Live by the Spirit

Acts 20:25-31

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁵ And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, ²⁷ for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. ²⁸ Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained  with his own blood.  ²⁹ I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;³⁰ and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.³¹ Therefore be alert, remembering that  for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2020:%2025%20-%2031&version=ESV)

Paul is departing from Ephesus and is speaking to the Elders, telling them his goodbyes.  I find this an interesting passage and one that I think should be included when we talk about eldership.  It gives clarification to the passage that we find in Titus 1: 6 – 9 which gives us detail as to the qualifications of an elder.  ⁵ This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— ⁶ if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. ⁷ For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

I have heard this passage preached on more than one occasion but never in conjunction with the verses in Acts.  When we compare these two scriptures we have a clear picture of what an elder should be and why these qualifications are in place so important.  We also see why they were even placed in such positions. 

Elders must be blameless because they are going to be confronting others who are not blameless.  Paul speaks to these men and tells them that after he leaves there will be others who will come in and try to destroy that which has been established for the purpose of giving glory, praise, and honor to our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.  People will come in and try to make the church something that it was not intended to be.  People will try to bring glory to themselves rather than to God.  If the church did not have strong Christians, discerning Christians, bold Christians, upstanding Christians, the church would fall apart.  These men had been appointed to take care of the body of believers.  They had been charged with guarding the church from these wolves.  If they did not have the qualifications as set forth in Titus the church would be no more:

1) Be above reproach – if they were doing wrong, how could they tell others that they were wrong?

2)Husband of one wife and children walking the straight and narrow path – our family reflects who we are when we are not in the public eye

3) Not arrogant or quick-tempered – I have seen the testimony of believers ruined because they were arrogant and treated employees poorly.  They have been mocked by unbelievers and placed on high alert with believers.  Such people could not be in an eldership rule because they need guidance themselves.  If you do not live the life how can you tell others how to live it?  Also in this category is that of being drunk, or out of control.  Simply said, you can’t live a double life.  4)  Greedy for gain. Sometimes people get put in leadership positions because of what they can do rather than who they are and then sometimes people want in leadership so they can get their way. They work their way into such a position because they are greedy.  I was once told by a friend that he came to the church that we were attending because he saw the men chosen to be deacons as men of integrity not men of wealth.  You should not be able to buy your way into a leadership position.  Often times people associate wealth with greediness which is not always the case but we need to be cautious that those who are chosen are not chosen because of their wealth.

 5)  Why do you think they needed to be hospitable?  These were men who were going to be involved in the lives of many people and they needed to be welcoming to them.  They needed to be prepared to have them in their homes and in their lives because that is where they would teach, guide, direct others to do as the Lord would have them to do.  They would be investing much of their lives to these people not just on Sunday morning or at a mid-week service.  In all of this he may need to practice self-control when there was a knock at the door in the middle of the night.  When the family had an outing planned and plans change because of the interruption of another brother, he would need to control his tongue and welcome them in. The list goes on, stuff would happen and you would have to be willing and able to confront the issues with self-control, being upright, holy, and disciplined because those with whom you would minister to would not have such characteristics.

 6)  They must be able to teach others the true road to righteousness.  This did not mean that they needed to teach in the Synagogue necessarily, in fact they did not even meet there.  They didn’t need to know how to prepare a sermon but rather how to minister to others in a moment’s notice.  When someone came to them with questions about their faith they should be able to sit down with them and share personally and from the Word of God the answers to their questions.  They needed to know the Word and know the Lord in order to instruct those with whom they came in contact.  They needed to be aware of false teachings of others so they needed to be discerning, knowing what they believed and why they believed so that they could direct others in the direction in which they should go.  If they could not do this, they would fall into the trap as could those they were leading.

