Acts 20:32-38 – “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” 36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Paul states that he “commits” these leaders to God and to the Word of grace. Another way of saying this is that Paul had presented them before God. In Mark 6:39-44 (five loaves and two fishes) and in Mark 8:6-9 (seven loaves and a few small fish) the same word is used. Jesus had prepared a miracle and then presented it to them to consume. He brought the power of God to them. Paul had faithfully ministered to the people and then presented them to the Son of God who would ultimately present them to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). Those who Paul ministered to he presented before Jesus, who is God the Son. They had been taught, and prepared to walk in faith and to instruct others in the faith. Paul has done what he was called to do and now it is their job to do what they have been called to do.
Here, too often, what is taught is that Paul commits them to the Word while not pointing to the most important thing, that he has brought them to God Himself. Family, the Word means nothing to those who reject God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Remember that God called Abram before The Law was given. Before the written Word was God Himself calling and nurturing Abram and his progeny. Before the written Word of God was God having a relationship with Adam. First a person must be brought to God. Now we need to be careful in this understanding because how we lead people to God is by using the Word of God. The Holy Spirit, who inspired the whole Word of God, will use the Word that He inspired to lead people to Him. So we see that we first bring the Holy Spirit within us to others and present the Holy Spirit to others by presenting the Word. The Holy Spirit reveals His Word to souls and thereby they meet God by bringing God within us to reveal the Word of God that God has given to all. First, we bring people to the feet of God and we do that through his Word. But without the presence of God to touch, through His Word, the soul will not come. We must remember that God Himself preceded the written Word of God but that the written Word of God has always been within God and is in full display through Jesus Himself. Here Paul clearly tells the prepared leaders that he has brought them to the God Himself as prepared servants of God and that He has brought them to the living Word of His grace. Both are required. Both are divine, but remember that the written Word only comes alive if we have God Himself and it is the written Word that God uses to bring us and to keep us, and all that by sacrifice of Jesus. Everything starts with God and ends with God (Colossians 1:15-20, Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13). Is God great or is God great!
“I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.” Paul came to minister. He came to give to everyone and to build all who would receive. He mentioning his hand was to remind them that he worked for his living, and not only for his, but to help supply the needs of his companions. Paul did come with a displayed palm to receive for himself, but with an open heart to give what he had received from God. What he had received from God He freely gave out (Mathew 10:8).
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”” “It is more blessed to give than receive.” He is not saying that it is not a blessing to receive. Rather Paul is saying that having received, having in possession blessings from God, it is wonderful to be able to freely share what God has freely given to us. If we have, we share. Since God has blessed us spiritually in every way we ought to generously give out what we have received so that God is praised (2 Corinthians 9:11). Why would we not share what we have been given? After all, if God gave, then God will resupply as we freely give away. In fact, the Lord will replenish to the exceeding of the original blessings (Malachi 3:10). Since we are blessed, if we have desire for greater blessing, then with a pure heart give away what we have. Especially this is true spiritually. As we give out what God has given us then God gives us even more. It is well known that the government, and many companies, give a departmental allotment for the year. If the department that receives the allotment wisely spends all the money they were given, then their coffers will be filled back up for the following year. However, if the allotment is not spent, then they may receive less the next year. Jesus wants us to use what was given to us to use and if we do not, then he will take away for us who do not give and give to those who will use it as the Lord has determined. Therefore if you love the blessings of God, and desire more, then give them away and God will replenish, and in greater abundance. (Matthew 25:14-30). Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
“When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.” When Paul was finished he knelt down and in front of them all talked with God. He did not pray in secret but for them, in front of them. Family, some do not understand Matthew 6:1-8. The Lord was not telling us that we cannot pray in front of others. He was warning us to pray with a right heart. The intent of our prayer is to praise God, to pray for others and self, and to hear from God. If we pray for show so that we may be praised by men, then that is wrong. But we can pray before the world if our hearts and intent is right. Pray earnestly and God will respond.
These men had broken hearts that they would not see Paul again. We all have Pastors that we love. To be permanently separated from them hurts. These people had been mentored by Paul the Apostle, how hard it must have been to know they would not see him again.
