Bible Chapter: Acts 21
Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
Chapter 20 ended with Paul’s tearful farewell to the Ephesian elders. Chapter 21 begins with “After we had torn ourselves away from them . . .” That must have been quite a scene and difficult for the traveling party to actually leave. As Paul was wrapping up this third journey, with his goal to reach Jerusalem, he was hearing several warnings about the persecution that awaited him. Believers were strongly encouraging him to change his plans. He refused to do so believing that it was God’s will for him to return to Jerusalem.
Paul understood the risk he was taking. He persisted in pursuing his goal of reporting to the church in Jerusalem. Paul did not get caught up with the concept of “personal prophecies” where he made decisions based on what people told him. The Spirit was guiding Paul and he understood the risks. He was ready for whatever happened as he continued to preach the message of Jesus.
Paul finally made it back to Jerusalem and had a good reunion with the church there as he reported all the amazing things God was doing among the Gentiles. Part of their discussion focused on the thousands of Jews who were believers in Jesus. The issue that Paul faced was the rumors floating around that Paul was speaking against the Jews and the Law. This was not true. There were many parts of the law that believers were following as an expression of their faith in Jesus. Paul wanted to show that.
There is a phrase in verse 27 that shows what Paul was facing. “They stirred up the whole crowd . . .” There were often people who used this tactic to whip up a mob frenzy, since they really had no facts to back up their claims. This almost brought Paul’s death, but he was rescued by the military commander. This chapter ends as Paul was about to address the crowd.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
Paul had learned to hear from the Lord. He had experience in hearing the direction of the Holy Spirit and applying it in his life. This is why he continued on his journey when he heard several times that persecution awaited his arrival. Because he knew he was following God’s direction, he continued. Learning (and continuing to learn) how to hear from God is critical. One of the challenges of the modern world is the proliferation of communication. It is easy to get a message out and there is no lack of “experts” telling us what God is saying. We need to learn to hear from the Bible and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Paul learned that. I must always strive to apply the same in my life.
Paul didn’t show signs of being selfish or defensive. If he had, he would have changed his plans and stayed in places where he was well-received. Eternity was his focus and that’s where he was headed.
3. How can I help someone?
Wherever Paul went he was telling the good things that God was doing. Often I find that people give strange and even uncomfortable reactions when I talk about things that God has done. (We prayed for this and . . . ) They won’t specifically say it, but I often pick up reactions of doubt to examples of things God is doing. I can help people by not being afraid to tell of God’s power and intervention in life.
Bible Chapter: Acts 20
Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
One thought that jumps out to me as I read this chapter is faithfulness. Paul was faithful to the calling of God in his life. He continued to travel and preach Jesus. From time to time he felt the Spirit’s guidance to stay and establish a local church body. He continued following Divine leading, in spite of the fact that he saw persecution and threats follow him wherever he went.
Miracles continued to happen. These included seeing Eutychus raised from the dead. Paul was at Troas for a week. Since he was leaving the next morning, they had a long service. The people were anxious to hear all that Paul could tell them. This shows that people with a real hunger for Jesus don’t care about the time. Sadly, today, there are many voices calling for short sermonettes so people can get on to other things they want to do. In the middle of this long service, Eutychus fell out of a third story window. Paul prayed and he came back to life. Then they continued the service that lasted all night.
Chapter 20 includes Paul’s farewell to the church leaders from Ephesus. He reminded them that he had not hesitated to preach anything they needed to hear. He preached the whole truth of God. He didn’t preach to try to satisfy what the people wanted to hear. Paul also warned that savage wolves would come in and try to destroy the work. People would distort the truth to try to draw followers to their own cause. We see that happening in the church world today. People are twisting truth and working to make people comfortable with sin. There is a large emphasis in the church to make people comfortable. Nothing in the Bible says this should be done.
Paul warned the church leaders to be on guard for false teachers. The message of the Bible must not be changed. The church must continually be pointed to Jesus and the Bible, the clear message the Bible really gives.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
There is a strong message here to the leaders of a local church about what they must continue to do. Paul said his focus was not to protect himself or gain financial security. His purpose was to clearly teach the Word of God. He was warning about false doctrine and people who would try to steal the Lord’s sheep.
