“After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, where we found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. And from there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. Now when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him. And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: ‘Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, who, when they had examined me, wanted to let me go, because there was no cause for putting me to death. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.’ Then they said to him, ‘We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren who came reported or spoken any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against everywhere.’ So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, “Go to this people and say: ‘Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’” ‘Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!’ And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“At the end of three months we set sail on an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had the Twin Brothers for its figurehead” (verse 11). Alexandria was the second largest city in Egypt. The twin brothers were Castor and Pollux, the sons of the Roman god Jupiter (Greek god Zeus). According to mythology, the two brothers were translated to heaven where they reside as guardians over sailors in the form of the constellation Gemini. It was customary to have images of the brothers both on the stem and stern of a ship.

The ship landed successively at Syracuse, Rhegium and Puteoli (verse 12). Syracuse was the capital of Sicily, one of most famous cities of antiquity and the birthplace of Archimedes, the famous Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer. Rhegium was a seaport on the coast of southern Italy. The town enjoyed great prosperity until it was captured and destroyed by Dionysius of Syracuse in 387 BC. Puteoli (sulfur springs) was an important port city in the Bay of Naples and it was the closest harbor to the city of Rome.

In Puteoli Paul and his companions found some brethren in Christ who took them into their homes for a week. God’s spiritual family should always look out for one another and take care of each other, no matter how far apart they live from each other and regardless if they have actually physically met before. We can learn a valuable lesson from these unnamed faithful Christians. Names and faces should be of no consequence in the kingdom of Christ. Only the name of Christ etched on the heart and Spirit’s seal stamped upon the soul.

When the local brethren heard that Paul and his group had arrived in the city of Rome, they came to visit from as far away as the Market of Appius and the Three Inns. The Market of Appius was a town 40 miles southeast of Rome located on the Appian Way, a commerce road that stretched from the Bay of Naples to the capital city. Three Inns was a village about 10 miles closer to Rome situated on the same road. Both towns were stopping places on the Appian Way with inns that offered lodging to traders and travelers.

When Paul was in Rome, “He stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered” (verses 30-31). Isn’t it very encouraging to know that our awesome God is always in control? It may have seemed that the harassment from the hard-hearted Jews led to Paul’s arrest and containment and that he had been brought to Rome to stand trial as a criminal. But God used all of the difficult circumstances of Paul’s life to bring him to Rome so he could preach Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God with ease and openness to the people in that city. This was another preaching trip and God was with Paul every inch of the way as He promised He would be. The truth was taught. Souls were saved. Our God is good.

This was the end of the road for the book of Acts, but it wasn’t the finale for the Apostle Paul. Luke records no more of his exploits in his service to the Lord, but we learn from Paul’s later epistles some things that transpired in his life. In Paul’s further traveling and teaching, at some point he had left Trophimus in the city of Miletus because he had become ill (2 Timothy 4:20). There are other statements that indicate that Paul traveled to other places as well, but he ultimately ended up back in Roman prison near the end of his life (2 Timothy 1:8, 16-17; 2:9; 4:6-8).

Paul wrote his second and final letter to Timothy from a prison cell in Rome. His latter accommodations were obviously much less hospitable then his first two-year stay there in the city. Paul wrote in 2 Tim 4:6-8 – “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Paul knew his physical life was about to end, but he was equally convinced that better things awaited him in eternity because he faithfully served the God of heaven until he drew his last breath on earth. Secular history suggests that Paul was beheaded under the persecution of Emperor Nero in 67 or 68 AD. I can’t wait to meet him on the other side!

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta. The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, ‘Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.’ However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god. Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured. They also honored us with many [marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.”

---End of Scripture verses---

All the ship's passengers landed safely, as God had promised they would (Acts 27:22-23), on the island of Malta after their ship was destroyed. Malta, also known as Melita, is located 175 miles south of the mainland of Italy and 425 miles from the city of Rome. It was probably an early Phoenician colony and it served as an important naval station having excellent harbors. It produced cotton, fine fruits and fine honey (melitos), from whence it acquired its name.

The King James Version called the natives of the island “barbarous” (verse 2). This was not an indication that they were uncivilized but that their language was unintelligible to the Romans and the Greeks. These people were very hospitable to Paul; it was his own countrymen that behaved as barbarians toward him. Luke wrote of the kindness of the local natives in verse 2: “Because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.” Paul, being his usual industrious self, grabbed some sticks and joined in the fire-building (verse 3).

When a poisonous snake slithered out of the firewood and latched on to Paul’s hand, the Maltese people saw this as an indication that justice was being served (verse 4). They just knew that this was karma and that, although Paul had escaped the perils of the stormy seas, the Fates would not allow him to elude death. Of course, when Paul shook the critter off showing no signs of ill effects, they then deduced that he must be a god (verse 6).

Isn’t it something how people continuously misjudge things and jump from one conclusion to another? This is a part of “human nature” that hasn’t changed much over the millennia. Please be careful about trying to read “signs” into all the mishaps and misfortunes that we experience in our lives or witness occurring in the world around us. Sometimes stuff just happens (Ecclesiastes 9:1; Luke 13:1-5). Just because a viper bit Paul on the hand, that didn’t mean he was a bad person. And when he walked away unscathed, that didn’t mean he was a god either. It did indicate that he was an apostle of Jesus Christ though, and this miracle was designed to confirm the Gospel which he was preaching (Mark 16:18).

Mark 16:15-18 – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Tomorrow it's on to Rome! Please read the rest of Acts 28 (verses 11-31).

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, ‘Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.” Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on a certain island.’ But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to surmise that they were approaching some land. They took soundings and found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms. Fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and wished for daybreak. But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the ship’s boat into the sea, on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, ‘Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved.’ Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away. Until the day was about to dawn, Paul was encouraging them all to take some food, saying, ‘Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken nothing. Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your preservation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.’ Having said this, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat. All of them were encouraged and they themselves also took food. All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons. When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea. When day came, they could not recognize the land; but they did observe a bay with a beach, and they resolved to drive the ship onto it if they could. And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea while at the same time they were loosening the ropes of the rudders; and hoisting the foresail to the wind, they were heading for the beach. But striking a reef where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to be broken up by the force of the waves. The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim away and escape; but the centurion, wanting to bring Paul safely through, kept them from their intention, and commanded that those who could swim should jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest should follow, some on planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land.”

---End of Scripture verses---

When the crew realized for certain that they had made a huge mistake and that their lives were hanging by a thread, Paul told them, “You ought to have followed my advice…” (verse 21). I think all of us parents can sympathize with this situation. How many times have we told our kids, “You should have listened”? How many times could pain and heartache have been avoided if only our children would have obeyed our commands or taken our advice? 

Well, the situation is exactly the same between us and our heavenly Father. If we would only choose to listen to His word and obey His commandments we would incur much less hardship in our lives. That’s the case with the captain and these men on the ship with Paul. When they ignored Paul’s advice they were actually disobeying the commandment of God. When we do that we always invite unnecessary storms into our lives and shipwreck is always a possibility. Just count on it.

But there was still hope to cling to. All was not lost. Paul told the men twice soon afterward to “keep your courage” (verses 22 and 25). Everything was going to end well as long as they chose to listen to the words of the apostle (God’s words) from that point forward. Just as is the case with us, they wouldn’t be able to avoid and reverse all the consequences that came from their bad decisions. But, they could avoid future damage if they presently chose to start making good choices. Paul told them that they would escape with their lives if they would only obey (verse 22).

Friend, as long as you are still drawing breath, it is never too late to make the good decision to follow God and obey His commandments. No matter how sinfully you have lived your life, God still wants you with Him. You may not be able to undo all the damage that you’ve done to your life or erase all the scars from the self-inflicted wounds, but the moment you turn from your sins and to the Lord, the healing begins. Most importantly, when you obey the Gospel; when you put the Lord on in baptism (Galatians 3:27); when you bury the old sinful person and arise to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-9), your immortal soul will be made spotless and whole. You will escape with your life—your eternal life. Heaven will be your home. Later is so much better than never.

Verses 31-32 – “Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “‘Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved.’ Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it fall away.” I love this statement because I see it as a metaphor for life. Friend, there is a tempest swirling outside of Christ, and the only safe place to be is in His church where all spiritual blessing reside (Ephesians 1:3; 3:20-21).

Christ’s church is the ship. Get in the ship. Stay in the ship. Cut away the ropes of any vessel that could lead you away from the safety of the ship. Sever yourself from evil companions and wicked influences (1 Corinthians 15:33). Pull the plug on the TV or radio or computer if any of these things tend to drag you back into the roiling seas of sin. Climb into the ship and make the determination stay there for the rest of your earthly life. There is nothing out there in the sea of sin that is any good for you.

Verse 44 – “And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land.” Because they listened to and obeyed the commandments of the God. Follow His word. Obey His commands. Trust Him with all your heart. Get into the ship and stay there and one day you will arrive safely on dry land. You will make it home to heaven. When all is said and done and life on earth is over, that is all that really matters.

Please read Acts 28:1-10 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. And embarking in an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, we put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary. When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them, and said to them, ‘Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’ But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore. But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo; and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along. Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo; and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.”

---End of Scripture verses---

After Agrippa had heard Paul’s case, it was decided that Paul should go to Italy and appear before Caesar to whom he had appealed. As Paul made his way to stand before Caesar Augustus, fittingly enough, his escort was a Roman centurion named Julius who was of the “Augustan Band” or “Cohort” (verse 1). They boarded a ship from Adramyttium, a town in Mysia of Asia Minor (verse 2). Paul was accompanied on his journey by his friend Aristarchus along with other companions (verse 3). It was Aristarchus who was dragged into the theater in Ephesus, along with Gaius, by an angry mob of Diana worshippers (Acts 19:29).

