Read Acts 20
God does things in his seasons. There were 3 times a year that all Jewish men were to come to Jerusalem to worship God: the feast of Passover, the feast of Pentecost, and the feast of Tabernacles. Paul came back for Passover and left for Greece during the days of Unleavened Bread. Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits all happen in the same season. He preaches in the towns of Greece during Unleavened Bread. Unleavened Bread is symbolic of cleansing our bodies of sin. I'm certain that that was the topic of many of Paul's sermons during this time. Jesus fulfilled this feast when he died a sinless lamb - the bread of life. Next comes First fruits which is when the people bring the first fruits of their crops to the Lord. Jesus fulfilled this feast when he raised from the grave and became the first fruit to be presented to God. He brought many with him. So I find it interesting that during this time the man falls from the 3rd story and dies only to be brought back to life when Paul embraces him and speaks life into him. This was the "first fruit" of Paul: the first to rise from death.
Paul continues to travel and encourage the churches. He is trying to visit them all before Pentecost, the next feast that requires him to be in Jerusalem. This next feast was fulfilled when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. It represents the birth of the Church. No wonder Paul preaches to them about feeding the church. He warns them of the enemy who hates the Church and what he will try to do to destroy it. He is saying his good-bye to them because he knows his time with them is over. It is like Jesus's prayer in John 17. He commends them to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to buld them up and give them an inheritance among all which are sanctified. The last thing he tells them is to remember the words of Jesus when he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Lord, may we not love our life but pour it out as an offering to you.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Wed. Devo -Holy What?
Read Acts 19
Paul is passing through Ephesus and meets disciples and asks them if they have received the Holy Spirit since they believed. They didn't even know that there was a Holy Spirit. I thought that was odd till I did a word search on the word Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and it is only mentioned 3 times. The words Holy Ghost are not mentioned at all so how would they know there was a Holy Spirit. This chapter talks about 3 different baptisms: the baptism of repentence (John's baptism), the baptism into salvation (the baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus), then the baptism in the Holy Spirit which came with the laying on of hands by Paul, tongues and prophecy.
Paul was loyal to the "great commission". He always went to the Jew first (the synagoge) then to the Gentile. He ended up at Tyrannus' school where he stayed and taught for 2 years. Only this school was not a typical Bible school. He touched people's handkerchiefs and aprons and the owners were healed of diseases and evil spirits left them.
The seven sons of Sceva were chief of the priests. They wanted some of this attention Paul was getting so they tried to cast our demons in the name of Paul's Jesus. The demons knew the authority Jesus had over them and they knew that same authority that Paul had, but these 7 men had no authority to tell them where to go. So when they tried to cast out the demons, the demons turned and attacked them and cast them out of the house. This was great P.R. for the name of Jesus.
Ephesus was the most important city in the Roman province of Asia. A road 11 miles wide and lined with columns ran down through the city to the harbour where they exported goods and imported people. They believe the population was a third of a million. A single theater seated 25,000.
It was also the center of emperor cult, and had three official temples. Amazingly Paul had friends among the leaders of this cult of which many were Jews. The spread of Christianity threatened the magic cults which flourished here. (Where sin abounds, grace abounds more.) One craftsman got so upset because his prophets had suffered because of Paul that he caused a great uproar and all ran into the theater to do something about it. Once again, God spared Paul and sent Alexander to calm the crowd. Interesting...."Alexander" means "man-defender". I'm going to ask for God to send that angel when I need a defender!
Paul is passing through Ephesus and meets disciples and asks them if they have received the Holy Spirit since they believed. They didn't even know that there was a Holy Spirit. I thought that was odd till I did a word search on the word Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and it is only mentioned 3 times. The words Holy Ghost are not mentioned at all so how would they know there was a Holy Spirit. This chapter talks about 3 different baptisms: the baptism of repentence (John's baptism), the baptism into salvation (the baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus), then the baptism in the Holy Spirit which came with the laying on of hands by Paul, tongues and prophecy.
Paul was loyal to the "great commission". He always went to the Jew first (the synagoge) then to the Gentile. He ended up at Tyrannus' school where he stayed and taught for 2 years. Only this school was not a typical Bible school. He touched people's handkerchiefs and aprons and the owners were healed of diseases and evil spirits left them.