Our God is so much beyond us (Job 36:26). He is wonderfully beyond measure beyond us! And His generosity is inexhaustible! Praise God! Always praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
Acts 20:25-31 – “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.” It is easy to assume that Paul is saying the he will die before he sees them again, but it is possible that is is not necessarily what he meant. His call by the Holy Spirit to go Jerusalem with the knowledge that he will end up in Rome may be that the Lord is moving Him on to ministry elsewhere. After all he could not quickly take a flight or drive to a distant location. Still the finality in the statement does ring an ominous tone. Yet as V24 plainly states, Paul’s main concern is not his earthly life but it is his desire to faithfully do all that God has called him to do.
“Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” This strongly harkens back to the Lord telling the prophet Ezekiel “When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.” (Ezekiel 3:18-19) Paul is telling the church leaders that He has not hesitated to preach the full Gospel to them and in that, he has been a faithful deliverer to do what he has been “sent” to do. So the responsibility of their souls is upon them. He was leaving and had done all he could for them. They must hold to the faith and if they do not, it is no longer his responsibility but their own. It is the same for us. Everyone must, of their own free will, decide if they will humble themselves and serve Jesus or if they will not. The responsibility of all Christians is to tell the Gospel, after that, it is the responsibility of everyone to believe and follow or not to. Oh that all would believe and follow, but my heart is pierced that most will not and shall forever suffer for rejecting Jesus. Oh, oh, oh, how I hurt to know that!
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Not only do these church leaders have responsibility for their own eternity, but the responsibility that the Apostle Paul had borne for them, and for all the brothers and sisters with them, was now passed to each of them. Paul is reminding them that God the Holy Spirit has anointed them with a calling to care for God’s flock just as Peter was told to care for the flock of the Lord (John 21:15-21). These shepherds of the flock that Paul was speaking to also had the same responsibility that Ezekiel and Paul had borne. Now they must be faithful shepherds and they were reminded that Jesus does the saving (by His blood) and it is their responsibility to tell and to love. The same responsibility is, in varying assignments, for all of us also.
The original word that is here translated as “shepherds” also could be translated as superintendent, elder, overseer, or guardian. Guardian, as does shepherd, stands out. We are to watch out for each other. We are called to love and care for each other and to nurture those who belong to Jesus. The guardians that Paul was speaking to must carefully attend to their own faith so that they could lovingly and tenderly care for the flock.
“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Why was Paul telling them to guard their faith and to be guardians of the flock?” It was because there would be savage wolves who would come to them to try to deceive the young and weak to kill the faith that is in them. Wolves, all predators, eye a flock to look for the easiest prey to kill. So also do false leaders. Often they come bragging about their own greatness, even their greatness of humility. But they are, as described in Jude 1:12-13 as “clouds without rain”, promising much but since they are empty, they cannot bring what they promise. Let us not follow those who are merely charismatic with some form of knowledge, but let us follow those who walk closely in love with God and with His Word, remembering that the chief requirement is love. If one comes with seeming supernatural power, or has great education, or utters great mysteries, and does great acts of kindness, yet does not love the flock more than self, he is a false preacher. Even if the preacher is a great scholar, but love is not the hallmark of their ministry, their ministry is askew, false. (1 Corinthians 13)
Evil men do not only infiltrate the body from without, but they are also among us. Those who would usurp power, being greedy for it, are “clouds with rain.” Be careful of gossipers, those who spread rumor, and those who sneer and think they “can do it better.” Remember that it is God we believe in and we know that He is able to remove whom He wants removed and to bring in whom He wants brought in. Beware those who divide. If cleansing or change must come let God Himself bring it by His Holy Spirit and His Word.