How does all of this apply to us?  If we are followers of Jesus Christ then we all need to be elders in a sense.  We should all be living lives of the calling to be more and more like Christ in our actions.  Many people who have claimed forgiveness through the grace of Christ have caused others to stumble and fall because they did not live their lives as an elder.  They have ruined their testimony and caused others to mock other believers because they were hot-tempered, arrogant, unrighteous people.  Today our churches can be attacked by those who are false teachers, we need to all be ready to defend our faith.  Someday the church may be broken up and we may be on our own (without other believers to support us) we need to be ready to defend the Word of God.  The early church was just forming, elders were there to help those new believers know how to live the Christian life.  Today the church has been here for over 2000 years, if we are still drinking milk, we better start working on solid foods because Christ is coming soon.  Maybe in another 2000 years or maybe it will be tomorrow but He is coming and we need to be ready when that trumpet sounds.

 Eldership is not a position that needs to be elevated by man.  In fact, if man would elevate God like they do the position of elders, we would not even need to have elders.  We will always have those who are new believers, just think what our churches would look like if any of the so-called “mature Christians”  would act as the elders and be able to minister, teach, and grow these Christians to maturity.   We should all be living our lives as an elder does.  As I said earlier, our testimonies can be ruined when our actions don’t match our words and you don’t have to have a title for that to happen.  We should all be grounded in the word and ready to confront false teachers and we should all be ready to defend our faith when it is put to the test.  The church should have grown up by now but yet we are still attacked just as the early church was.  When Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia he encourages them to live by the Spirit, he is speaking to the church not elders when he says, Galatians 5:16-26 English Standard Version (ESV)¹⁶ But I say,  walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,  kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.²⁵ If we live by the Spirit,  let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205:%2016%20-%2026&version=ESV)

As you seek Him today, ask Him to open your eyes to His Words and prepare you to take action in such a way that others can see that Christianity is not a religion but it is an amazing life with Jesus Christ our Lord.  Live by the Spirit.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Pressing On

Acts 20:13-24

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹³ But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. ¹⁴ And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. ¹⁵ And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; andthe day after that we went to Miletus. ¹⁶ For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

¹⁷ Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them:

 “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, ²¹ testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of  faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ²² And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. ²⁴ But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2020:%2013-24&version=ESV)

Paul traveled a lot, there is no doubt about that! He traveled with a purpose and was guided by the Holy Spirit.  Sounds a little like the desert doesn’t it?   The only difference is that he knew who was leading Him and He trusted Him fully.  Sometime I think that the Jewish people forgot who was leading them or they would not have complained so much.  Ouch, that hurts!  Sometimes I can compare myself to the Jews, I find myself complaining as the journey of life continues on.  In this scripture we do not see Paul feeling sorry for himself, rather he states the facts as they are. Paul was a man that had the will of the Father to speak His words and he did so by going to the church and house to house.  So many times we tend to think that the only place we can share is at church but we should be sharing day by day, going into the homes sharing with both believers and unbelievers so His words can be known to all.

Our mouths should speak words of encouragement but also reprimand when we see another fellow believer slipping away from the faith.  Our actions should be actions that only reflect the light of Christ.  If we live this way, we can see, like Paul, that it isn’t our life at all and it is worth nothing compared to the hope that we have in what is to come.  The ultimate truth is that nothing matters more than to be with Christ, not to cling to this old world, but to know that when we go to Him, we have accomplished all that He wanted us to accomplish on this earth. 

None of us know our future nor did Paul.  He had warnings form the Holy Spirit that life was going to be rough, that trouble awaited him but he was confident that through Jesus Christ that he would endure.  He knew that if his life would be taken that there was more to this life than what we see now.  He knew that if his life was taken that he would be ultimately responsible to God as to actions of speaking and living the Word of God and he was ready.

What about us?  Are we ready to travel out of a suitcase in order to share the Gospel?  Life on the road is not an easy one but with the Holy Spirit guiding, how much more fun could that be?  Are we ready to go to our brothers/sisters home and share words of encouragement and strength or is that just a Sunday thing?  Are we willing to share our homes with others so that we can be encouragers?  Are we too busy with this life that we forget about the future we have in Christ?