The seven sons of Sceva were chief of the priests. They wanted some of this attention Paul was getting so they tried to cast our demons in the name of Paul's Jesus. The demons knew the authority Jesus had over them and they knew that same authority that Paul had, but these 7 men had no authority to tell them where to go. So when they tried to cast out the demons, the demons turned and attacked them and cast them out of the house. This was great P.R. for the name of Jesus.
Ephesus was the most important city in the Roman province of Asia. A road 11 miles wide and lined with columns ran down through the city to the harbour where they exported goods and imported people. They believe the population was a third of a million. A single theater seated 25,000.
It was also the center of emperor cult, and had three official temples. Amazingly Paul had friends among the leaders of this cult of which many were Jews. The spread of Christianity threatened the magic cults which flourished here. (Where sin abounds, grace abounds more.) One craftsman got so upset because his prophets had suffered because of Paul that he caused a great uproar and all ran into the theater to do something about it. Once again, God spared Paul and sent Alexander to calm the crowd. Interesting...."Alexander" means "man-defender". I'm going to ask for God to send that angel when I need a defender!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday's Devo -I Am Not Afraid
Read Acts 18
Paul spends much of his time in Corinth. Corinth was a very prosperous trade center. In the past they had built a temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and had been a notoriously immoral city. It was razed to the ground centuries later by Rome. It was rebuilt by Caesar and eventually became the capital of the province of Achaea and ruled by a proconcul. Gallio was the proconsul at the time Paul was there. The Jews kept trying to get Paul arrested by the proconsul but Gallio refused to get involved.
The Jews in Rome had been kicked out so many like Pricilla and Aquila had fled to Corinth. So there was unrest everywhere. Nero eventually had Gallio killed. Paul had a reason to be concerned for his life because when fear drives people, they do bizarre things. In the midst of this atmosphere of fear and distrust God speaks to Paul in a vision and says, "Don't be afraid, but speak and don't hold back. I am with you and no man will hurt you for I have many people in this city." What an encouragement! I think that is what God would say to us today in the midst of tolerance-only-to-the-evil, fear, distrust, unrest, war, and unemployment. He would come to all of his people and say, "Don't be afraid to be bold for me, I will not let you be harmed for I have many of my people in this city. Paul believed and stayed for 1 and 1/2 years teaching the Word to them. When Paul was arrested, he didn't even have to defend himself. God used an unrighteous leader to defend him and another man, Sosthenes, took his beating.
A while later, Paul left and went back through the places he had started churches to strengthen them and make sure they were keeping the faith.
Lord, raise up "Pauls" for this generation that will not be afraid or ashamed to preach the gospel.
Paul spends much of his time in Corinth. Corinth was a very prosperous trade center. In the past they had built a temple to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and had been a notoriously immoral city. It was razed to the ground centuries later by Rome. It was rebuilt by Caesar and eventually became the capital of the province of Achaea and ruled by a proconcul. Gallio was the proconsul at the time Paul was there. The Jews kept trying to get Paul arrested by the proconsul but Gallio refused to get involved.
The Jews in Rome had been kicked out so many like Pricilla and Aquila had fled to Corinth. So there was unrest everywhere. Nero eventually had Gallio killed. Paul had a reason to be concerned for his life because when fear drives people, they do bizarre things. In the midst of this atmosphere of fear and distrust God speaks to Paul in a vision and says, "Don't be afraid, but speak and don't hold back. I am with you and no man will hurt you for I have many people in this city." What an encouragement! I think that is what God would say to us today in the midst of tolerance-only-to-the-evil, fear, distrust, unrest, war, and unemployment. He would come to all of his people and say, "Don't be afraid to be bold for me, I will not let you be harmed for I have many of my people in this city. Paul believed and stayed for 1 and 1/2 years teaching the Word to them. When Paul was arrested, he didn't even have to defend himself. God used an unrighteous leader to defend him and another man, Sosthenes, took his beating.
A while later, Paul left and went back through the places he had started churches to strengthen them and make sure they were keeping the faith.
Lord, raise up "Pauls" for this generation that will not be afraid or ashamed to preach the gospel.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday's Devo - Truth Brings Persecution
Read Acts 17
The word is a two-edged sword. When weilded it divides. That is what the truth did that Paul and Silas preached. It divided. Like Jesus teaching it brought out the worse in people. They either accepted it or completely opposed it. There didn't seem to be much middle ground. Truth brings persecution. We saw that in our nation this past week when the contestant for Miss America said she believed marriage was between a man and a woman. She caught all kind of flack even from so-called Christians. The church hasn't received much persecution because we still dance around sin. But I see a day coming when we will be forced to make statements that define sin and put us in a position for persecution. Paul was not afraid of confrontation or persecution. He seemed to attrack both everywhere he went.