Paul, in his ministry to the brothers and sisters has resisted infiltration of lies, of legalists, of the proud usurpers, of those who would pervert the Word, of those from without or within, and Paul has done so “with tears.” Family and Friends, those who push for positions that God has not given them, or who push out whom God has not moved, are a constant danger to the faith of the individual and the flock. Paul had fought the good fight, had brought the whole counsel of God, and had done so with the love of the Father burning within. He, like Jesus Savior and Lord, put others before self. Praise God for His great love and faithfulness and for sending to us today great leaders like Paul. He still brings to us men who love Him and His Word and who also love us. Great men of God, even today, abound. You will know them by their love and humility and not necessarily by their mega churches. Quantity does not mean quality, yet quantity may be a blessing brought by God. Praise God who still watches over us all! He does so by His Spirit and His Word. Praise God for who He is! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob withRomans 7:15 – I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do.
Most of us lament that we have a sin, or sins, that we struggle with and just can’t get past. We all confide to others that we do things we wish we would not do, and for those who don’t confess sins are just not confessing. For those who deny having any troublesome sin they need to pray that God will show them the sin they don’t see (Psalm 139:23-24). For some of those of us who deny that they still struggle with sin they need to stop lying to themselves and others (1 John 1:8,10).
How do we overcome sin? First of all we (all who know Jesus as Savior and Lord) must know that before the Father we are all sinless because the blood of Jesus has wiped away the record of our sins (1 John 1:7, Revelation 1:5, Isaiah 43:25, Hebrews 8:12, Psalm 103:12). So in reality, as God looks upon us, even the midst of our sins, we are positionally pure in spirit because of Jesus. Our responsibility is to repent from our sins and confess them to the Lord (1 John 1:9 – 1 John 2:2). Now repenting is acknowledging that our sin is sin. It is not excusing it and to keep doing it as if we have no responsibility for our sin. If we do not have responsibility for our sins then who does. Will some blame God! Oh no, no! Let us not so deceive ourselves (Galatians 6:7). Also, let’s not do evil by cheapening the blood of Christ. He did not die so that we would continue in sin but that we would be free of it, both spiritually and practically (John 12:47, Matthew 1:12). So let’s not make an excuse of any kind for any sin we do. Let us never accept it as a part of our lives. Those who accept sin and just think that they are okay because they have forgiveness of sins through Jesus cheapen the blood of Jesus and treat it as something that is unworthy of the highest respect, gratitude and love. For those who live in such a way there is great peril (Hebrews 10:29). We are specifically told not to continue in sin (Romans 6:1-2, 1 John 1:3-6).
God knows we will sin. He knows that we are born with a sin nature (Psalm 51:4, Romans 7:14, Psalm 58:3). He knows our humble beginnings (Ecclesiastes 3:20, Psalm 103:13-14). God loves us in spite of the pitiful and weak beings that we are (Romans 5:8). And yes, God has given forgiveness of sins to all who come to Him through Jesus, but what God does not do is excuse our sins. There is never an excuse to sin or to continue in sin.
So how do we get rid of sins in our life? It is part of the mystery and wonder and majesty of the relationship God has ordained with us. We know that we are only saved by faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). That we cannot do anything to save ourselves or to keep ourselves. But God has ordained that we He will shape our free will to conform to His divine will. There is more to say about this that can be written in the limited size of this piece, but God wants us to take part in our salvation. The foundation is the love of God for us and our reciprocal love to God. If we love God, then we will obey Him (John 14:15, 21, 23-24). So there is the secret of being freed from sin, it is by loving God in ever increasing measure. Family and Friends, if we could, by our own will, stop sinning, then Jesus died for nothing. But we can’t stop ourselves from sinning by our own power. Freedom from sinning comes from knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord and fellowshipping with and yielding to the Holy Spirit within. As our love for God grows then we are freed from sins. Do we want to know what we keep from God? It is when we say to God “I love You but I can’t let You go there and free me from that?” We need only look at what we struggle with. Family, as our love for God grows then more and more we want our lives to be an act of worship to God. Habitual, or continual sins, will drop away. Oh we will still make mistakes, but those big habitual sins will drop away. Some will protest that they love God but that the sin persists. Then the sin that persists is loved more than God. Yes that hurts, but it is still true for you and for me. Really, the sin that persists is most often based in the biggest idol in our lives, ourselves. We do the sins that cling to us because they please us. So who do we love most, God or ourselves? To whom we love most we will most seek to please.