The ship embarked from Caesarea and landed about 70 miles north in Sidon (verse 3). What a blessing it must have been for Paul to be afforded the companionship and help of his friends while he was on this voyage, just as Felix had done for him in Caesarea (Acts 24:23). We must remember that Paul was a prisoner among many other prisoners that were being escorted to Rome by armed soldiers (verse 42). And yet the Lord smiled down upon Paul and granted him favor in the eyes of his captors. I am reminded of the way that the Lord always granted grace and prosperity to Joseph and opened doors for him during all of the abuse that he suffered at the hands of wicked people.

When the crew changed ships at Myra, they ran into considerable trouble from contrary winds and inclement weather (verses 5-7). They sailed along slowly for several days and at Cnidus the winds were so rough they had to change courses (verse 7). They were forced to sail to the south of Crete, very close to the shoreline, to ease the onslaught of the wind. They sailed past Salmone, a haven of Crete, with great difficulty and came to Fair Havens (the most southerly port of the island), which was a safe harbor that naturally sheltered ships from strong winds.

Paul tried to convince them to stay put at Fair Havens where they were protected because considerable time had already been spent there and it was late in the safe travelling season. The fast that Paul spoke of (verse 9) was likely the great Day of Atonement celebrated on 10th day of the 7th month (the end of our September). This coincided with the autumnal equinox, when the Mediterranean Sea turned tempestuous. To sail after this feast was considered a proverbially dangerous thing to do among the ancient Jews.

Paul warned all the captain and crew that if they refused to heed his advice, they would suffer loss of cargo, ship and human life (verse 10). But—“Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there” (verse 12). They promptly ignored the warning of an inspired apostle of Jesus Christ and set out on a fool’s mission. Paul would soon be able to say “I told you so” (verse 21).

When they ran into “Euraquilo” or “Euroclydon,” they essentially sailed into the heart of a Northeaster! This was a very violent storm that was much too forceful to try and navigate through, so they had to give way to it and let it take them wherever it would (verse 15). They were forced to jettison their cargo and all the ships tackle and after a few days they had pretty much abandoned all hope of survival (verse 18-20). Friends, sometimes when you’re running against God, when you’re “running against the wind,” you just get overwhelmed and carried away by it and place your life in the midst of peril.

I guess the main lesson from today’s reading is that what the “majority” says is not always the best thing to do (verse 12). We might often be tempted to go along with the crowd because “everyone else is doing it.” It is never a good idea to do something just because the “majority” says it’s okay to. As a matter of fact, that’s usually a good indication to do just the opposite. Don’t stop and take a poll among your peers when you want to know what God’s will is. Turn to His word. Read what an inspired apostle has to say about a subject. Let the Bible be your guide and the moral compass for you spiritual journey. God has already decided what is right and wrong and we need to turn to Him to determine the best course of action.

Please read Acts 27:21-44 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“‘So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.’ While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, ‘Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.’ But Paul said, ‘I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.’ Agrippa replied to Paul, ‘In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.’ And Paul said, ‘I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.’ The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, ‘This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment.’ And Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

After Paul had been blinded by the light of the truth of Jesus Christ, he turned the course of his life completely in the opposite direction. He chose to obey the commands of Jesus (verse 19) and he went about teaching everyone he met to, “repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (verse 20).

Repentance is an often misunderstood biblical concept and command from God. I believe that most people are convinced that if they truly believe in Jesus and accept Him as their Savior that they will be eternally saved from their sins. Some people who even admit that baptism is necessary for salvation (which it most definitely is), still come short of understanding that more is involved in true conversion than even belief and immersion. Paul shows us in verse 20 that God commands authentic, profound change to take place in the heart of a believer. That’s where repentance comes into play in God’s plan of salvation.

Repentance is a mental process and any genuine conversion requires a person’s mind to be affected by the Gospel’s power to convict of wrongdoing (Acts 2:37; Hebrews 4:12). The Greek word for repent is “metanoeo” and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Bible Words defines the word “repent” in the following way: “To perceive afterwards (meta, ‘after,’ implying ‘change,’ noeo, ‘to perceive;’ nous, ‘the mind, the seat of moral reflection’), in contrast to pronoeo, ‘to perceive beforehand,’ hence signifies ‘to change one's mind or purpose,’ always, in the NT, involving a change for the better, an amendment, and always, except in Luke 17:3-Luke 17:4, of ‘repentance from sin.’”

A person can believe in Jesus with all their heart, but unless the word of God has “pierced their heart” (Acts 2:37), or convicted their minds of the problem of sin, they will never do what is necessary to be and stay saved. Once that “seed of change” has been internally planted, it must produce external fruit (Matthew 3:8; Luke 3:8). Once the mind is changed about sin, that’s when the “deeds appropriate to repentance” must take place. Belief and mental conviction get our minds going in the right direction, but our actions must follow suit.

I believe the reason that King Agrippa was only “almost persuaded” to become a Christian (verse 28) was that he wasn’t ready to make the changes necessary to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance”. I will give him credit for his honesty. He believed in Jesus and he knew that belief was not enough for him to become a Christian. He was even convicted mentally that things were not right in his life, but he knew that internal conviction wasn’t enough to make him right in the sight of God either. He knew, because Paul had told him clearly, that he had to change his mind about sin and perform deeds appropriate to repentance, and he was just not ready to do that. He was a person of great power, prestige and prosperity, and I’m certain that he liked his life very much just the way that it was.

Change can be very hard. Most people don’t like it very much. But if you truly want to be a Christian and please God and have a home in heaven, you simply must think and act differently than you did before you found about Jesus. Making godly changes in your life is not always easy, but it is always worth it when you consider just how much is at stake and for how long. Repentance and the righteous deeds that follow are critical and ongoing components necessary for salvation of the soul.

Read the words of the haunting old church hymn, “Almost
Persuaded”:
1 “Almost persuaded,” now to believe;
“Almost persuaded,” Christ to receive;
Seems now some soul to say,
“Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
Some more convenient day
On Thee I’ll call.”

2 “Almost persuaded,” come, come today;
“Almost persuaded,” turn not away;
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are ling’ring near,
Prayers rise from hearts so dear,
O wand’rer, come.

3 “Almost persuaded,” harvest is past!
“Almost persuaded,” doom comes at last!
“Almost” cannot avail;
“Almost” is but to fail!
Sad, sad, that bitter wail,
“Almost,” but lost.

Please read Acts 27:1-20 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

“Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You are permitted to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense: ‘In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the [saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. ‘While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” And I said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.”’”

---End of Scripture verses---

To stand before King Agrippa and make his case was kind of a blessing for Paul. Agrippa was a Jew and he had passed much of his time in the kingdom over which he presided. Unlike Governor Festus, he was someone who understood the things about which Paul had been accused of. Festus also wanted Agrippa to hear this case from Paul’s own mouth because of his ignorance about the animosity that existed between Paul and his accusers. This left him frustrated, not knowing what to write to Caesar in regards to the prisoner he was about to send him (Acts 25:25-26).

Paul told Agrippa that he was standing trial for “the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers” (verse 6). This is the great irony of this whole twisted situation. Everything that Paul had been preaching about and had dedicated his life to, and that the Jews were resisting with such violent ferocity, was the fulfillment of the promises that God had made to His people through the Law and the Prophets. Paul was only telling them about how God had sent His Son Jesus, the promised Messiah, into the world to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). God’s rebellious children were intensely determined to “kick against the goads” (verse 14). They were like stubborn oxen kicking in defiance against their Master’s commands, and only bringing injury upon themselves.

“Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?” (verse 8) The fact that God had raised from the dead the Christ that they had crucified would have come as no great shock to them had they truly understood the power of the God they thought they were serving and the Scriptures they thought they were defending. King David had prophesied about the resurrection of the Anointed in Psalm 16 when he wrote, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:10-11). There are ample other Old Testament verses that tell of the promise of the hope of resurrected life after death for God’s people as well (Psalm 23:6; 49:15; 2 Samuel 12:23; Daniel 12:13).

As we have been reading over the past several weeks, the Lord had rescued Paul time and time again from the hands of wicked people as he went about preaching salvation through Jesus to both Jews and Gentiles (verse 17). Jesus had sent Paul out even to people who wanted to kill him, with the desire “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me” (verse 18). Please notice the dichotomy here friends. Either you are walking in the light or in the darkness. You are either dwelling in the dominion of God or of Satan. There is no riding the fence. There is no “in-between point.” You are either saved or lost, with God or against Him, heaven-bound or on the highway to hell.

Please make the mental determination today to “go all in” with the Lord.

Give your life to Jesus. Humbly submit to his will and obey His every command.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Please read Acts 26:19-32 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, ‘There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix; and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.’ Then Agrippa said to Festus, ‘I also would like to hear the man myself.’ ‘Tomorrow,’ he said, ‘you shall hear him.’ So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. Festus said, ‘King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

“Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus” (verse 13). Adam Clarke wrote the following about King Agrippa in his commentary on the book of Acts: “This was the son of Herod Agrippa who is mentioned Acts 12:1… This king was strongly attached to the Romans, and did everything in his power to prevent the Jews from rebelling against them; and, when he could not prevail, he united his troops to those of Titus, and assisted in the siege of Jerusalem…Bernice was sister of this Agrippa, and of the Drusilla mentioned Acts 24:24. She was at first married to her uncle Herod (Herod Agrippa’s youngest brother and the former king) and, on his death, went to live with her brother Agrippa, with whom she was violently suspected to lead an incestuous life.”

When Festus told Agrippa about Paul and the peculiar details of his case, he said that the apostle’s accusers, “simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive” (verse 19). You know, I can understand why Festus would view with absurdity the idea that someone would follow a dead guy that they claimed to be alive. Paul wrote about the idea of a crucified Savior as being foolishness to most of the people of the world (1 Corinthians 1:23). Unfortunately, a lot of people who even claim to believe in and follow Jesus treat Him like He died nearly 2,000 years ago and just stayed dead. I think that if more people truly believed that the Lord is alive today and is watching and judging all the things that they think, do and say, they would be living their lives a whole lot differently than they do.

“Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness’” (2 Timothy 2:19).

Christian remember who you are today!

Please read Acts 26:1-18 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way). Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. ‘Therefore,’ he said, ‘let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him.’ After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, while Paul said in his own defense, ‘I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.’ But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, ‘Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?’ But Paul said, ‘I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.’ Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, ‘You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

The passing of time had not eroded the hatred that “the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews” harbored for Paul. Even after two long years of being in custody and out of their hair, they were as determined as ever to “ambush” and kill the apostle (verse 3). These “guardians” of the oracles of God obviously had little regard for what is written in Leviticus 19:18—“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” Only a dark and hardened heart bears a grudge for years at a time and seeks its vengeance at any opportunity. With the changing of the guard, from Felix to Festus, the Jewish leaders saw their next opportune time to exact their revenge.

Governor Festus appears to have been a more noble-minded person than his predecessor, but he was still a consummate politician. He wanted “to do the Jews a favor”, no doubt to obligate them for future favors, by asking Paul if he would willingly stand trial before him in Jerusalem (verse 9). That’s about like asking a little lamb if he would like to take a stroll through a den of wolves. Since Paul knew he would not only have no chance for a fair trial, but also that his life would be in great jeopardy, he promptly appealed to Caesar (verse 11).

Adam Clarke wrote the following on this subject: “A freeman of Rome, who had been tried for a crime, and sentence passed on him, had a right to appeal to the emperor, if he conceived the sentence to be unjust; but, even before the sentence was pronounced, he had the privilege of an appeal, in criminal cases, if he conceived that the judge was doing anything contrary to the laws.” (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

Question: Did Paul not trust in Christ’s promise of protection when he took these matters into his own hands? I don’t think that is the case at all. God has given us a brain to reason with just as surely as he has given us a heart to believe with. Paul took advantage of his legal privileges and rights as a Roman citizen in good standing, which is a perfectly logical and legitimate thing to do, even for a Christian who is held accountable to a much higher authority. Our faith in God and His power to protect us does not override our obligation to be reasonable, careful, responsible people.

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16).

Please read Acts 25:13-27 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“When the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: ‘Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense, since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me. But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men. Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings; in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been purified, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from Asia—who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation, if they should have anything against me. Or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the Council, other than for this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, “For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.”’ But Felix, having a more exact knowledge about the Way, put them off, saying, ‘When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.’ Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and yet have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him. But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, ‘Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.’ At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him. But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.”

---End of Scripture verses---

I love the depiction of the Lord’s church as being “The Way” (verses 14 & 22). As Paul made his defense before Governor Felix, he readily admitted that he served God “according to the Way which they call a sect.” The church of Christ is not just another one of the many religious sects in the world. Through it alone is The one and only Way to worship and serve and please God (Ephesians 3:20-21). Just as Jesus called himself The Way (and the Truth and the Life), and that no one can come to God the Father but through Him (John 14:6); it only stands to reason that people can only access the Father in heaven through the church that Jesus died for and purchased with His own precious blood. There is only one church that Jesus died for and claimed to be His very own (Matthew 16:18).

After Tertullus, the lawyer hired by the Jewish council, made his groveling, exaggerated appeal; the Apostle Paul presented his own defense to Felix in a polite, factual and straight-forward manner. When Paul finished speaking, the governor “put them off” and deferred the trial until the commander who had “rescued” Paul and delivered him to Caesarea should arrive (verse 22). It is apparent that Claudius Lysias never made an appearance because Felix kept Paul in custody for two full years. The text says he did so as a “favor to the Jews” (verse 27), but Felix obviously had selfish motives for doing so as well, often visiting Paul and hoping to receive a bribe from him (verse 26). Even though Paul had been wrongly accused and imprisoned, he had pleasant accommodations and access to the company and assistance of his friends (verse 23). The Lord was still taking care of him and opening doors for him to preach the Gospel to the lost.

After “some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife” and Paul had a private audience with them (verse 24). As the apostle was “discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened” (verse 25). When you learn about the character of Antonius Felix, you quickly understand why he would “shudder” when hearing about God’s Eternal Judgment upon unrighteous sinners who refuse to control their fleshly urges and impulses. Smith’s Bible Dictionary says of the man that, “He ruled the province in a mean, cruel and profligate manner. His period of office was full of troubles and seditions.” The ATS Bible Dictionary adds, “He is described by the historian Tacitus as cruel, licentious, and base. In Judea he married Drusilla, sister of the younger Agrippa, having enticed her from her second husband Azizus.”

Drusilla was the daughter of Herod Agrippa, the ruler who executed the Apostle James and was soon after struck down by God for his pomp and vanity (Acts 12:1-2; 20-23). Josephus wrote the following about her in Jewish Antiquities: “While Felix was procurator of Judea, he saw this Drusilla, and fell in love with her; for she did indeed exceed all other women in beauty; and he sent to her a person whose name was Simon, a Jewish friend of his, by birth a Cypriot, who pretended to be a magician. Simon endeavored to persuade her to forsake her present husband, and marry Felix; and promised, that if she would not refuse Felix, he would make her a happy woman. Accordingly she acted unwisely and, because she longed to avoid her sister Berenice's envy…was prevailed upon to transgress the laws of her forefathers, and to marry Felix.”

Felix and Drusilla were a very privileged couple who denied themselves no indulgence of the flesh that caught their fancy, and their lives are condemnable. But if we are not careful, we might be led to believe that God is only targeting the extremely sinful and perverse people of the world with his appeal to the pursuance of righteousness and self-control in light of Eternal Judgment. 2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us clearly that, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

No one will escape Final Judgment, and there is no hope of heaven for any of us unless we have Jesus as our Advocate. If we want to be acquitted of all wrong-doing on that day, we must be certain that our sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ and that we live a life of obedient faith in Him. Let’s make sure that we have given our lives to Christ, and then let’s focus on being the kind of righteous people that God wants us to be. “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7). 

Please read Acts 25:1-12 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders, with an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought charges to the governor against Paul. After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying to the governor, ‘Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation, we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. But, that I may not weary you any further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing. For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. And he even tried to desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. We wanted to judge him according to our own Law. But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands, ordering his accusers to come before you. By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him.’ The Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.”

---End of Scripture verses---

After Paul had been handed over to the governing authorities, the Jewish leaders were finally forced to play be a system of legal rules. They had no recourse at this point to incite “mob justice” or assist in a conspiracy to have Paul murdered, so they hired a Roman “advocate” or “attorney”. Since they were compelled to bring charges against Paul in a Roman court of law, they wanted someone who had intimate familiarity with the system and a lawyer who knew all the tricks of his trade. We can see that the smooth talking flatterer, Tertullus, was an excellent choice for the job, even though their attempt to influence Felix through this slick-tongued “orator” backfired on them, as we will see in tomorrow’s reading.

After Tertullus slathered the governor with smarmy praise for all the wonderful things that he had done for the “nation” (verse 20), he then turned his attention to bringing formal (false) charges against the defendant. He started by making the general (true) accusation that Paul was “a real pest” (verse 5). This is kind of a comical thing to say in my mind, but I think it is safe to say that Paul was a very troublesome bee in the bonnet of the Jewish religious leaders. I can almost hear the exasperation in the high priest’s voice when he briefed his counsel on all the trouble that Paul had caused to his nation over the years.

More than anything else though, I believe this really speaks largely to Paul’s tenacity and his gritty determination to keep teaching people the truth no matter what the consequences might be. Sometimes you just have to pester people in order to break down the walls that hinder the penetration of the Gospel Truth. Being a pest is not always a bad thing, as long as we are doing our best to try to help other people and please the Lord. I’m afraid that most times, when our efforts to teach people the truth are met with just the slightest resistance, we give up and try our best not to upset or offend them. May God help us to understand that souls are much too important and eternity is way too long for us to give up on trying to help save people without putting up a serious fight. Let’s love people enough to let them get irritated and upset with us.

Tertullus then accused Paul of some specific (serious) offenses. He said that Paul was a “ringleader” who “stirred up dissensions among all the Jews throughout the world” (verse 5). Paul’s life would have been in serious jeopardy had he been convicted of this crime. The Roman authorities had no sympathy or tolerance for organizers of insurrections, and they usually put a very abrupt end to such an offender’s influence. Paul was also accused of desecrating the temple (verse 6) which was no minor offense either. But Jesus continued to stand by Paul and make good on His promise to deliver him (Acts 23:11), and give him the words to say when forced to stand before governors and kings for doing nothing more than obeying God’s will (Matthew 10:18-20).

Please read Acts 24:10-27 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“And he called to him two of the centurions and said, ‘Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.’ They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter having this form: ‘Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings. ‘When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. ‘And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council; and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment. ‘When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you.’ So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. But the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks. When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. When he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, ‘I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also,’ giving orders for him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.”
---End of Scripture verses---

After receiving the report from Paul’s nephew that certain men were plotting to kill him, the commander put a serious plan of protection into action. He assembled an escort of 200 infantrymen, 200 cavalrymen and 70 spearmen. That’s nearly 500 armed soldiers to protect one Gospel preacher from 40 or so religious extremists! The president of the United States isn’t provided that kind of coverage when traveling to the most unstable global military hotspots. Do you think that maybe Claudius Lysias went a bit overboard when he finally discovered that he had been mishandling a natural born Roman citizen of good standing (Acts 22:25-30)? The commander made certain that he was doing everything within his power to deliver Paul to Governor Felix without further harm or risk of violence. I can’t help but believe that we are really seeing the powerful hand of God on display here though. Jesus had promised Paul that He would see him safely to the city of Rome (verse 11), and then provided the means to make good on His promise. Of course Paul was safe with God with or without an human army surrounding him.