When he was in Athens he argued with the Epicureans and the Stoic philosophers. The Epicureans believed the universe was the result of atomic reaction and motion. (Sounds like some of our "scientists" today.) The Stoics worshipped Reason and believed happiness came from accepting things as they are. How do you preach Jesus and resurrection to a group like this? Paul found a loop hole. They had a tomb that was inscribed, "Tomb to the Unknown God". I guess that was to cover the bases just in case there was a higher being than nature and reason. Paul used this to tell them he knew this Unknown God and in fact, He was the only God, creator of the universe and everything in it. And this powerful god wanted to live and move and exist in them. He called them to repent, turn from their sins, and turn to God. He told them that there is a judgement day coming in which everyone will judged by Jesus who God raised from the dead. Paul was doing well until he got to the part about Jesus being raised from the dead. What do reasonists and atheists do with that? Some laughed but some wanted to know more and some became believers. One of those believers was a member of the court held on Mars Hill. I have found that all who are looking for the truth find it eventually. May we take risks like Paul did and not be afraid of persecution.
The word is a two-edged sword. When weilded it divides. That is what the truth did that Paul and Silas preached. It divided. Like Jesus teaching it brought out the worse in people. They either accepted it or completely opposed it. There didn't seem to be much middle ground. Truth brings persecution. We saw that in our nation this past week when the contestant for Miss America said she believed marriage was between a man and a woman. She caught all kind of flack even from so-called Christians. The church hasn't received much persecution because we still dance around sin. But I see a day coming when we will be forced to make statements that define sin and put us in a position for persecution. Paul was not afraid of confrontation or persecution. He seemed to attrack both everywhere he went.
When he was in Athens he argued with the Epicureans and the Stoic philosophers. The Epicureans believed the universe was the result of atomic reaction and motion. (Sounds like some of our "scientists" today.) The Stoics worshipped Reason and believed happiness came from accepting things as they are. How do you preach Jesus and resurrection to a group like this? Paul found a loop hole. They had a tomb that was inscribed, "Tomb to the Unknown God". I guess that was to cover the bases just in case there was a higher being than nature and reason. Paul used this to tell them he knew this Unknown God and in fact, He was the only God, creator of the universe and everything in it. And this powerful god wanted to live and move and exist in them. He called them to repent, turn from their sins, and turn to God. He told them that there is a judgement day coming in which everyone will judged by Jesus who God raised from the dead. Paul was doing well until he got to the part about Jesus being raised from the dead. What do reasonists and atheists do with that? Some laughed but some wanted to know more and some became believers. One of those believers was a member of the court held on Mars Hill. I have found that all who are looking for the truth find it eventually. May we take risks like Paul did and not be afraid of persecution.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday's Devo - Is the Devil Bugging You? Demand Payback!
We have termites in our kitchen wall. I noticed them about a week ago. I saw this tiny black spot on my wall and when I looked closer I realized it was a small hole. I showed it to Dave and he immediately recognized it as termites. We called the exterminators the next day and a week later they came. I guess Tulsa is being inundated and we were down on the list. Anyway, by the time they came there were about 16 holes and dead termites kept appearing on the floor. Sometimes they would fly. It got so bad that one night we sat in front of the holes with the vacuum cleaner and waited till one crawled past the opening in the hole and we would suck it up. This is a very desperate feeling watching while pests eat away at your new house. When we realized this was a losing battle we stuck putty in the holes and went to bed. Dave and I could hardly sleep that night knowing that preditors were awake eating away our walls. I monitored the wall all day the next day and finally that afternoon I saw a few that had eaten around the putty and were coming through. I took off the putty and sure enough there they were. I don't know why I thought they might have left. A friend came over to pick up her daughters prom dress I had altered and I showed our new adventure. She asked me if I sprayed the putty with bug spray. I hadn't even thought of spraying the bugs. So I went out and got our bug spray and sprayed it into the hole. Walla! I haven't seen another one since and we have a whole week till they are treating our house. I said aaaaaalllllll this to say. Why? Dave prays Ps 91 over our house and family everyday. In it there is a line that says: "no evil or plague shall come near our dwelling." Well, I call termites an evil plague. So I'm asking God, "why?"