Once God takes the sins away don’t return to them. The man who returns to a sin finds it ever harder to be freed from (2 Peter 2:20). When we return to sin, when we have lived freed by God from a sin and then return to it, we are saying to God that life with God was missing something, it was missing that sin. That we need to the sin to fulfill us. Oh what a horrid and wicked thing to do, and shamefully, many of us have. Hebrews 10:29 “How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace,” is a powerful message for those who insult God by returning to sin that God has freed them from.
Therefore we faithfully depend on the grace of God while not mocking it or thinking we shall do so without due effect. In the heaviness of our mistakes we still need to remember 1 John 1:9 – 1 John 2:3 that states “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” So amazing is the love of God who loves and endures with creatures such as us. But oh praise God that He does! Yes, praise God who loves us so greatly! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob withJohn 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
This year we will receive gifts from others. We will, with gratitude open them and express our gratitude. After all, the gifts are nice, but what is most important is the gift giver. It would be shameful to be ungrateful and unthankful. In one case the gift giver and the gift carry equal value for all of us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17) God gave us His very best to bless us beyond any other blessing. Jesus, in His limitless mind gazed into the eyes of all persons ever born. Overflowing with love for us He said to the Father “I will do it.” I pray that all who read this will with fullness of gratitude accept the gift of God to us and receive the blessed eternal life with Him that He gave to us through Jesus. We accept gifts from each other, why would we shove away the precious gift of God and refuse what He has so paid so heavily to give. Merry Christmas! May you all know and walk in the endless love He has for us. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob with1 John 4:4 – You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
After accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord we attended a church in a very cool building. Not modern, but very cool, lots of hidden passages and rooms. Afterward it was found out that the building, long before the church was established, had been used by the KKK. The thought of the KKK meeting in the same building so many years before was quite repulsive. At first thought it would be easy to think how could a church gather to worship Jesus in a building where formerly evil would gather? After talking to elders and praying about it, I began to think that the comparison of the dark history of the building versus what it was now being used for was really quite delightful! It would have been best if the KKK had never existed anywhere, but it had. This building had been polluted by them. It can bring shivers to think of the evil spirits that once called this building home. Yet, in an open display of light overcoming darkness and love being greater than hate, the building became occupied by saints who loved Jesus Christ as their Savior. The former evil use was replaced by the incomparable good of God. Anyone who loves God will celebrate that what was once a place where evil was propagated had become a place where God’s love was now present. The evil spirits gone. All people of every race had become welcome. What evil used for bad God now used for God. Yet another win for God!
All of us were sinners, all were enemies of God, but Jesus came from Heaven to miraculously be born of a virgin woman to save us (Romans 5:8, 10, Colossians 1:21). He came knowing that He would be tortured and die an excruciating death. Knowing what He must go through He stepped down from His throne beside the Father and came to redeem what only He could redeem (Philippians 2:8-11). He redeemed us. Our spirits were housed in a body of corrupted flesh that had become the seed of evil desires. Our spirits had become housed in body that was filled with, and lusted after evil desires (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10-18). They were trapped with no hope of escape. But God loved His creation too much to leave it in that situation. He knew that we could not save ourselves (Matthew 19:25-26), so He Himself came to save, to suffer and die for us. He appeared in the form of man to eventually die a most horrible death. He redeemed our souls from a house of death (Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:21). When we became born from above (John 3:3) by submitting to Jesus as Savior and Lord then our souls were freed from the curse brought on by Adam and Eve. He instantly freed our souls to be one with God (1 Corinthians 6:17) and began cleaning up the temporary housing we lived in. In an open display of light overcoming darkness and love being greater than hate, we became occupied by the Holy Spirit of God. Our spirits became instantly cleaned, all our evil vanquished, and no stain of sin upon us (Isaiah 1:18). As saints who love Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we have been washed clean. What was once a dirty soul housed in a dirty body was washed clean. The Light of the World had overcome the darkness of the world and the flesh. The love of God had overcome the one who hates us and who seeks to destroy us.