The commander sent a letter along with Paul to the Judean governor who was located in the city of Caesarea (verse 33). In this letter Mister Lysias wrote that he had “rescued him having learned that he was a Roman” (verse 27), and that he had sent Paul to Governor Felix “at once” when he learned of the plot against his life (verse 30). Did you notice how he very conveniently left out the details about how he had him bound with chains and had ordered him to be flogged to beat some information out of him (Acts 22:24-30)? We do things like that sometimes too don’t we? We will tell a “half-truth” and then pass it off as if we are being completely honest. Sometimes we stretch the truth to make ourselves look good to our earthly peers and superiors, but our main concern should be to please the One who can look right into our heart of hearts. God values absolute sincerity in His people. Let’s try to be people of the utmost integrity.

Proverbs 28:18 – “Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.” (ESV)

Please read Acts 24:1-9 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

“When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who formed this plot. They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, ‘We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. Now therefore, you and the Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near the place.’ But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, ‘Lead this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.’ So he took him and led him to the commander and said, ‘Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.’ The commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, ‘What is it that you have to report to me?’ And he said, ‘The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.’ So the commander let the young man go, instructing him, ‘Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

We ended yesterday’s reading with these comforting that Jesus spoke to Paul: “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also” (verse 11). We don’t have to wonder, then, how it was that Paul’s nephew just happened to be at the right place at the right time to overhear the conspirators plotting to kill his uncle (verse 16). Jesus had promised to keep Paul safe, at least until he had the opportunity to preach the Gospel in the city of Rome, and He made good on that promise. As a matter of fact, God used the various plots and schemes of the Jews to kill Paul as a means to actually get him to Rome. “The Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you” (Deuteronomy 23:5).

So, more than 40 people “bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul” (verses 12-13). I have to believe that these men found a way to release themselves from this “solemn oath” (verse 14) before they died of thirst and starvation, because the Lord obviously extricated Paul safely from their grasp. No matter how determined people are to upset the plans of God, when the Lord makes a vow, His promise will be kept. When Jesus told Paul that He would keep him safe, the whole nation of Israel could have risen up against him in a coordinated effort to kill him and it still would have been to no avail. Friends, you can always believe the word of God and you can always count on Him to follow through on His promises. “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19).

Hebrews 6:13-20 – “For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.’  And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

It is impossible for God to lie and it is impossible for God to be mistaken. When God made promises to Abraham, they were as good as done, even though Abraham had to patiently wait for God to make good on them. One of those immutable promises was that God would bless all the families of the earth through Abraham’s seed (Genesis 12:3). God worked that promise and that plan out through the course of hundreds of years when He sent Jesus into this world to live and die for the sins of all humankind (Galatians 3:16). Because of what Jesus accomplished for us with His life, death and resurrection, we have the full assurance of an eternity in heaven if we obey the Gospel and remain faithful to Him until the end of our lives (Hebrews 10:19-25; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Revelation 2:10).

“Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him” (Proverbs 30:5).

Please read Acts 23:23-35 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, ‘Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.’ The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, ‘God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?’ But the bystanders said, ‘Do you revile God’s high priest?’ And Paul said, ‘I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, “You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”’ But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, ‘Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!’ As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. And there occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, ‘Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.’”
---End of Scripture verses---

In today’s passage the Apostle Paul appeared before the council, also known as the Sanhedrin, which essentially amounted to the Jewish supreme court. It was comprised of the high priest, the elders of the people and the scribes, both Pharisees and Sadducees. Paul began his “trial” by saying, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (verse 1). Because of this statement, the high priest ordered Paul to be struck on the face (verse 2). This wasn’t as much a trial as it was a “kangaroo court”. It is obvious that the council had already found Paul guilty before the hearing even began.

This is reminiscent of the way that Jesus was handled after He was arrested before His crucifixion. When He was brought before the Anna of the high priestly family, we read the following. John 18:19-23 – “The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret. ‘Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said.’ When He had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, ‘Is that the way You answer the high priest?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?’” Jesus was taken to stand before Governor Pilate shortly afterward, just as Paul would soon be delivered to Governor Felix.

How could Paul say that he had lived his life in all good conscience considering everything he had said and done against Jesus and His church? In Paul’s writings he referred to himself as a “blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor” (1 Timothy 1:13). He went on to say of himself that he was the “foremost of all” sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), and yet he had lived his life in all good conscience the entire time. What does this say about the wisdom of letting “your conscience be your guide” when it comes to making important spiritual and emotional decisions in your life. Our consciences can obviously lead us astray, just as Paul’s did him. He honestly thought he was doing God’s will when he was bent on trying to destroy the church of Jesus Christ, but he was honestly wrong. God has given us our consciences as a beneficial tool to help us do right in His sight, but it must be used in a secondary way to the word of truth. The Bible is always right and what it says to us always trumps what our conscience might be trying to tell us to do.

The key factor in Paul keeping his conscience clean the entirety of his life is that when he DID learn the truth, he did not ignore it or make an excuse to disobey it. When Paul recounted the story of his conversion to King Agrippa, he stated the following: “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:19-20). Paul fought against Christ and His church “ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13). But when he learned the truth about Jesus and what He expected of him, Paul obeyed the Gospel. He repented of his sins, was baptized (Acts 22:16) and lived a life of faithful service unto his King. Because of that, he knew he had a “crown of righteousness” laid up for him in heaven (2 Timothy 4:10). Paul went on to write in that verse that the same heavenly crown awaits all those who love His appearing.

Have a happy Hearts Day and blessed Lord’s Day!

Please read Acts 23:12-22 for tomorrow!

-Louie Taylor

“’It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, and I saw Him saying to me, “Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.” And I said, “Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.” And He said to me, “Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.”’ They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!’ And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, ‘Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?’ When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, ‘What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.’ The commander came and said to him, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ The commander answered, ‘I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.’ And Paul said, ‘But I was actually born a citizen.’ Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains. But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Council to assemble, and brought Paul down and set him before them.”
---End of Scripture verses---

I can’t help but laugh when I read the words of verse 23. I’m sorry but the mental image of grown men being so angry that they would tear up their own clothing and throw dust in the air is just comical to me. I can see them stomping around like big babies and holding their breath too, just because someone said something that they didn’t agree with. I know that times have changed considerably but these gestures just seem universally ridiculous to me.

What is even more ridiculous, but not remotely humorous, is just how prejudiced human beings can be toward one another. The statement that sent these men into a blind fury was that Jesus sent Paul “far away to the Gentiles” (verse 21). Because Paul suggested that the Messiah had appointed him to teach people with a different physical lineage that they could be God’s people, these men ranted, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” (verse 22) God help us to never harbor hatred and animosity toward a fellow human being created in His own image, just because of trivial fleshly differences.

Let’s read some familiar Bible verses to remind us that God wants His children to view all people as valuable and important to Him, no matter what they look like, sound like, how old or young they are, whether they are rich or poor, male or female, what country they were born in, or any other trifling thing that might distinguish us from one another.

Acts 17:24-28 – “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.’”

Colossians 3:5-11 – “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

1 Timothy 2:1-6 – “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”

Let’s try to see as God sees. Man looks at the outside but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Please read Acts 23:1-11 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“‘Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you.’ And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more quiet; and he said, ‘I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women into prisons, as also the high priest and all the Council of the elders can testify. From them I also received letters to the brethren, and started off for Damascus in order to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners to be punished. But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And I answered, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said to me, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.” And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. And I said, “What shall I do, Lord?” And the Lord said to me, “Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.” But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus. A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing near said to me, “Brother Saul, receive your sight!” And at that very time I looked up at him. And he said, “The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’”
---End of Scripture verses---

As Paul made his defense, he addressed his (hostile) audience as “brethren and fathers” (verse 1). This is exactly the same way that Stephen (who Paul mentioned ironically enough in verse 20) undoubtedly addressed some of the very same components of this crowd before they turned on him and murdered him (Acts 7:2). Paul spoke to them in reasonable, respectful and affectionate tones. Once again, he was concerned for them. Paul wrote of his Jewish kinsmen in Romans 10:1-2, “Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.” He even went so far as to write that, “I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:2-3). Paul loved the people who desperately wanted to throttle him, just like Stephen did, just like Jesus did.

Paul really got there attention when he spoke to them in “the Hebrew dialect” (verse 2). It was the Asian Jews who had initially stirred up this commotion (Acts 21:27), and they were probably amazed, not likely having realized his credentials until this point. He further certified his national heritage by stating that he had been taught at the feet of the highly respected Pharisee and teacher of the Law, Gamaliel. It was Gamaliel who had talked some sense into the council when they were so enraged at the Apostles that they wanted to kill them all (Acts 5:33). Gamaliel very prudently warned his fellow council members to, “Stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown, but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

What Paul is doing here is telling people about who he was before he came to Christ, and then he’s going to tell them about his conversion and about how coming to Jesus had completely changed his life forever for the better. Paul is essentially saying to Christ’s enemies here, “Hey look, I used to hate these Christians and their Leader even more than you did! Just ask your leaders (verse 5) and they will vouch for me about how much I hated and persecuted Jesus and His followers and wanted to kill them (verse 4). I was actually on my way to arrest Christians in Damascus and extradite them back to Jerusalem, but then the most amazing thing happened to me! Jesus himself appeared to me and stopped me in my tracks (verses 6-9). He blinded my with the most dazzling light, but now I see things more clearly than I ever have before in my life.” Paul thought he was the one doing the pursuing, but he didn’t realize that he was actually being pursued the whole time (Philippians 2:12).

Paul liked to tell people the story of his personal conversion, and about how Jesus had lifted him up from the crooked path of ruin and destruction and placed his feet squarely upon the only road that leads to happiness and heaven. One good way to help people to see that Jesus can help make their lives better is to paint for them the “before and after” Christ picture of your own personal life. Paul often utilized this effective evangelistic tool in his dealings with the people he met. He loved to give people the personal “testimony” of all the positive changes that had been brought about by Jesus in his life. But no conversion story is complete unless you tell someone the one thing that everyone needs to “do” (verse 10) in order to have their sins forgiven and be saved. In his conversion story, Paul recounted to his audience that Ananias had told him, “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (verse 16). Paul was held completely accountable before God for all of his sins until the point in which he was baptized in order to have them washed away by the blood of Christ (Revelation 1:5).

