Acts 18:19-23
English
Standard Version (ESV)
19 And
they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the
synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to
stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave
of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from
Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went
up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After
spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next
through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
How many of you remember those revival
services that lasted a week or two at the church? They were not just for the church members but
everyone in the community was invited and the churches were full. Or maybe you remember community revival
services where the ministers of the community united to bring in an evangelist
for the week. Those were great days and
had a great impact on my life. The men
that came and spoke were in and out of our lives in a week or two. Once in awhile they would return to the church
for another week or two of ministry but often times, once they left, you never
saw them again. Yet, the impact they
made on your life was a forever memory.
That is how I picture Paul in this passage of scripture. He spoke, he impacted the people through the
Word of Life. Sometimes he would return,
other times he wrote letters, yet, he forever made a memory in the life of the
church. He impacted them in a way that
caused them to commit to the Lord, which made an everlasting change in their
lives. Yet, from time to time, they
needed to be reminded and encouraged to fight the good fight and pursue
righteousness. Much like us today. Yet today we be bombarded with our own dreams
and desires and we are less and less reminded to live for the Lord. Evangelist are a thing of the past and
everyone goes about building their individual churches they way they see fit
rather than through a united front. The
accountability that Paul gave to the church is seen less and less in our
churches today.
In the changing world where we find
persecution, heartache, brokenness, and despair, I realize that the world
hasn’t really changed all that much.
These things took place in the times of the Bible just as they take place
today. There have been riots in years
past and there are riots today. There
has always been persecution, we hear about it more today and it is closer to
home, yet it has been there all along. I
am amazed at how much things are just as they were in the Bible times, the
Bible written so many years ago is still so applicable today. Why is it that we have so few traveling
missionaries/evangelist today? Maybe it
is because we are getting too busy with the things of this world that we do not
want to take the time, for a full week or two, to commit to growing in
Christ. It is even hard for some to
commit to one Sunday morning a week. As
we become more and more in tune with the world and less and less in tune with
the Father, we will find ourselves in despair and wonder how we got there.
As you seek Him today, remember to place
Him at the top of the list of priorities.
Seek Him and know that even though things of this world become more and
more troubled, He is there ready to give you peace.
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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