The truth of the story is that God can change the use of any building, any day, and any person to use for His glory. Peter and the Apostles had to learn that lesson (Acts 10:1-45). They learned that the once unclean pagan could be cleaned to be used of God and to be eternally united with God. The Lord called the murderous Saul to become Paul to become His apostle and to write most of the New Testament (Acts 9). Let’s remember that God can change anything, any building, any man or any date, to be used for His purpose. Who is any man to say, other than as God has said, what God will do or not do. He is sovereign and He answers to no man. So yes, December 25th was a pagan holiday but now it is mostly known as the day that the birth of Jesus is celebrated. Isn’t that a glorious thing that a date that was used for evil is now a date to celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world? Was Jesus born on that day, no He was not. Do we know for certain what day He was born? No we do not. So celebrating the birth of Jesus had its beginning by men who meant well but who unfortunately chose a pagan holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Today many have an understandable distaste for that. However as Paul learned, and so stated, we believers should not let any person judge us what day we consider holy (Colossians 2:16-17). To fight over such things is to disregard the highest laws of love (Mark 12:30-31). The one who celebrates the Lord’s birth on December 25th should not judge the one who does not and the one who does not should not judge the one who does lest they violate the meaning of the teaching of Romans 1:4. If one decides to celebrate the birth of Jesus on another day that they deem more appropriate, God bless them as they celebrated. We understand that the point is not whether a believer celebrates the birth of Jesus on one day or another, but that the birth of Jesus is celebrated. And the followers of Jesus should not designate only one specific day of remembrance, but, of course, should celebrate the birth and death of Jesus every day. Besides how does it glorify the Lord to fight with one or another over such a thing? So Family and Friends, I wish to all of you, whether on the 25th or another day or every day, Merry Christmas and God’s favor.
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob withActs 20:22-24 – “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.” It is thought by some that by Paul here saying “not knowing what will happen to me there” that he did not know that going to Jerusalem would lead to his death. What he is saying that he was compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. He, a man guided by the Holy Spirit, knew that He was called to go to Jerusalem and so nothing could sway him from going. If God said it, he did it. To obey God, no matter the consequence, was a simple fact that Paul lived by. Paul may not know that he will be bound and ultimately lead to his death. Or, he may know of his impending death but not know exactly how everything will transpire. After all, he will not die in Jerusalem, but in Rome.
“I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” How did the Holy Spirit warn him? Certainly by speaking directly to him. But also the Spirit spoke to Paul and confirmed this message by using those with a prophetic gift (Acts 21:10-14). In fact when Paul was originally commissioned by Jesus he had been warned that he would suffer in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:15-16). Paul knew he was headed for great hardship in Jerusalem, but he also knew that the Holy Spirit had directed him to go there. So yes, the Spirit may send us somewhere where we will suffer for the Gospel of Christ. Those who love the Lord and are grateful for what Jesus has done for us are ready to suffer and even die for Christ if that is God’s will (Luke 9:24).
“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Paul’s primary reason for life was to share the good news of God’s grace that comes only through Jesus. His life meant nothing if it was not to share the Gospel as he had been called to do. Perhaps it helps to compare his purpose to the love of a parent for their children. If a child is about to be run over by a truck and the only way for the father to save the child is to run and push the child out of the way, while not having the time to also save himself, the father would do it, without thought of the sacrifice his own life. To a mother or father, the child’s life is most important. That act is not a matter of duty, but is a pure reaction of love. Paul had been called to follow where God would lead him to share the Gospel. If that lead to harm, or even death, Paul had already showed he was willing to risk all to share the gospel to save the lives of the unsaved.