As we seek Him today may we find Him encouraging us to press on to the finish line for which we have been called through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila 

Wake Up Sleeper

Acts 20:7-12

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁷ On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. ⁸ There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. ⁹ And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. ¹⁰ But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” ¹¹ And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. ¹² And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2020:%207%20-%2012&version=ESV)

I have thought that I have made it through a number of dry boring, and d long sermons before but nothing tops this one.  After this happened you would have thought that Paul would have gotten the message and would have headed home.  Instead Paul performs a miracle through Jesus Christ and goes back and finishes what he had to say.   It wasn’t a brief summary either, he spoke through the night.   Needless to say, Paul most likely had their full attention at this point, why waste it?

Why did he do this?  Because he had a message to share and he was getting ready to leave them.  He had to speak to them when he could and had to do so in a manner as to cram as much information into them a possible.

This reminds me of how the churches in persecuted countries have to operate.  They come together not for a short 20 minute sermon but come to hear the Word in big bunches because they don’t know when they will get to meet again.  They absorb all that they can in the short but long time they have together.

We in America complain when the service goes past noon yet these people were willing to stay up all night to hear the Word of God. 

On Good Friday people across America will be able to listen to a simulcast entitled “Secret Church”.  David Platt, the pastor leading the simulcast”, states that you won’t be drinking from a water fountain but  from a fire hydrant”.  This is so true and such a blessing.  People who decide not to participate because it is so long will be missing out on hearing straight from God’s word the wonderful message that He has for us.

I find it interesting in this scripture that Paul, although concerned for the young man, knew where his focus needed to be.  He didn’t cut his sermon short but rather continued on in the Word after the commotion.  He didn’t let others dictate how long he should or should not preach.  He had a message to preach and nothing would stop him from doing so.

As you seek Him today, whether it is a message you are to give or a one that you are to listen to and apply to your lives, I trust you will do as God has called you to do. 

 

 

Ephesians 5:13-14

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹³ But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

Does it Fit?

Acts 20:1-6                                                                                                              

English Standard Version (ESV)

20 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. ² When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. ³ There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. ⁴ Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians,  Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. ⁵ These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, ⁶ but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2020:%201%20-6&version=ESV)

When I think of an evangelist I think of the men that used to come to our church and preach powerful, dynamic, sermons each night for a week.  They would come, people would repent, and they would move on to the next town.  It was at one of those services that I publicly announced my faith in Jesus Christ.  Yet, I never saw those ministers again, unless of course we invited them back for another revival service.  

I have always kind of thought of Paul as an evangelist because he traveled around to many different areas proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.  However, after reading this passage today I realize that Paul was not the type of evangelist that I remember as a child.  Paul was a missionary, pastor/teacher, and evangelist all wrapped up in one.  Today we see how he mentored those who he had introduced Christ to by taking them with him.  He didn’t leave the people behind but took at least one of them with him so they too could grow in the Lord and learn how to be a true minister.  I find it interesting that in the list of those he took, Timothy was amongst them.  Timothy whom he considered a “son in the faith” is listed right along with the other men.  Could this be because the author is trying to make a point that these were men that Paul was mentoring?  I had a pastor tell me once how he had to go to a foreign country as a seminary student and serve as a part of his studies.  I believe this is what Paul is doing in this case.  He is teaching a seminary class of sorts and he wants each of these men to experience what it is like to serve.  Servant-hood is a sign of true love for the people with whom you serve and something that cannot be taken lightly especially as a minister of the Gospel.

Paul used these men as trailblazers yet in the same respect he was blazing the trail for them.  He must have trusted them fully because he sent them ahead, probably to secure a place to stay and to establish the attitude of the culture in which they entered.  He may have wanted to have them to begin scouting out possibilities for sharing the Gospel.  In the passage it is states “they went ahead and were waiting for us” an indication that they really didn’t begin a ministry but waited.  Who did they wait for?  Paul and maybe Silas, as the two were ministering together at the time.  I have to wonder if these men enjoyed waiting or if they ever became impatient because Paul was never in too big of hurry to leave the people.

