Acts 17:16-21\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.\u00a017\u00a0So he reasoned in the synagogue\u00a0with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.\u00a018\u00a0A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, \u201cWhat is this babbler trying to say?\u201d Others remarked, \u201cHe seems to be advocating foreign gods.\u201d They said this because Paul was preaching the good news\u00a0about Jesus and the resurrection.\u00a019\u00a0Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,\u00a0where they said to him, \u201cMay we know what this new teaching\u00a0is that you are presenting?\u00a020\u00a0You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.\u201d\u00a021\u00a0(All the Athenians\u00a0and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cSo he reasoned in the synagogue\u00a0with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0As Paul walked around Athens he viewed many, if not all, of the estimated more than three thousand idols around in the town.\u00a0\u00a0The many idols must have shouted out to Paul that the devil claimed these people as his own.\u00a0\u00a0In the face of every idol was the hated enemy threatening Paul to leave.\u00a0\u00a0He shouted at Paul\u2019s face that these people belonged to him.\u00a0\u00a0Yet all this had quite the opposite effect, it aroused Paul to lust for the salvation of the people.\u00a0\u00a0So what did he do?\u00a0\u00a0He talked to them.\u00a0\u00a0He reasoned with them.\u00a0\u00a0He was not intimidated by this city with supposedly the highest intellect.\u00a0\u00a0They worshipped their own intellect and supposedly great knowledge.\u00a0\u00a0Paul, a scholar and intellectual himself, understood that though these men possessed thoughts and theories that intimidated some, he was not intimidated.\u00a0\u00a0Paul understood one simple truth, they were all wrong.\u00a0\u00a0He knew that the devil did not care what any person believes at long as it was not the Gospel.\u00a0\u00a0He hates all people, even those who worship him, he wants them all to suffer in eternity with him.\u00a0\u00a0So whatever they believe is okay with him, just not the Gospel.\u00a0\u00a0It could be one false belief, or three thousand false beliefs, just, he thinks, it cannot be the only truth and way that leads to salvation, the Gospel.\u00a0\u00a0What Paul knew was that he knew the truth.\u00a0\u00a0If one knows the truth, then all lies are exposed.\u00a0\u00a0Anything that does not line up with the Word of God is a lie.<\/p>\n
Family, we can find witnessing so difficult because we don\u2019t know everything about what false philosophies and religions believe, so we think we cannot witness to them.\u00a0\u00a0Not true.\u00a0\u00a0It is a lying fear the enemy whispers into our ears.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus has said that the Holy Spirit will guide us and give us what to say (Matthew 10:19<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0Jesus said it and He meant it.\u00a0\u00a0We often let the wrong thoughts get into our heads and into our churches.\u00a0\u00a0For instance, we wonder what we should do when someone says to us \u201cI don\u2019t believe in the Bible so don\u2019t quote it to me.\u00a0\u00a0It means nothing to me.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0What, do we shrink back and let them dictate what we may say or not?\u00a0\u00a0It is a bullying and controlling statement.\u00a0\u00a0What if we said \u201cThe Bible defines my beliefs and so it is unfair to say that I cannot quote what holds all that I believe and would like to share with you?\u00a0\u00a0Would you allow me to say that you cannot quote or recount what any teacher, philosopher, or book from which you have developed your beliefs.\u00a0\u00a0Since knowledge is always based on something, true or not, then you would have nothing to say.\u00a0\u00a0So to tell me that I cannot speak what the Bible says then, if you are a fair minded person, you cannot speak anything the world has taught you, which mostly, is not what I believe.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Family who says that the other person can control the conversation?\u00a0\u00a0A conversation is two people who are equally able to express themselves.\u00a0\u00a0We know this powerful declaration from God \u201cSo is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it<\/i>.\u201d (Isaiah 55:11<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0We cannot make this claim of our own words, but God who cannot lie, has said it to be true of His words.\u00a0\u00a0So we must not stop speaking His Word, whether whom we talk to understands that or not.\u00a0\u00a0What the Word of God states will have an effect.\u00a0\u00a0The Word of God says of itself \u201cFor the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.<\/i>\u201d (Hebrews 4:12<\/b>)<\/p>\n
Consider that we do not have to say \u201cHebrews 4:12<\/b>\u00a0states\u2026\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Rather just state the truth.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Quoting chapter and verse means little to them (unless they ask).\u00a0\u00a0What matters is the truth and the truth is what enlightens and frees, not our knowledge of what is the man designated chapter and verse.\u00a0\u00a0So tell them the Truth.\u00a0\u00a0We don\u2019t have to say \u201cthe Bible says\u201d because we are releasing living the living Word that has power in and of itself because it comes from God Himself.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul was not afraid of speaking to anyone, intellectual or otherwise.<\/p>\n
We may think \u201cWell if I knew as much as Paul I would not be timid either.\u00a0\u00a0Or if Paul was with me then I could be bold.\u00a0\u00a0Yet we must remember what Paul said about the words he used \u201cMy message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.<\/i>\u201d (1 Corinthians 2:4<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Paul depended on the Holy Spirit to give Him the words to say.\u00a0\u00a0Also he did not depend on his own charisma, but on the power of the Holy Spirit to convict and change the souls of man.\u00a0\u00a0He knew that he spoke the words he was given and he knew that only God, and not himself, actually saved souls.\u00a0\u00a0So we don\u2019t need to have the knowledge of Paul, and we don\u2019t need Paul with us.\u00a0\u00a0We have something and someone much greater, we have the Word of God to share and we have the Holy Spirit with us.\u00a0\u00a0We have all we need.\u00a0\u00a0And remember, not all that heard Paul straight away became Christians, not at all.\u00a0\u00a0Paul taught us that conversion is a process by the Holy Spirit, there are usually stages of being called by God.\u00a0\u00a0Paul said that \u201cI planted the seed,\u00a0Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.\u00a07\u00a0So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.<\/i>\u201d (1 Corinthians 3:6-7<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0So we do what God calls us to do and God is the one uses us to grow His Truth in the hearts, minds and spirits of people.<\/p>\n
So what is our role, merely to share the Gospel of Truth wherever we are and whenever we can.\u00a0\u00a0The enemy makes us timid, but God calls us to be bold (1 Corinthians 16:13<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0Our God, who defeated the enemy is with us.\u00a0\u00a0We cannot fail.\u00a0\u00a0We only fail by not obeying and sharing the Word.\u00a0\u00a0When we do that, when we believe the lies of the enemy and do not witness, then we show greater honor to the enemy then to our Savior and Lord who suffered and died for us.\u00a0\u00a0Let us praise and glorify God by knowing that as we share, we are victorious.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s just obey God and leave everything else to Him. Praise our God!\u00a0\u00a0Really, He has called us to a simple life, just love and obey.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cTrust and obey, for there\u2019s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Have fun, obey God, and walk in the freedom and victory we already have received from Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0Praise God!\u00a0\u00a0Yes, praise God!<\/p>\n
Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Acts 17:16-21\u00a0–\u00a0While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.\u00a017\u00a0So he reasoned in the synagogue\u00a0with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.\u00a018\u00a0A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,129,104,103,101,94,1874,17],"class_list":["post-1867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-corinthians","tag-hebrews","tag-isaiah","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1867"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1868,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1867\/revisions\/1868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}