Jesus said “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (Luke 9:24-25) Family and Friends, there is nothing on this earth worth our spiritual lives. Paul’s physical life would be taken, but his spiritual life was being fully kept by the Lord Jesus Himself. Of suffering, and even death for the glory of Christ, Paul said “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12). May we understand what Paul did, that this earthly life is nothing compared with walking in God’s love and grace. This earthly life we live is the outer and lesser life. The greater life we have is our eternal spiritual life. Our earthly life is phase one. It is temporary and short lived. Our spiritual lives are phase two and are eternal. Phase two is what is most important. We can live for Jesus now and live forever with Him, or we can reject Jesus now and live forever without Him. To be with Him is to live with Him forever. To live without Him is to be in eternal torment. Really, the correct choice is obvious and the one who rejects Jesus chooses eternal torment and separation from God with no hope of redemption (after death). For those who know Jesus as Savior and Lord, it is our calling from Jesus to spread the Good News. Actually, not spreading the Gospel is selfish and even hateful. Let us live in love and in obedience to God and share the Gospel. Like Paul, it is our calling (Matthew 28:18-20). And we are honored to be able to do so. Thank you Lord! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob withActs 20:13-21 – We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
“When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.” How wonderful to, nearing the end of one’s life, it is to be able to say to brothers and sisters, that they bear witness to how our life was lived. To know that no-one could step forward to recall a fault. Paul could tell remind them that he had left a good testimony to them. Praise God!
“I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.” Paul was not boasting but recounting what they had witnessed. Paul did not fail to serve the Lord as a humble servant. Paul didn’t come to be served, but as Jesus came to serve, so did Paul (Matthew 20:26-28). In 1 Corinthians 9:22 Paul described how he entered a city to humbly serve “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” Paul lived out what he wrote to the Philippians “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3) Even though Paul was opposed by Jewish opponents and non-believers who beat him and stoned him, who stalked him to try to kill him, he persisted to be humble before all. Paul didn’t “burn out” in doing well (Galatians 6:9). The minister who has the right perspective remembers that he first serves God and then, in his service to God, serves others. It is with that perspective that one cannot fail. Doing what God has called us to do in the manner God wants us to do it ends in fulfillment. It is God we first seek to please and then to also minister to mankind. (Galatians 1:10) First we love God and if we do that then we will love each other and desire to, out of His love, minister to others (Mark 12:29-31). So we seek to please God in doing what He has called us to do and, in doing that, we are fulfilled. Obedience is our task, results belong to God. So when Paul was tested, he did not let testing by man deter him from the call of God. Paul could look back in peace, with joy, that he had faithfully served the Lord and he could say to these leaders that they all knew he had.
“You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.” Paul taught in public, not hesitating to preach the full Gospel. He didn’t shrink back at hard subjects that would be opposed. He boldly preached them. Not as an angry witness screaming at people, but as a loving representative of Jesus who sent them to represent the righteous and loving way of God. He did not teach only in public, but he went house to house. Where the door was open to preach and teach, he did. What he declared in public he taught from house to house. To the souls that heard the message he also went to their homes to preach the Gospel to their families. Paul was strong in preaching the whole truth and it all started with loving God and loving others.
“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” All of us must consider what God has called us to do. For Paul he was called to preach the truth that all needed to repent and to have faith in our Lord Jesus in order to have peace with God. Paul obeyed without exception even if the world did not like the message. So today some are called to preach, some are called to teach, all are called to love, to spread the Gospel, to testify how Jesus has changed our lives. We are also to comfort those who need comfort, to cry with the weeping and to also remind them that Jesus brings peace and joy to the hurting (Isaiah 61:1). We are to be all things to all people that they may know the love, peace and joy of God. And these three cannot be taken away from any who truly know Him. May we all be faithful like Jesus was to the Father and like Paul was to Jesus. Let us all show how greatly we love Jesus by how greatly we love each other. How wonderful is that! Having done that we are fulfilled. Having done that we have fulfilled love (1 John 4:16-17) and pleased God as He has enabled us to do (2 Corinthians 1:21). Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob withAll of Paul’s companions traveled by ship, whereas Paul walked the approximately twenty miles, and this after being awake all night! Why did Paul want to walk alone? Luke doesn’t say but it is easy to believe that Paul wanted alone time with the Lord. Walking and being alone with God is a good time to pray and a great time to listen. God ordained to for us to edify and care for each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It is key. Yet, the first person to rush to, to talk to, to listen to is none other than Jesus. It is who we most want and need to talk to and hear from. God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit is whom we most need to be our counselor and comforter. Let us remember that. It is good to be encouraged by each other. It is best to be encouraged directly by God (Matthew 11:28-30). Praise God!