How does this scripture apply to our lives?  Sometimes we can see a clear picture when we read the scripture and sometimes we make assumption that it applies to us personally and stretch it to make it apply.  Much like a pair of hose that are too small!  We can stretch and tug and stuff with all our energy but in the end the hose will win out!  If you are a woman and have ever put on panty hose that were too small, you will know what I mean.  If you are just an innocent by-stander that hears the screams, you probably have a pretty good idea too!  Anyway, we don’t want to stuff our lives into the life of Paul if that is not where we have been called, if the shoe doesn’t fit, don’t put it on.  However, we can learn a model of ministry that he used.  He disciple other believers, praying for them in his absence, he taught them in his presence, and he mentored those not just in their hometowns but he took them to learn how to minister outside of their comfort zone.  Maybe you are not a Paul but maybe you are one that is being called to be go through a mentorship or maybe you are being asked to stay right where you are and minister to those around you.  When Paul left, the ministry did not end but rather those who remained built on the ministry.

Each of us needs to seek the Lord and ask for His direction in our lives.  I heard a song this week that meant so much to me.  Written by David Frey / Ben McDonald / Jason Ingram and entitled, “Help Me Find It” The chorus goes like this,

 “If there’s a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can you help me find it
Can you help me find it”

Appears on Album: Live Like That                                                                                                                                              

http://www.sidewalkprophets.com/songs/help-me-find-it

Seek Him and find His will for your life.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

 .

Peace from God

Acts 19:21-41

English Standard Version (ESV)

²¹ Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit ^(A)to pass through ^(B)Macedonia and Achaia and ^(C)go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, ^(D)I must also see Rome.” ²² And having sent into Macedonia two of^(E)his helpers, ^(F)Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia ^(G)for a while.

²³ About that time ^(H)there arose no little disturbance concerning ^(I)the Way. ²⁴ For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, ^(J)brought no little business to the craftsmen. ^25 (K)These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. ²⁶ And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, ^(L)saying that ^(M)gods made with hands are not gods. ²⁷ And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the ^(N)great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”

²⁸ When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, ^(O)“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and^(P)Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's ^(Q)companions in travel. ³⁰ But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him. ³¹ And even some of the Asiarchs,^[a] who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater. ^32 (R)Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³ Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, ^(S)motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. ³⁴ But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, ^(T)“Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from ^(U)the sky?^[b]36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. ³⁷ For you have brought ^(V)these men here who are neither ^(W)sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. ³⁸ If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are^(X)proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ³⁹ But if you seek anything further,^[c] it shall be settled in the regular assembly. ⁴⁰ For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” ⁴¹ And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+19%3A21+-+41&version=ESV)

This scripture is so long today that I won’t write a lot.  I couldn’t see how to separate it because it was all one story.  The verse that came to mind when I read this was, I Corinthians 14:33a  ^“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”  (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=I+Corinthians+14%3A33&version=ESV)

As I was looking for the scripture reference I realized there were 18 scripture passages that spoke of confusion and it was God who was confusing those unbelievers and causing them destruction.  God brings peace to those who know Him but confusion to those who deny Him.  As in this case no one really knew why they were there and everyone was saying things that were contrary to one another. 

If we allow other gods, such as money to rule our lives we will have turmoil and confusion when things don’t go the way we planned.  But rather if we would allow God to control our lives there will be peace even in the turmoil that surrounds us.

As you seek Him, remember He is a God of peace, not confusion.  Next time you are confused remember that confusion comes from the world, from putting other gods before the One True God.  Peace comes from God.  Ask Him to guide you in the way that He would have for you to go with peace and assurance that everything will be okay.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila

On our Own or With God?