Every “conversion story” is a unique and interesting account. But without baptism “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38), there is no true conversion and salvation (Mark 16:16).

Please read Acts 22:17-30 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, ‘Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’ For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, ‘Away with him!’ As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’ And he said, ‘Do you know Greek? Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?’ But Paul said, ‘I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.’ When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying...”
---End of Scripture verses---

After Paul had visited the temple for a few day assisting the four men that had recently taken a vow (verses 24-26), some Jews who were visiting from Asia recognized him and started an uproar. They had previously seen Paul and Trophimus (a Gentile convert) in the city together and “supposed” that Paul had brought him into the temple with him (verses 28-29). These Asian instigators likely lived in the city of Ephesus, where Trophimus was from, and where Paul had recently been at the center of significant controversy (Acts chapter 19). It is obvious that these troublemakers had an ulterior motive for attacking Paul, but we should learn the lesson from them that we shouldn’t “suppose” or “assume” things without knowing the facts of a matter.

I see this a lot in the facility I work in. People will see a male and female coworker walking or talking together and they will just automatically assume that they are romantically involved with one another. Worse still, they will tell other people what they think is going on and before you know it the “news” is all over the plant and significant damage can be done to two people and also the lives of their families. In our text today, because some people assumed some things, and because they talked about it and others believed their assumptions, an apostle of Jesus Christ was beaten and falsely arrested. Let’s try not to assume things just on outward appearances. And if we do happen to make an assumption, let’s try to keep it to ourselves so we do not cause unnecessary and undeserved harm to others. And finally, let’s try to give people the benefit of the doubt and not automatically believe an accusation made against them without a full discovery of the facts.

During the uproar incited in the temple by the Jews from Asia, Paul was “rescued” by a Roman army commander (verses 31-33). The “Roman Cohort” was a group of soldiers stationed in the castle Antonia located on the north side of the temple complex. This structure was originally built by a high priest named John Hyrcanus, and later refurbished by Herod the Great, who named it Antonia in honor of his friend Mark Antony. Josephus describes this castle as consisting of four towers, one of which ascended over 100 feet into the air and overlooked the temple. Roman soldiers were regularly stationed there to secure the temple and to keep the peace.

The Roman commander had himself obviously made some assumptions about Paul. He had either assumed, or it had been falsely reported to him that Paul was, “the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness” (verse 38). This was an event that has been recorded for us in the annals of history. Josephus also reports the following about this Egyptian and the assassins that he led:

“At this time there came out of Egypt to Jerusalem a man who said he was a prophet, and advised the multitude of the common people to go along with him to the mountain called the Mount of Olives, which lay a distance of five furlongs from the city. He said that he would show them that at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall down, through which he promised that he would procure them an entrance into the city. Now when Felix was informed of this he ordered his soldiers to take up their weapons, and with a great number of horsemen and footmen from Jerusalem he attacked the Egyptian and the people that were with him. He slew four hundred of them and took two hundred alive. But the Egyptian himself escaped from the fight and did not appear any more.” (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities)

So Paul was falsely accused by some out-of-towners, beaten by a mob that believed their untrue allegations and “bound with chains” (verse 33) by an officer who thought he was an Egyptian assassin. Friends, Paul was having a bad day! And all this for doing nothing more than the good things that the Lord wanted him to do! So how would you have reacted if you had been in Paul’s shoes? Let’s learn from Paul’s good example how to treat people who have their hearts set on mistreating us. Paul kindly and calmly reasoned with his captor (verse 39), and he addressed his abusers with care and courteousness (Acts 22:1). In spite of all the ways that Paul had been mistreated, he still cared about the souls of the people who had wronged him and he tried his very best to help them. He knew that they were destined for an eternity of damnation if they remained in their hardened, sinful condition. And he also knew, as long as he loved and served the Lord, that nothing people could do to him could really harm him.

Oh to have a heart and a faith like that! I’ve got lots of work to do!

Please read Acts 22:1-16 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge. After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.’ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.”
---End of Scripture verses---

When Paul and his companions left Caesarea, some of the brethren from that city escorted them to Jerusalem and brought them to a brother named Mnason who provided lodging during their stay (verse 15-16). We are not given much information about this good brother but these few verses tell us a lot about the man. He was given to hospitality, willingly accepting a rather large group of travel-weary Christians into his home, which is very commendable. And also, verse 16 tells us that he was “a disciple of long standing.” He was a consistently faithful and righteous fellow and he had proven himself to be a man of high character through the testing of time. Like Timothy, Mnason had demonstrated himself to be a person of “proven worth” (Philippians 2:22). Proverbs 22:1 tells us, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” The Holy Spirit chose to grant honor to Mnason in the annals of inspiration because he possessed a good name, even though I’m not certain how to pronounce it.

When Paul met with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, they were all delighted by the news that numerous Gentiles had converted to Christ, but their excitement was mingled with concern (verses 19-20). There were also thousands of Jewish converts and many of them had heard that Paul possessed a hostile attitude toward the Law of Moses. The specific accusation against Paul was that he had been “teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs” (verse 21). The brethren devised a plan that Paul would “purify himself” according to the Law of Moses, and pay the expenses for four men who had been keeping a vow, so as to prove that Paul was not at odds with his Jewish and proselyte brethren or the customs of the Law (verses 22-26).

As we’ve pointed out before, Paul never encouraged people to abandon the long established and heavily engrained customs of his people that found their roots in the Law of Moses. He had actually made and kept a vow associated with the Law on his second preaching trip (Acts 18:18), and he even took Timothy and had him circumcised in order to not impede his influence among his Jewish brethren (Acts 16:3). But he did heavily oppose anyone who tried to make keeping any part of the Law of Moses a matter of salvation (Acts 15:1-2), and also anyone who used the Law as a pretense for hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-21). Unfortunately there was just a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation circulating about Paul’s teaching and actions.

Let’s remind ourselves of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23: “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”

Unfortunately there is still much misinformation and misunderstanding in circulation about the teaching of the Apostle Paul. Some people insist, because of what is written in Bible passages such as the one that we read today, that God has two different sets of standards for Jewish and Gentile Christians. They maintain that the Gospel that Paul taught the Gentiles Christians is quite a bit different than the Gospel that the Apostle Peter taught the Jewish Christians. If this were true, which of course it is not, then Paul’s entire letter to the Ephesians would be meaningless. Paul, through the Holy Spirit, taught in that epistle that God tore down the dividing barrier that once existed between the Jews and Gentiles (the Law of Moses), and has made both groups into one new, united body. No Jew (or Gentile for that matter) is bound by law to keep any of the Law of Moses, but he has the right to keep any part of it that does not conflict with the Law of Christ.

Ephesians 2:11-22 – “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”

Paul’s teaching is a message of unity, of “the summing up of all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10). This truth taught by all the inspired teachers and writers of the New Testament era. Please ignore, and even oppose, any teaching that promotes doctrinal division. Division and confusion are not the works of the Lord but of the enemy.

Please read Acts 21:27-40 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“When we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara; and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo. After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home again. When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day. On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses. As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, ‘This is what the Holy Spirit says: “In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”’ When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, ‘The will of the Lord be done!’”

---End of Scripture verses---

We are tracing Paul’s final leg of his third preaching journey back to Jerusalem from Miletus. Luke takes us quickly from Miletus to Kos to Rhodes to Patara. Switching ships, Paul and his companions traveled under the Island of Cyprus, and then landed at the Syrian port city of Tyre. Luke covers this stretch in three short verses (verses 1-3), with his attention obviously focused on the events that would take place in Jerusalem, but he does give us some detail of their brief stays in Tyre and Caesarea.

Paul and company spent a week with the brethren in the city of Tyre. They urged him “through the Spirit” not to go to Jerusalem (verse 4). The Holy Spirit had revealed to some of these Christians that Paul was not going to be treated kindly in the “Holy City”. When it became obvious that they would not be able to persuade Paul to change his mind and take a safer course, they did the best thing that they could do for him. All the brethren, including their families, escorted Paul to his ship at the end of the week, and there on the beach they “knelt to pray” (verse 5).

This verse arouses a beautiful image in my mind as I see a family of God’s beloved kneeling on the sand, united together in communion with their Lord, as the waves lightly slap the beach under a crystal blue sky. I guess that’s just my idealized way of imagining this scene, but I think that it helps me to see more clearly the beauty of prayer. Whether kneeling on a seashore, sitting on a sofa or standing in a church building, prayer is always a delightful and powerful activity to engage in, and especially so when united in mind and spirit with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prayer should be our first and last line of defense because it is always our best line of defense. Actually it is going on the offensive when we give our minds to God in prayer. Quite often it is doing something positive and proactive when there is little else that can be done. Paul had his heart set on going through with what he had determined to do, so his brethren were helpless to change his mind. But there is always one potent thing that Christians can do to help a person in need or in danger—and that is to pray for them. Do you have someone in your life who has made up their mind to travel a course that you know will be dangerous and even destructive to them? Have you reasoned and argued and begged and pleaded with them in futility to change their minds? Just remember this: Even if you have been made to feel powerless to help them, they are helpless against the power of you prayers.

When Paul and his traveling companions arrived in Caesarea, they stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist (verse 8). While they were there a prophet named Agabus came to visit from Judea (verse 10), and he prophesied through the Spirit that Paul would be arrested by the Jews and handed over to the Roman authorities if he ventured on to Jerusalem (verse 11). It’s kind of ironic that this same Agabus had earlier prophesied about a worldwide famine that actually prompted Paul to go with Barnabas to Jerusalem to help out the needy saints who lived there (Acts 11:28-30). But this time he told Paul that Jerusalem would be his downfall, and all his brethren begged him not to go (verse 12). 