This week we went over to a couple's house in our church that was experiencing calamity after calamity. They wanted the demons cast out and their house blessed. We went over and prayed for their house. Persecution is not a plague, it is a promise for those who carry the name of the Lord. Whatever this is I am demanding payback. What the devil has stolen from us in finances and sheetrock he has to pay back 7 fold. I'm going to be looking for it.
This week we went over to a couple's house in our church that was experiencing calamity after calamity. They wanted the demons cast out and their house blessed. We went over and prayed for their house. Persecution is not a plague, it is a promise for those who carry the name of the Lord. Whatever this is I am demanding payback. What the devil has stolen from us in finances and sheetrock he has to pay back 7 fold. I'm going to be looking for it.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Saturday's Devo - Moved by Compassion
"But when Jesus saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having not shepherd." Matt.9:36
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend on the phone. She was fixing to take her daughter down town to feed the homeless. She asked me if I wanted to go and I said, "yes". I had work to do but somehow this seemed like what I should be doing. I love how God interrupts your day to bless you. The problem is most of the time I don't want to stop and shift gears. I'm so glad I let God rearrange my schedule this time.
The way this ministry got started was a couple of years ago a business man named Kelly Swan was having lunch with some of his friends down town where they work. He noticed all the homeless people walking around hungry. He asked his friends why no one had started a ministry to these people. They decided to go buy some sandwiches and bring them back and give them out. This started his ministry. Every Friday he meets at a certain parking lot and shares a mini sermon, he relates with the people and calls them by name and they love and trust him. He treats them with dignity and respect. Then he passes out sack lunches. One man came up to him afterwards and was a heroin addict. He wanted to ask Jesus into his life and change. Kelly prayed with him and got him hooked up with the John 3:26 ministry.
I had never done this outreach but was so touched. Kelly was moved by compassion like Jesus was when he saw the multitude and he stopped and taught them, healed them and fed them. That's what Kelly does. I had been thinking about helping a member of my church move this week-end. When I came home from feeding the homeless, I called her. I figured she would have relatives or other friends helping her and tell me she didn't need me, but she didn't have anyone helping her and would love my help. So here I go moved by compassion because I saw the power of some one else moved by compassion. Move us Lord!
Yesterday, I was talking to a friend on the phone. She was fixing to take her daughter down town to feed the homeless. She asked me if I wanted to go and I said, "yes". I had work to do but somehow this seemed like what I should be doing. I love how God interrupts your day to bless you. The problem is most of the time I don't want to stop and shift gears. I'm so glad I let God rearrange my schedule this time.
The way this ministry got started was a couple of years ago a business man named Kelly Swan was having lunch with some of his friends down town where they work. He noticed all the homeless people walking around hungry. He asked his friends why no one had started a ministry to these people. They decided to go buy some sandwiches and bring them back and give them out. This started his ministry. Every Friday he meets at a certain parking lot and shares a mini sermon, he relates with the people and calls them by name and they love and trust him. He treats them with dignity and respect. Then he passes out sack lunches. One man came up to him afterwards and was a heroin addict. He wanted to ask Jesus into his life and change. Kelly prayed with him and got him hooked up with the John 3:26 ministry.
I had never done this outreach but was so touched. Kelly was moved by compassion like Jesus was when he saw the multitude and he stopped and taught them, healed them and fed them. That's what Kelly does. I had been thinking about helping a member of my church move this week-end. When I came home from feeding the homeless, I called her. I figured she would have relatives or other friends helping her and tell me she didn't need me, but she didn't have anyone helping her and would love my help. So here I go moved by compassion because I saw the power of some one else moved by compassion. Move us Lord!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday's Devo - Freedom for All
Read Acts 16
This chapter makes me ask more questions than I have answers for. Paul and Silas leave to minister. They start out and everywhere they try to go God gives them a "no". So they keep going. They finally reach the seaport of Troas. Where do you go when you reach the sea and God keeps telling you "not here". That night Paul has a vision of a man telling him to go across the sea to the island of Macedonia and help them. That man had to be the angel of the Lord. They took a boat and finally arrived in Philippi which is the main city in Macedonia. On the sabbath they went to the river side where the women of the town gathered to pray. They baptised Lydia, a wealthy lady, along with her family. She compelled them to stay at her house. While they were still praying ther was a young girl who was possessed with a demonic spirit of divination. She kept proclaiming that they were the servants of God who came to show them the way of Salvation. What she said was the truth but the spirit from which she was saying it was not truth. It was a familiar spirit just not the real thing. So instead of it bringing life it brought death. When Paul and Silas could take it no longer they spoke to the spirit in her and commanded it to come out of her. It did. Now that she had lost her prophetic gift her masters were irate. They took Paul and Silas into the marketplace and accused them of being troublemakers. They were said to teach against their customs. What kind of crime is that? Jealousy leads to murder so they inspired the crowds to oppose them also. The magistrates had them stripped and severly beaten and thrown into the interior of the prison and had their feet put in stocks.