Paul ministered with tears. His heart was filled with compassion for people to bring them to a knowledge of Jesus and a strong relationship with Him. He built strong spiritual relationships with the churches he started. When he said to the leaders from Ephesus that they would see him no more they all wept. As workers together for the Lord they had grown to love and care for each other.
What I must continue to apply in my life is what I have written about in this section. I must be faithful to speak the truth and care about people. People are God’s highest creation and most valuable in His sight. Jesus died on the cross for people. He did this to restore the lost relationship of the human race to God. I must continue to tell the truth as revealed in the Bible.
3. How can I help someone?
Keep telling the truth. Keep praying for opportunities to tell the truth and point people to Jesus.
Bible Chapter: Acts 19
Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
Paul continued his travels and went to Ephesus. He met a local group of believers and asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit. They admitted they didn’t know what he was saying. After some more discussion they were baptized in water. Then Paul laid hands on them and prayed for them. They received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the spoke in tongues and prophesied. This followed the pattern we find in the New Testament that believers were empowered by the Holy Spirit that included the evidence of speaking in tongues.
Paul continued his ministry in Ephesus as he met daily with people telling them of the kingdom of God. This continued for two years and Luke records that all who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. Many miracles happened. The miracles included many possessed by demons who were set free. Other people thought they would get in on this and tried to deliver people in “the name of Jesus that Paul preached”. This didn’t work. One group of brothers tried this and were beaten up by the demon- possessed man and they escaped beaten and naked.
One event shows an important thing for believers to do. They brought all their scrolls connected with demon worship and burned them. The principle here is that those who believe in Jesus need to break the connections with all the old evil practices. Connection with sin must be broken and life lived in the freedom Jesus gives. When Jesus makes a person new He doesn’t give them permission to continue to participate in evil. While this is good for the believer, in Ephesus it lead to a riot. This is because the people making money selling shrines to the goddess Artemis were not making the money they used to make. Which illustrates the fact that when people lose money, they get angry. It also illustrates that Christians must be careful where they spend their money.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
Paul knew his calling in life and stayed faithful to it. He did this even when there were threats to his safety and well-being. All who follow Jesus need to see this example. Paul didn’t compromise his teachings or beliefs. He taught what he knew was correct. It seems that everywhere he went he reached people who became believers while, at the same time, he ran into opposition.
Paul ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. As I look at the history of the church, I see that when people seriously seek God and the outpouring of His power, amazing things happen. This goes back to the beginning (the Book of Acts is the history of the beginning of the church) and continues today. Books like In Awe In Argentina and efforts like The Decade of Pentecost in Africa are showing the impact of the power of the Holy Spirit through faithful believers. I cannot get comfortable in knowing that I am ready to meet Jesus. I must continue to seek the river of God’s power to flow to impact those who are not ready.
3. How can I help someone?
I can help people by praying for them. As I write this I have recently seen the impact that God will make on people, even those who have walked away from God. He will not give up on people but will continue to challenge their hearts as others are praying for them. I am reminded of the verse that says whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Bible Chapter: Acts 18
Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
Paul continued on his journey and made it to Corinth. This became an important stop as he stayed there for a year and a half, establishing the church and teaching them the Word of God. He met Aquila and Priscilla and ended up working with them as a tent maker. There are times when people in vocational ministry have to do things to provide some more financial support. The Jewish opposition to him was very strong there and so Paul finally announced he would minister to the Gentiles.
A great word of encouragement came to Paul. Verses 9 and 10 give the words Jesus spoke to his heart. Paul was told to not be afraid for “I am with you”. There is a special nearness believers can experience as they remain faithful to the Lord and to their calling of service. Even one of the names given to Jesus at His birth, Immanuel, means God is with us. Paul faced continual opposition to his ministry. The Lord encouraged him to stick with the calling for he would make it.