Acts 19:11-20

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹¹ And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. ¹³ Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. ¹⁵ But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” ¹⁶ And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷ And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. ¹⁸ Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. ¹⁹ And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰ So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2019:%2011%20-%2020&version=ESV)

Make no mistake, it was not Paul that was doing great wonders nor was it his body, it was the Lord Jesus Christ through Paul.  Verses 11 and 12 reminds me of the story where the lady just touched the hem of Jesus garment and was healed.  She had enough faith to believe that if she merely touched Him then He would do a great wonder in her body.  It was not the touching that healed but it was her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The same had to be true in these verses.  It wasn’t the body of Paul that was healing, it was the faith that these people had that the Lord that Paul spoke of was the One that could heal.

However, some Jews thought it would be wise to cast demons out in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as Paul did.  The verses tell us they were Jews, not Jews of The Way, but Jews who had not repented of their sins and did no proclaim Jesus as Lord of their life.  They were Jews that wanted the best of both worlds.  They probably wanted some recognition like Paul had.  Instead, they got a big beating and a great surprise!

I found the response of the evil spirit to be very interesting.  He replied that he “knew” Jesus.  This is someone who he knew Him yet he rejected Him.  Even the evil spirits know Jesus.  As recorded in Isaiah 14 beginning in verse 12, Lucifer, the one who thought he could be ruler was cast out of heaven.  You wonder how in the world he and his followers could make this choice but it comes down to jealousy and wanting to be in control.  Ouch!  Jealousy can result in total destruction.  Wanting power at all cost can cost you your life.  It can result in living through someone else as the evil spirits did.  Have you ever thought of that?  Evil spirits have no place to go except to live through others.  There is more to just knowing Christ we must be totally committed to Him and accept His ways.  When we try to do it on our own then we are not trusting Him just as the evil spirits decided to do it on their own.  What is even more shocking is that they recognize those who do know the Father.  Wow, evil spirits have power, make no mistake about that!  They may not know us but they recognize that we represent our Father.  They recognize when we have the power through Jesus Christ to cast them out but they do not know us. 

As a result of these men who were foolishly trying to see what would happen if they did as Paul did was a great beating.  Because of this action many were cast into fear and because of their fear of God they believed upon Him and His power.  Many brought their evil practices and burnt them.  They recognized who they had been serving and chose to rid their lives of such things.  The Word spread faster because of the fear of God.  In our society today people try to paint God as a loving and forgiving God.  They try to ignore the fact that He is a just God and will rule against those who do not recognize His power.  There is not enough fear of God in the lives of the people today.  As a result people are living more and more for themselves and less and less for God. 

We should be striving each day to please God, not because it is works that saves us, but because we are a Child of God.  We should not be living a life for the money, prestige, or power but because we fear our God and want others to know of Him before destruction befalls them.  We have no power except that which God has placed within us and then it is not our power but His.

As you seek Him today recognize who He is.  He is the “I AM” the One who WAS and IS and IS to come.  When He comes, will He find you faithful or will He find you trying to do it on your own?

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila   

When Do We Give Up?

Acts 19:8-10

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁸ And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them  about the kingdom of God. ⁹  But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.  ¹⁰ This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

When do we give up and move on?  Sometimes you can share the word of God with people and they never seem to “get it”.  Do you keep after them or do you finally just give up on them?  Paul spent three months in the Synagogue trying to convince the Jews but in Thessalonica he only spent 3 Sabbath days.  It wasn’t so much the time frame but rather the attitudes of the Jews that caused Paul to leave.  They became jealous in Thessalonica and in Ephesus they became stubborn and spoke evil of his teachings, so he left and took his disciples with him.  It was not a time frame but rather the attitude of those he was trying to minister to.  He did however continue preaching the gospel to those who did believe but found another place to do so. 

As we look at verse 10 we see that his entire reason for ministering was so that everyone in Asia would hear the word of the Lord.  He wasn’t just ministering to the Jews but the Gentiles as well.  Paul’s location allowed him to speak while others spread the words that he had spoken and as a result many came to know the Lord.

When do we give up?  When others hinder us from spreading the Gospel as Christ as we have been called to do.

 As you seek Him may you find Him to be a source of encouragement for you.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila