattern they would follow whenever they went to a new city. They would first go to the local synagogue, and when they were thrown out, then they preached to Gentiles, too.

14: 8ff

At Lystra they healed a lame man and were proclaimed to be gods--Zeus and Hermes! (v. 18) And They with difficulty restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them. 

But then they stoned Paul and left him for dead, but he got up and went back into the city, and the next day he was traveling again! (Vs. 19-20).

How fickle are the crowds!

O my Father, You planned out this whole church business even before You made this Earth. You knew that even though You gave Your people all the clues and pictures of what Messiah would do and accomplish, You knew that they would mostly reject You, so that the door would be thrown wide open to all the Nations and people groups and languages over the whole World to hear the Good News of Your Love. 

And You knew it would take all these centuries of generations to fill Your House, and occupy every seat at Your great banquet Table! You even gave Daniel the whole list of how the Nations would be constituted from his time all the way down to our time today, and we are running out of all that future history. 

So Jesus' coming again must be very soon. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!