“Then Paul answered, ‘what are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus’” (verse 13). This journey was the Lord’s work and the Lord’s will, and nothing would stop Paul from doing the right thing. He was, once again, carrying a collection to help the needy saints living in Jerusalem, and he would fulfill his mission even if he had to die doing so. He also had much good news to report to the church at Jerusalem about all the Gentiles that had been saved as a direct result his preaching endeavors (verse 17-20). He was going to Jerusalem “bound by the Spirit” (Acts 20:22), and he knew that “bonds and afflictions” awaited him there (Acts 20:23). Even so, he would press on…

Please read Acts 21:15-26 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, ‘You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’ When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.”

---End of Scripture verses---

In verse 16 we learn that Paul had intentionally sailed past Ephesus because he was in a hurry and he didn’t want to spend much time there. But he still earnestly desired to speak to the elders of the church in Ephesus; the men he had worked side-by-side with for the space of three years, preaching and teaching the Gospel (verse 31). They met together in Miletus and conversed with heavy hearts as Paul told them that they wouldn’t see him again on this side of eternity (verse 25), and that a very difficult road lay ahead for them to travel (verse 29). Just a few observations from Paul’s remarkable discourse with the Ephesian elders…

“I do not consider my life on any account as dear to myself…” (verse 24). Paul had a keen awareness of the insignificance of his own personal, fleeting, physical life when compared with all the lost souls in the world and the endlessness of the afterlife. He would not turn his back on God’s will for him and on the multitudes who desperately needed the message of salvation that Christ had entrusted to him, even if it meant certain death for him. Paul had willingly suffered the loss of his worldly positions and possessions in order to gain the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus and an eternal relationship with Him (Philippians 3:7-8); and he was not about to try to protect his own skin by keeping that Good News all to himself. Paul placed the wellbeing of other people’s souls above the safety of his own flesh.

“I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” (verse 27). Paul did not scratch people’s itching ears by telling them only the things that they wanted to hear. Paul’s mission in life was not to make people feel good about themselves, but to show them who they really were in the eyes of their Creator, and the changes they needed to make by telling them the truth of God’s will for them. He lifted his listeners up with the life-saving message of Calvary’s cross, but he also reproved and rebuked people when necessary, and exhorted them to live their lives right in the sight of God (2 Timothy 4:2). Effective, faithful Gospel preaching is comprised of a good balance of the positive and the negative—of uplifting encouragement and productive reprimand.

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (verse 32). Paul knew he would not be there to personally help the brethren in the city of Ephesus again, and that saddened him. But he also knew that the word of God was more than sufficient to equip them and build them up spiritually and provide them with an inheritance in heaven that is imperishable, undefiled and that will not fade away (1 Peter 1:3). The Bible is all we need to make us right with God and keep us strong in the faith and provide us with an eternal home in heaven.

“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (verse 35). This phrase spoken by the mouth of our Lord Jesus is the motto by which Paul lived his life. He poured himself out in the service of his fellow human beings (Philippians 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:6). He completely spent and exhausted his existence in the pursuit of helping as many people as he could with their most pressing physical and spiritual needs. The greatest rewards that we receive in life come from giving to others, not from the things that they can do for or give to us.

I know these comments don’t even scratch the surface of the grace and knowledge and wisdom that are packed within this powerful passage of inspired Scripture. Let’s learn what we can and make application in our lives.

Please read Acts 21:1-14 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days. On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, ‘Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.’ When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted. But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. Sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“On the first day of the week” Paul and his traveling companions “gathered together” with the Christians in the city of Troas to “break bread” (verse 7). I am so glad that these verses are in today’s Bible reading. This is a good reminder for us of just how important it is for Christians to assemble on the Lord’s Day and worship our God together in spirit and in truth, and an important part of that worship is to “break bread” together.

What does the term “break bread” mean? Well, that’s all according to the context in which it is mentioned in the New Testament. Sometimes it just means to eat an ordinary meal, and other times it means to take the Lord’s Supper. In Acts 2:42 we read that, after the church was established in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, the Christians there “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” The bread-breaking here is obviously a reference to the Lord’s Supper because it is mentioned in connection with other spiritual things (acts of worship), such as teaching, praying, and giving (fellowship). And just a few verses later, we read in Acts 2:46, “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.” So we see they also ate ordinary meals together at each other’s homes.

What type of bread-breaking was taking place in the city of Troas when the Christians gathered together to worship the Lord that day as recorded in Acts 20:7? Once again, the context reveals the nature of that meal to us. This is obviously a reference to the Lord’s Supper. The Christians had all assembled together on the first day of the week, which is the day that the Bible teaches Christians to meet together in order it do spiritual things—to worship God in the congregational setting (1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Notice also that Paul and his companions had been in Troas for seven days before they gathered together in the assembly to break bread (verse 6). In other words, they arrived there on our Monday, and waited there until the first day of the week (our Sunday) to gather together to do this. Surely they didn’t wait a whole week just to eat an ordinary meal together. This was obviously a special occasion—one that was specifically reserved for the first day of the week gathering. And when they gathered together, it was to do spiritual things. It was to worship God. They took the Lord’s Supper together and Paul preached a (rather lengthy) sermon to them.

Please friends take note of just how important the first day of the week (Sunday) worship assembly was to the inspired Apostle Paul and his traveling companions. These were very busy people. They were traveling all over the known world and tending to the most important business in the world—Saving souls. Quite often, when they left one region to head for another, they were doing so fleeing for their personal safety (verse 3). They were busy, they were stressed, they were sleep-deprived (verses 9-11), they were exhausted. But they weren’t about to miss church services because worshiping God together with their brothers and sisters in Christ was just too vitally important to their spiritual wellbeing. And they knew it.

Please read Acts 20:17-38 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

-Louie Taylor

“Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, ‘After I have been there, I must also see Rome.’ And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while. About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, ‘Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.’ When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, ‘Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.’ After saying this he dismissed the assembly.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Verses 21-22 – Paul planned to revisit the congregations in Macedonia and Achaia to collect contributions for the needy Christians who lived in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians chapters 8-9; Rom 15:25). He intended to return to Jerusalem with this collection and then visit Rome. Paul sent Timothy and Erastus ahead of him into Macedonia in preparation for his arrival. These were two excellent choices because Timothy had been there with Paul the first time he visited the area, and Erastus was the Corinthian city treasurer (Romans 16:23), the perfect person to help with the sizable collection that would be made for the saints. Paul stayed in Ephesus for a while longer, and obviously, there was never a dull moment for him in that city.

Next we are introduced to a man named Demetrius (verse 24). He was a silversmith who made silver “shrines,” which were likely small replicas of Diana or her temple, that were items of worship all around the region. The temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of ancient world. It took over 120 years to build, and it was 425 feet long, 220 feet deep, and had 127 columns. Demetrius was the guild leader of the craftsmen who made these trinkets and he brought a lot of business to the men of his trade. Just like with the “magic” industry (verse 19), the shrine making business stood to take a serious financial hit with Paul’s life-altering teaching about Jesus.

Demetrius convinced his fellow craftsmen that they stood to suffer financial loss (verse 25), and that Diana and her temple would lose their reputation and influence, because Paul had been successfully teaching that “gods made with hands are no gods at all” (verse 26). Demetrius worked them up into an emotional frenzy (verse 28), and they eventually filled the whole city with confusion (verse 29). They dragged some of Paul’s travelling companions into the city theater which became a scene of utter chaos. Most of the people didn’t even know why they had come there (verse 32), and yet they all yelled “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” in unison for two hours straight (verse 34).

I am reminded of the second Psalm when I read of the heathen hysteria that took place in the city of Ephesus on that day. “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!’ He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them” (Psalm 2:1-4).

The lesson for us today is this: Nothing can stop the plans of God. Not a frenzied mob of angry heathens. Not all the synagogues in the world filled with angry, hard-hearted blasphemers (verse 9). No state mandated idolatry or government endorsed atheism. None of Satan’s attempts to derail God’s plan of salvation for mankind can upset the progress of the power of the Gospel or the expansion and prosperity of the Kingdom. The Gospel marches on. The truth shakes up the world. God’s word turns people’s worlds upside down. And more importantly, the Gospel of Jesus Christ saves people’s souls. The word of the Lord will not return to Him empty. It will accomplish that which He sent it to achieve (Isaiah 55:11).

Please read Acts 20:1-16 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”

---End of Scripture verses---

This, indeed, was a time of “extraordinary miracles” (verse 11). I find this term to be an extremely interesting one. A miracle, by definition, is an act that defies the laws of physical nature, thereby making a miracle an extraordinary thing in and of itself. So the miracles that God was performing by the “hands” of Paul were doubly extraordinary. Just touching a handkerchief that had been on his body could heal a disease or cast out a demon (verse 12). I am reminded of the woman who touched the fringe of Jesus’ cloak and was healed of an “incurable” disease (Luke 8:43-44); and the many others who were healed by doing the same thing (Mark 6:56).

So why all these extraordinary miracles? It is obvious from today’s reading that Ephesus was a center for sorcery and the “black arts”. This was a culture steeped in the occult, in so-called magic and superstition; and it seems that God took extreme measures to counteract these dark and false practices and the excessiveness of their spiritual wickedness. When certain traveling “Jewish exorcists” attempted to emulate Paul by invoking the name of Jesus to cast out a demon, their attempts backfired and the fury of the demon was turned against them (verses 13-16). The demon “recognized” Jesus and Paul because they taught and worked by God’s authority, but not the sons of Sceva because they were phonies and had no real power (verse 15).