After an extended time of teaching in Corinth, Paul started out on his third missionary journey. Paul visited several cities preaching and encouraging (strengthening) the disciples (believers) he found. Aquila and Priscilla started the journey with Paul, but stayed in Ephesus when Paul went on. A man named Apollos from Alexandria came to Ephesus. He was preaching about Jesus but only knew of the baptism of John. Aquila and Priscilla invited him to their home and taught him the ways of Jesus more adequately. Apollos became a strong voice for the work of Jesus.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
I like the uplift found in verses 9 and 10. They are an encouragement.
Acts 18:9-10 NKJV
9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”
When Paul was facing strong opposition the Lord gave him a special word of encouragement. There is often intimidation to be silent about Jesus and what He will do for people. The opposition tries to discourage speaking out for Jesus, lest someone be offended. This threat is becoming more and more common. I also like the end of the message that God has many people in the city. It is easy to become frustrated thinking that “nothing will ever happen here”. There is a term people used to use saying that some places are a burned-over territory. While many places are spiritually difficult, no place is impossible. While Paul faced strong opposition, God did a great work there.
God has promised to never abandon His church. Over the years the Corinthian church had many struggles, but they impacted many for eternity. Stick with the task and trust the Lord to open the doors.
3. How can I help someone?
People who work for the Lord can easily become discouraged. I need to be a voice of encouragement to help people, especially those working in some form of ministry. Ministry does not always imply those whose paid job is ministry. We all need to stick with the work for Jesus.
Bible Chapter: Acts 17
Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
This chapter has several interesting events. In Thessalonica, as was their custom, Paul and Silas preached Jesus in the local synagogue. Both Jews and Greeks became believers. Again, agitators stirred up problems. Luke says that this was because of their jealousy. They rounded up some bad characters to form a mob. A well known verse is part of this story. I like how the Living Bible says: “‘Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and now they are here disturbing our city,’ they shouted.” This is a challenging verse. I think that today, more than ever before, our cities need to be disturbed for Jesus. People need to be challenged to acknowledge what is happening in their hearts (sin) and really believe in Jesus. Major changes are needed.
The disturbance in Thessalonica caused the missions team to head to Berea. The people they found in that synagogue were described as of a more noble character, for they received the message and examined the Scriptures daily to see if the preaching was true. Note the statement that they examined the Scriptures daily to check out the veracity of the preaching. This is an excellent practice. When you hear preaching or teaching, carefully check it out with the Bible to see if it is correct or not. Bad doctrine has caused countless problems. Being known as a deep student of the Bible is a good reputation to have.
Paul went on to Athens and shared in a gathering with the deep thinkers of the city. They had an altar to the unknown god. Paul said he had come to tell them about the one they worshiped out of their ignorance. He told them about Jesus and some believed. He said that God commands people to repent. Our modern world needs to hear about repentance.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
I like the challenge of people who turn the world upside down. This missionary team was not afraid to let people know the truth of Jesus. Going in the power of the Holy Spirit, miraculous things were happening. Many were believing their message of Jesus. Large groups of people were living for the Lord. The word “impact” is a good description of what was happening.
This has been my prayer for a long time. Lord, impact this area. Challenge hearts. Let the power and presence of God be felt and change lives. I know that it is only the change that Jesus will make that will answer the cries of hurting and confused people.
I must also continue to be a student of the Bible. I must keep reading it to continue to learn. I must review things I have learned in the past. The people of Berea are a good example.
3. How can I help someone?
Paul was ready to help the confused people of Athens learn what was missing from their lives. I see the world today as very confused about God and eternal truth. I must be ready to help answer their questions and confusion and point them to Jesus.
Bible Chapter: Acts 16
Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
As chapter 15 ended, Paul selected another traveling companion for his second missionary journey, he took Silas along. In Lystra they met a young believer named Timothy. He joined the team and went with them. They traveled from town to town sharing the decisions reached by the church leadership in Jerusalem. The churches were strengthened in faith and grew. This is a good illustration that good teaching and faithful encouragement are important ingredients for the church. Believers today must carefully guard the teaching and direction they follow. Staying close to Jesus makes all the difference in the world. Sound teaching keeps believers on the right track.