“When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.” As was previously determined Paul met up with his companions at Assos and then continued to Miletus. From there he called for the leaders from the church at Ephesus.
Remembering that these pastors, leaders, elders also worked at their occupations / jobs, it was inspiring that when Paul called for them they came. Today I read “It has been rightly said that one of the greatest abilities in the kingdom of God is availability.” There are many people who say that they serve God but then they only give to God scraps of time to be available for Him. It is common in the church that people will not cut back on work times, or hobby time, or sport time, or entertainment time to answer the call of God to do His work. When He is looking for people to step forward, they step backward. God is looking for people who step forward to volunteer to be used (Isaiah 6:8, Psalm 53:2). It is common for pastors to humbly bow and say it’s okay, I understand. Yes they understand, they just don’t contest. They want the willing, not the forced. Extremely common is for those Christ died for (all) to scrape time that is regularly set apart for God to attend a child’s sporting event, or organized outing. Now family time is important, but God’s time is more important. Family time should be worked around God time. Family time should be a priority, just not above God. We should not worry that God will overwork us to attend to His business. We should be led by His Holy Spirit in the decisions and trust that God knows what is best. Surely these statements will offend the pampered or naive, but those who keep their nose to the grindstone understand. Those that love God above all else, above self, above every worldly interest, and even above beloved family, understand. Jesus taught ““If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” (Luke 14:26-27, 33) Family and Friends, God does not ask for us to give up some things and withhold other things. No, Jesus who gave up all for us expects us to love Him first and most and hold nothing higher than Him. Holding anything before or higher than God is idolatry. So when we are talking about when God is calling to us to serve Him and we choose a sporting event first, or an additional time of study (not the Word), then we should consider whom we are refusing. Those who say that “God will understand” I must agree with. The question is whether we understand. When Paul called, then the leaders came. When God called then the leaders came. If fact the great quality of availability is a chief requirement for those who will be used by the Lord. Let’s ask the world to “understand” as we serve God and not ask for God to “understand” as we serve ourselves, our work, our family and the world. If need be, repent. If no need to repent, then praise God and continue on. Trust God to guide. He loves us so and knows how take care of all of us much better than we do. Be thankful! Praise God! Always love and praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob withPhilippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Family and Friends, I pray that all of us would always live with the power of this verse being a deep reality in our lives. Worrisome circumstances and people will continuously, at various times, jump out of the shadows to startle us. Yet we need not worry. And to those who love Jesus there are not “yeah buts.”
God’s Word says not to be anxious, that is not to worry about anything. Why? Because of Jesus. Is that it, is that all? Yes, if you truly love and know Him the answer to all worry is that Jesus has taken care of it all. The fact that tips all scales is Jesus. But one has to know Him to fully understand.
When can we be without worry? Here we are instructed that we can be worry free in every situation.
How can we be without worry and fear? We can be by praying and presenting all our concerns to God through Jesus. When we pray, we first need to consider who we are praying to. To consider that we need to know and understand who He is. When we consider that He is the Almighty One, the One who has never been defeated and never will be defeated, then our hearts are calmed. Add to that the thankfulness we have because we remember and continuously thank God for all that He has done and continues to do for us, then our absolute confidence in Him grows. Having a sure knowledge of who He is and how He loves us fills our hearts leaving no room for fear.