At midnight Paul and Silas were singing and praying surrounded by the other prisoners. Suddenly there is an earthquake and all the doors were opened and everyone's chains popped off. The jailor went to kill himself so he wouldn't be tortured the next day for letting the prisoners free. Paul stopped him and told him they are all there. (It is amazing to me that none of the prisoners left. I guess after hearing Paul and Silas pray and sing they wanted to stick around and see what other crazy thing they were going to do.) The officer is so impressed he wants to be saved immediately- not only him but his entire family. Then he fed them and put ointment on their stripes.
The next day the magistrates sent word to let them go. The now-saved keeper told Paul, and Paul said, "no way". He was a Roman citizen and what they did was unlawful. They would have to come and get him themselves. Paul was no mamby-pamby Christian. He knew who he was in society and in God.
What a picture. The demons were stirred up when they had to leave that girl so they attacked Paul and Silas. When God came to their rescue he not only set them free but all in the jail and the main guard was saved. Satan never wins unless we stop fighting and give in. When it looks like the devil has bound you, try praying and singing. God will move earth for you and set you free.
This chapter makes me ask more questions than I have answers for. Paul and Silas leave to minister. They start out and everywhere they try to go God gives them a "no". So they keep going. They finally reach the seaport of Troas. Where do you go when you reach the sea and God keeps telling you "not here". That night Paul has a vision of a man telling him to go across the sea to the island of Macedonia and help them. That man had to be the angel of the Lord. They took a boat and finally arrived in Philippi which is the main city in Macedonia. On the sabbath they went to the river side where the women of the town gathered to pray. They baptised Lydia, a wealthy lady, along with her family. She compelled them to stay at her house. While they were still praying ther was a young girl who was possessed with a demonic spirit of divination. She kept proclaiming that they were the servants of God who came to show them the way of Salvation. What she said was the truth but the spirit from which she was saying it was not truth. It was a familiar spirit just not the real thing. So instead of it bringing life it brought death. When Paul and Silas could take it no longer they spoke to the spirit in her and commanded it to come out of her. It did. Now that she had lost her prophetic gift her masters were irate. They took Paul and Silas into the marketplace and accused them of being troublemakers. They were said to teach against their customs. What kind of crime is that? Jealousy leads to murder so they inspired the crowds to oppose them also. The magistrates had them stripped and severly beaten and thrown into the interior of the prison and had their feet put in stocks.
At midnight Paul and Silas were singing and praying surrounded by the other prisoners. Suddenly there is an earthquake and all the doors were opened and everyone's chains popped off. The jailor went to kill himself so he wouldn't be tortured the next day for letting the prisoners free. Paul stopped him and told him they are all there. (It is amazing to me that none of the prisoners left. I guess after hearing Paul and Silas pray and sing they wanted to stick around and see what other crazy thing they were going to do.) The officer is so impressed he wants to be saved immediately- not only him but his entire family. Then he fed them and put ointment on their stripes.
The next day the magistrates sent word to let them go. The now-saved keeper told Paul, and Paul said, "no way". He was a Roman citizen and what they did was unlawful. They would have to come and get him themselves. Paul was no mamby-pamby Christian. He knew who he was in society and in God.
What a picture. The demons were stirred up when they had to leave that girl so they attacked Paul and Silas. When God came to their rescue he not only set them free but all in the jail and the main guard was saved. Satan never wins unless we stop fighting and give in. When it looks like the devil has bound you, try praying and singing. God will move earth for you and set you free.
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