Paul and Silas continued on their journey as they felt the Spirit leading them. They reached Philippi under the direction of the Holy Spirit. This opened the doors of the Gospel to Europe. They stayed and met a woman named Lydia. She became a believer, the first convert in the new continent.
The spiritual battle continued as a demon possessed girl hassled them constantly. In the name of Jesus Paul commanded the spirit to leave her. This got them in trouble because she was a slave and make lots of money for her masters as a fortune-teller. So, Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten and thrown in prison because the slave masters lost a good source of income. As a result of their response in prison, the jailer and family were saved. God can bring good out of evil.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
One thing that jumps out to me is the reaction of Paul and Silas when they were in prison. They “licked their wounds”, so to speak, not by complaining but by worshiping God. In the midst of a mess they sang praises to God. Everyone in the prison heard them. This resulted in God’s sending an earthquake to open the prison doors. Instead of seeing this as the answer to escape, they realized it would be an opportunity to lead people to Jesus. The Lord had been working on the heart of the jailer, for his immediate response was to ask what he needed to do to be saved. The response was to believe in the Lord Jesus. It means to focus faith and commitment to Jesus. It means believing that Jesus forgives sins and takes us into His family.
Because Paul and Silas responded as God would have them in this situation, many lives were changed. That is an important response for anyone. How would God want me to respond? How can I make a difference for eternity? These are good questions to ask.
3. How can I help someone?
How can I help someone? Well, I don’t think this chapter is about getting people out of prison. I think it is more about faithfulness in serving God. I think it is more about learning to hear the leading of the Spirit for life. As I am more faithful and listening to God, people will be helped because I will be doing what God wants.
Bible Chapter: Acts 15
Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.
1. Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
We learn from the history of the early church that there were people who came up with things they wanted people to do and believe. They didn’t have any solid foundation for what they taught, they simply had an idea and tried to make others follow it. This is the foundation for false doctrine. False and poor doctrine has always been an issue. (Doctrine can be simply defined as what we believe.) The church at Antioch had to deal with false teachers. They made a good choice by deferring to the leadership of the church in Jerusalem, seeking to get God’s direction.
Today we have the completed Bible. This must be our source for teaching and practice. God is not going to come up with some new concepts of teaching now as if He finally realized what He had done wrong in the past. We need solid teachers who know what the Bible says and teach it clearly. Believers must submit to the clear teaching of the Bible and apply it in their lives.
There were some people who came to Antioch and were teaching that no one could really be saved unless they followed the teachings of the law of Moses. We see how the church in Jerusalem came to their conclusion in verse 28. “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us . . .” They sought the guidance of the Spirit and He showed them the path to take. This is still good advice. The Spirit of God will help us see and understand the written Word of God. It will not be a burden too heavy to bear.
2. What can I apply in my life from the reading?
Don’t listen to every wind of teaching that flies by. I have lived long enough to see trends of teaching that show up. Someone has a “revelation” and they promote it. Many of these people have an ability to sell and advance their thoughts very effectively. Innocent people get caught up in the latest trend and problems result. I must be careful to verify what people write and teach by what the Bible says. Even if it becomes very popular, I must be careful to avoid wild fire of doctrine and stick with what the Bible really says. Acts fifteen is an illustration of the first wind of confusing and destructive doctrine. Strange wind is still blowing and effective communicators are still spreading confusion.
The fact that poor doctrine spreads is the founding reason why all believers must be active and strong students of the Bible. This is one of the advantages of a strong local church where there can be a consistency of teaching. This is why I always promote things like Sunday School and mid-week Bible studies. We must continue to study so we can continue to grow. I know it is my job to study the Bible, but I must also be always reading and studying, learning, for my own personal life. I have lived long enough to know that I don’t know everything there is to know about the Bible.
3. How can I help someone?
I must be always ready to help people understand what the Bible says. I have discovered that many people live in confusion and frustration. When they better understand what the Bible really teaches it turns their life around. I must always be ready to show someone the hope they can have in Jesus.