When we are full of God, fear cannot find a home within us. Then the peace that comes only from God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. How deep is this peace, it is beyond belief, beyond understanding. We have the peace and the only explanation is that we have it because of Jesus. All this is too simple to those who refuse to kneel to Jesus, but it is a tangible reality to those who have given their lives to Jesus. It’s simple, and not that complicated. Knowing Jesus means believing in Him. Loving and yielding to Him in all things is the truth that keeps us from being anxious. When we control our lives than we are responsible to protect ourselves. When Jesus is control of our lives, then He is responsible to protect our lives. We are, in the end, without power. He, in the end, is omnipotent. Know God, believe God, trust God and know peace. Like the saying goes “Know God, know peace. No God, no peace.” There is a reason that Jesus is always the Answer. Blessings and love to all of you! Always praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob withActs 20:7-12 – On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” We can relate to the fact that when we are with loved ones and may not see them for a long time, or maybe not again in this life, we will try to fit in all the time together and all the conversation in before the separation. Paul had much to teach these believers and so he intended to speak to them as much as he could. So he spoke into the night, for hours.
“There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.” There were several reason for many lamps, the obvious is to keep the room bright. Some say that when the early brothers and sisters met that the purposely keep their rooms lit to see the falseness of early rumors against them. One rumor was that with all the talk of love from Christians, the pagans many times thought the Christians were promiscuous and even incestuous (Titus 1:15). Another rumor that came from evil and ignorant minds was that the Christians were cannibals. They thought that because during their communion they would express they were eating the body of Christ and drinking His blood. They didn’t understand the symbolic nature, or perhaps, they just wanted to malign.
Notice that Luke includes himself as being present at the meeting by stating “we were meeting.”
“Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.” Eutychus, whose name meant “fortunate” was at this marathon meeting. He is called a young man which could mean he was a teenager, but that term could also have referred to a “younger” man of twenty to forty years of age. Eutychus was fighting the sleep that was coming over him, but like a fit combatant will have a strategy of outlasting his less fit opponent, sleep was wearing him down. At this time his name may have seemed empty, but we need only read on.
Besides the long sermon, there were likely more factors contributing to his weariness. Sunday, which they met on, was the first day of the week and likely a work day. So Eutychus likely was tired from a day of working. Also the many candles, a warm room and a lot of people warming the room likely made the room a little oxygen deprived and also quite “cozy.” Eutychus may have opted to be by the window to catch some fresh air. To his credit, he was working at fighting off sleep. But even Luke described Paul as talking “on and on!”
Soon Eutychus succumbed tapped out to sleep and was sleeping soundly. I guess he didn’t snore causing anyone to nudge him. The window where he was on the third story. It is thought that his fall from the window to the ground was at least a twenty foot fall, and perhaps more. When he hit the ground he was dead. Family and friends, Dr. Luke, as we previously observed, was there. He examined the young man and declared him dead. Folks, in that time, people, whether a doctor or not, had seen many dead people. They not only viewed him, but touched him as they picked him up. If they said he was dead, he was dead. Besides, since the Holy Scripture says he was dead, then he was dead.
“Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”” A man of God praying and the dead being raised is not unique to Paul. We know that Peter prayed and Tabitha was raised from the dead (Acts 9:36-42). In the Old Testament the prophet Elijah prayed and a woman’s son was raised from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24), and the prophet Elisha prayed for the child of a Shunammite woman and that child was raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:18-37). God has timing and a reason for doing great miracles like these. It is verify that the disciple of Jesus, or the Old Testament prophet, is a true representative of God who speaks true words from God. The disciple and prophet then point the amazed to look at God and be amazed at him, the rightful recipient of their amazement praise.
“Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. Paul seems to have taken this all in stride. And why not. It had to be a prayer of faith and so the return to life of Eutychus was not something that alarmed or surprised Paul. In fact, Paul expected God to do it. We must truly live in faith and believe that for God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).
So Paul preached for hours and hours, he went on and on, then he prayed and the dead one was raised up, and then he figured it was time to eat and went upstairs to eat. Preaching and raising the dead can also raise up quite an appetite.
Family, when we pray, let us remember who we pray to and the unlimited power He has (Matthew 6:8-10). In cognizance of these two things we ask in faith and know beyond all doubt that God will hear and He will answer (James 1:6). He always does. Praise God! His goodness to us and love for us never cease to amaze! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
by Bob with