What was the result of these extraordinary miracles? The people of Ephesus had witnessed and experienced real supernatural power for the very first time in their lives when the Apostle Paul arrived in their city. They recognized that all of their magicians and exorcists and the like were all imposters, and the genuine power of God actually prompted them to repent and make changes. “Fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified” (verse 17). Many people were believing in Jesus and confessing their sins (verse 18). And many of the actual “practitioners” of magic piled their magic books together and made a huge expensive bonfire out of them (verse 19).

“So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (verse 20). There is great power in God’s inspired word. Yes these people actually witnessed astounding miracles, but it was all to magnify the word of the Lord and to help it proliferate. The miracles were performed to direct them toward the word and open their ears to the Gospel message of truth and salvation. Miracles were used to grab people’s attention, but only the word of God has the power to truly transform people’s lives and place them on the pathway that leads to heaven. When we open up our Bibles and read about these amazing acts, it causes the word to grow mightily within our hearts and minds and prevail within our lives.

“Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Please read Acts 19:21-41 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ And they said to him, ‘No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’ And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ And they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. There were in all about twelve men. And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The Apostle Paul has now embarked on his third preaching tour. Acts 18:23 tells us that after he had departed from Antioch again, he passed through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples in the congregations that he had previously helped to establish. This time he was allowed by the Holy Spirit to expand his teaching into the province of Asia (Acts 16:6), and Paul spent considerable time in the city of Ephesus teaching the word (verse 10) and working extraordinary miracles (verse 11).

When Paul entered Ephesus, his first recorded encounter was with twelve men who were “disciples” but had not yet properly obeyed the Gospel (verse 1). Just like Apollos, who had also been staying in that region (Acts 18:24-25), they had an incomplete knowledge about baptism into the name of Jesus, being only familiar with John’s baptism. We can learn a lot about the differences between the two baptisms by Paul’s enlightening conversation with these twelve men.

First, Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they had believed in Jesus (verse 2). When they replied that they had not, Paul then asked them, “Into what then were you baptized” (verse 3). The implication from these two questions is that when People are baptized for the right reasons and into the right “name”, that they receive the Holy Spirit. This is exactly what Peter told the people gathered around him in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). John’s baptism provided no “gift” with it. Paul told the twelve men that John only baptized people for repentance in anticipation and preparation for belief “in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus” (verse 4). They were then, “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (verse 5). So then, here are three things that were lacking in the baptism of John: (1) John’s baptism was only an “introductory” baptism, preparing people’s hearts for belief in Jesus; (2) it imparted no “gift” of the Holy Spirit; (3) and it was not administered in “the name of Jesus”.

John’s baptism was not wrong or improper, it just had a limited scope and duration. There is a profound difference between any baptisms that were performed before and after Christ’s death. It was only after Jesus shed His blood on the cross and died for the sins of mankind that people could actually be “baptized into His death” (Romans 6:3). Paul goes on to tell us in Romans 6:4-6: “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” The baptism that crucifies and buries the old person of sin and provides newness of life, can only be found on this side of the cross, for people who have lived on this side of the cross.

The simple message for us is this—The way and the reasons why we are baptized really matter. A proper and obedient baptism is one that is done in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). It is accompanied (or preceded) by repentance and done “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38; 22:16). It is done to “be saved” (Mark 16:16), and to be added to the body of Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). It is to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 3:28). Please friend, learn this vital lesson from these twelve men who were eagerly willing to make their lives right with God. If you haven’t been baptized for all of these reasons and into the proper “name” (authority), be baptized again in humble, saving, obedient faith.

Now, what about this “gift of the Holy Spirit”? What exactly is this gift that we receive when we are baptized in the right way and for the right reasons? I believe that there are two viable explanations for what this gift is. Many people view the gift the Holy Spirit to be the free gift of salvation. Romans 6:23 tells us that, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This would make perfect sense because baptism is done for salvation, or eternal life (Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21). The other explanation is that the “gift of the Holy Spirit” is the Holy Spirit himself. When we believe the message that He has revealed to us and we obey His commandments, we receive Him. Romans 8:9 tells us that, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” I actually like the second one better but they are both scripturally sound and either one could be correct.

But please notice what receiving the gift of the Holy does not and cannot mean. It does not mean receiving the miraculous “gifts” of the Holy Spirit. When these twelve men in Ephesus believed and were baptized in water, they received the “gift” of the Holy Spirit (verse 5). But it wasn’t until the Apostle Paul laid his hands on them and imparted special powers to them that they received the “gifts” of the Holy Spirit (verse 6). Only by the laying on of the Apostles’ hands were these miraculous gifts imparted to other believers (Acts 8:18; 19:6), and the Apostles of Jesus Christ haven’t been living on the earth for nearly 2000 years.

So, if you believe like I do, that the gift of the Holy Spirit is actually the Holy Spirit himself, you must be careful to note that this gift isn’t miraculous in nature. This “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:19) is a reception of Him and His inspired teaching, and an obedient fellowship with Him. We do not receive His revelation miraculously by His dwelling in us. We must study the Bible that He revealed in order to know and obey God’s will for us (Ephesians 3:4; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3, 19-21).

Please read Acts 19:11-20 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.”

---End of Scripture verses---

When Paul left Corinth, he took a married couple named Aquila and Priscilla along with him, and he left them in the city of Ephesus (verse 18) as he passed through, making his way back to his “home base” of Antioch (verse 22). It is possible that Paul left them there to lay some groundwork for the Gospel in anticipation of his future visit there (chapter 19). We see here why the apostle would have such confidence in this godly husband and wife team as we read about some of the good work that they did for the Lord there.

When Aquila and Priscilla heard Apollos speak in the synagogue, they must have been very impressed (verse 26). He was a man who had diligently studied the Old Testament Scriptures in city of Alexandria, that world-renowned center of learning (verse 24). Verse 24 also tells us that Apollos was “an eloquent man” and “mighty in the Scriptures.” Verse 25 says that he “had been instructed in the way of the Lord” and “he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus,” but he was “acquainted only with the baptism of John.” In other words, he spoke correctly about the truth that he was familiar with, but his knowledge was incomplete. Aquila and Priscilla took it upon themselves to pull this man aside and help him to learn the truth more thoroughly (verse 26). When we consider what a successful and influential teacher that Apollos went on to be in the Lord’s church, we can more fully appreciate Aquila and Priscilla for the way they helped him develop, and how they opened doors for preaching opportunities for him (verse 27).

Before Aquila and Priscilla had talked to him, Apollos had been “acquainted only with the baptism of John” (verse 25). I think it is very commendable of Apollos that he readily accepted the truth he had learned on this subject without arguing. He didn’t insist that baptism is just not essential anyway, or that baptism for one reason is just as good as for another. There is obviously a significant difference between the baptism administered by John and the baptism taught by the Apostles. Both Aquila and Priscilla knew this to be true, and Apollos gladly believed and accepted the explanation that they gave him. Most “believers” today really try to downplay the significance of baptism. But we learn here, and in tomorrow’s reading from Acts 19 as well, that baptism for the right reasons is important to the Lord, and a vital part of truly understanding “the way of God” (verse 26).

Lord willing, tomorrow we will look into the differences between the baptism of John and the baptism that we read about from Acts chapter two onward.

Please read Acts 19:1-10 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, ‘This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.’ But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.’ And he drove them away from the judgment seat. And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things. Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, but taking leave of them and saying, ‘I will return to you again if God wills,’ he set sail from Ephesus. When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.”

---End of Scripture verses---

While teaching the Gospel in Corinth and the surrounding regions, at some point some of the local Jewish population formed a mob and brought Paul before the judgment seat of the provincial governor (proconsul) Gallio (verse 12). Gallio was the oldest brother of the Greek Stoic philosopher Seneca. Seneca wrote that Gallio was of “the sweetest disposition” and “beloved by every man.” I think his brother may have been a bit biased and generous with his lavish praise. Gallio dismissed the charges leveled against Paul by his accusers because they were of a religious nature and he was a secular ruler. He didn’t allow an angry mob to persuade him to wrongfully convict Paul, which was good (verse 14-15); but he was also unmoved by a sense of justice or compassion to stop certain men from illegally and mercilessly beating the leader of the synagogue (verse 17). Maybe not such a sweet guy.

The accusation leveled against Paul was that he, “persuades men to worship God contrary to the law” (verse 13). Was this a true allegation? Since worship under God’s covenant with the Jews is significantly different than the worship He demands under the New Covenant in Christ’s blood, I would say their complaint was legitimate. The problem was that they failed to recognize that God’s covenant and law had changed (Hebrews 7:12; 8:13;10:8-10), and that THEY were actually the ones who were currently worshiping God contrary to His law (Romans 10:1-4).

So, yes, Paul did teach that people should worship God differently (contrary to the law), even though he himself kept many aspects of the Law of Moses. He had even made a vow and was completely dedicated to carrying it out to the end (verse 18). Why this apparent inconsistency in Paul’s behavior? Well, when it came to matters of custom, judgment and personal conviction, Paul was completely free in Christ to practice those parts of the Law of Moses that were NOT contrary to God’s current law. But worship never has been and never will be a matter of custom, judgment or personal conviction. It matters to God how we worship Him. He gives very specific instructions about how He wants His people to worship Him, and these things are not optional (John 4:24: Matthew 15:8-9). Paul was not inconsistent in the slightest. He just knew how to accurately handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

So what was this vow that Paul was keeping and why had he made it? A vow is a solemn promise made to God and could be offered in respect to anything, including thanksgiving for deliverance from a troubling situation. Maybe Paul was overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude because the Lord personally had encouraged him and promised to protect him, and He had since delivered on that promise (verses 9-10). This was probably not a Nazrite vow, even though Paul shaved his head at the completion of it. The person fulfilling the vow of the Nazirite was required to burn his shaved hair at the tabernacle (or temple) along with the sacrifices that he offered (Numbers 6:13-18). The shaving of the hair was likely just a sign of release from the vow after it had been accomplished.

Please read Acts 18:23-28 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

“After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’ Then he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized. And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.’ And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”

---End of Scripture verses---

We are still following the Apostle Paul through his second preaching trip. When he went to the city of Athens he was all alone and he stayed there a short but undisclosed period of time (Acts 17:16-34). From Athens Paul travelled on to Corinth. Corinth had long since replaced Athens as the city of greater importance. While Athens was still the cultural center of the Greek world, Corinth had become the commercial and political capital of Greece under Roman rule.

Because of its geographical location, Corinth was destined to be an important commercial center for the Roman Empire. Located on the narrow isthmus that separated mainland Greece from the Peloponnese peninsula, Corinth controlled land traffic going north and south, and sea commerce crossing east and west between Italy and Asia. But along with the financial prosperity came the inevitable vice and corruption. The city was so overrun by sin and depravity that the name Corinth became synonymous with sexual immorality and drunkenness.

This was the environment that Paul preached and taught in for a year and six months (verse 11). Corinth was a harsh, cruel, dangerous place to live. Along with the normal hostilities visited upon Paul and his companions by the unbelieving Jews (verse 6), Paul was subjected to the challenges of living in sin city. It was in this setting that the Lord appeared to Paul and told him, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent” (verse 9). Yes, the Apostle Paul got scared sometimes. We might be tempted to think that because Paul was a highly confident person and because he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to preach the word, that he never became frightened by the dangers that confronted him. But that’s just not true. Paul was human just like you and me and sometimes he was beset by fear.

What are the things that frighten you? Of course you know that worrying about these things will not help you and will actually make things worse, but I want to remind you anyway. It is perfectly normal for a human being to be afraid. That’s why people are encouraged time and time again in the Bible to “fear not”. The great news is that if you are a Christian, you actually have a Father in heaven who is eagerly willing and able to carry all of your fears for you. But you have to be willing to turn loose of them and give them up to Him. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

It must have been an incredibly amazing and encouraging thing for Paul to have the Lord himself appear to him and lift his spirits. Afterwards Paul was emboldened to preach the word with courage and conviction. But, if you think about it, we are really more privileged than Paul in some ways because we always have the word of God before us, at our disposal, to strengthen and encourage and bless us. It uplifts the human heart to read the words of our Lord Jesus when He tells His brethren to, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

If God is our Father and Jesus is our Savior and the kingdom is our dwelling place, then we have no reason to fear what people our evil or illness or age or death may do to us. As long as we stay faithful to God and entrust Him with our souls, He will carry us home to heaven to live with Him forever. “Comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). This should also encourage and embolden us to teach the Gospel to others as well (as Paul did) because we will want the same blessed assurance for them too.

God tells us in Philippians 4:6-9 to not worry about anything but pray about everything. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Please read Acts 18:12-22 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘”TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, “For we also are His children.” Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.’ Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, ‘We shall hear you again concerning this.’ So Paul went out of their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Just a few observations about Paul’s famous sermon on Mars Hill, also known as the Aeropagus.

Paul started his sermon with “the altar of the unknown God” (verse 23). The Athenians were so religious (or superstitious) that they wouldn’t risk not worshiping a god that might exist without their awareness. In the rest of that verse Paul said, “What you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.” He used wordplay to tell them about the unknown God that they worshipped unknowingly. Many people today endeavor to worship God without really knowing who He is and what He expects from them? There is really only one way to come to a proper knowledge of God’s nature, His character, His ways and His demands. He reveals himself to us thoroughly through the pages of the Bible, and through the life of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, whom we read about in the New Testament. Without spending considerable time in the word we will never truly come to know the great God of heaven. How important to your salvation do you think it is to truly know God? 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 answers that question for us. “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

Have you ever asked the age-old question—“What is the meaning of life?” Paul gives us the answer to that “mystery” in verses 26-27. “And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” God put us here on earth to find Him and to serve Him. That’s the true meaning of life. That is why we are here. Millions of people live their lives completely ignoring their Creator and treating Him as if He doesn’t exist by dismissing His desires for them. And still millions more, for various reasons, feel the void left in them by the absence of God in their lives, and even grope after Him, but never really find Him or come to truly know Him. Once again, God can be found right in the pages of the Bible that He left preserved for us. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14—“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Life is all about God. Without Him life has very little meaning, and it will end very poorly. We need to learn His commandments and keep them if we want to please Him and fulfill our life’s purpose. This is Jehovah’s world. He made it. He owns it. And He made and owns our lives as well. We will all stand before Him in Judgment to give an answer for what we did with the lives that He gave us.

Verses 30-31 – “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness…” Please give your life an honest examination. What are you doing or neglecting to do that you need to repent of? What sin do you need to turn away from, and what aspect of righteousness do you need to turn toward? Friend, please make the necessary changes before your life on earth has ended and it is too late to turn. We all have been given one life to live. Please choose wisely. Please choose to learn about and know and love and obey the One who gave you life and who you will give an account to. He has many great and precious promises for you if you will only seek after Him. He is not far from you. You can learn all about Him in your Bible and you can talk to Him in prayer.

Please read Acts 18:1-11 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, ‘What would this idle babbler wish to say?’ Others, ‘He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,’—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.’ (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)”

---End of Scripture verses---

When Paul arrived in Athens, his spirit was “stirred” or “provoked” within him. This is the Greek word “paroxuno”—the verb form of the noun “paroxusmos” where we get our English word paroxysm. Paul’s spirit was “agitated” or “provoked to anger” because of the rampant idolatry which he saw all around him. His spiritual alarm bells were blaring inside his head because of all the sin that he saw, and he was moved deeply within himself by concern for these deceived, misguided, lost people. Question: Shouldn’t sin do that to a godly, faithful follow of Jesus Christ? Does sin still agitate our spirits or have we become desensitized to it from overexposure?

We are in very serious danger if sin just becomes so commonplace and ordinary to us that it fails to register on our spiritual radar screens. First of all, God hates sin, and as His children we are to hate what He hates (Psalm 97:10; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16). Secondly, if we are unable to sense the vileness of sin, we will also fail to see the seriousness of it and we will be more likely to be overtaken by it. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 tells us to “Abstain from every form of evil.” If we fail to recognize sin for what it is, we will be unable to keep from succumbing to its influence. And finally, if sin can’t rouse us from within, we will never find the initiative to talk to someone about their soul and what sin is doing to it.

Paul’s inner provocation and his love for mankind impelled him to teach these Athenian idolaters about the one, true God of heaven, and what He demanded of them. Paul didn’t go sightseeing when he visited the ancient city of Athens. He wasn’t awed by its grand edifices and impressive architecture. What impressed him the most was that the city was “wholly given to idolatry.” On each side of every street and walkway he saw temples, shrines, statues, images, inscriptions, altars and sacrifices. Contemporary writers said that it was easier to find a god than a man in the city of Athens. Paul alone, in a bustling city of thousands of people, knew the truth. Instead of feeling lonely and overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation, Paul’s spirit provoked him to try to help these overeducated, ignorant heathens. Paul loved people and wanted to save them because Jesus first loved him and had saved him from certain eternal death and destruction (Romans 1:14).

I pray that our hatred for sin and our love for humanity will constrain us to try to teach people the truth they so desperately need. And listen. Don’t worry about saving the whole world or even a whole city. Just look for one person that you can influence for Christ and help change the course of his/her eternal destiny. That will mean the whole world to them. If you are a Christian, someone likely did that for you.

Please read Acts 17:22-34 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Acts 17:12 – “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” This is such a great compliment given by the Holy Spirit to the Jews in Berea, and I just love the sound of that word, “noble-minded”. The word literally means nobility of birth, but used in this context it indicates a noble and excellent quality of heart and mind. There are two actions that these honorable people engaged in that earned them the commendation of being “noble-minded”.

First of all, they received the word with great eagerness. These people kept their minds open to the Gospel truth and they were hungry for the word of the Lord. Friends, God can do great things with minds that are eager to seek His counsel and excited to absorb His word. It is far too frequent a thing for most of us to arrive at the end of an evening only to then realize that we failed to open our Bible’s up at all that day. And again, often when we do take the time to peruse and ponder the words of life, we force ourselves to do so with the attitude of obligation instead of eagerness. Can you imagine going hours and even days on end without opening up the refrigerator to satisfy the physical hunger of your mortal body? And yet, we will malnourish the part of us that was created in God’s image, and starve the spirit within us that will live on for eternity. Let’s develop an appetite for the word of God. Let’s learn to crave the milk (1 Peter 2:2) and then move on to the meat of maturity (Hebrews 5:12-14). In order to do this we must grow “accustomed to the word of righteousness” (Hebrews 5:13). That means we must force-feed ourselves for a while if necessary, until we learn to develop a taste and good appetite for the words of truth. Please taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8; Hebrews 6:5; 1 Peter 2:3).

Secondly, the Bereans examined the Scriptures daily to see whether the things that Paul and his companions taught them were true. In other words, they listened attentively, but they didn’t just take their word for it. They received Paul’s words, then they put them to the test. They opened up their Old Testaments to make certain that this new teaching about Jesus was consistent with the prophecies previously made about the life, suffering, death and resurrection of the Christ. This was not skepticism on their part. This was caution for the wellbeing of their immortal souls, and diligence to please God above all others. The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:1, “ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” The truth is way too important and your soul is far too valuable to take anybody’s teaching at face value. Listen kindly to anyone. Keep an open mind when you do. But put everything they say to the test. Don’t place your soul’s eternal destination in the hands of any mortal man. We will all have to answer for ourselves on Judgment Day as to whether we learned and obeyed the truth or not.

Please read Acts 17:16-21 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’ And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.’ They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Verse 2 – Paul “reasoned with them from the scriptures.” When Paul entered the city of Thessalonica, he went first to the synagogue located there to try to persuade the Jewish people to believe and obey the truth. From their own sacred scriptures (the Old Testament) he explained, he gave evidence, he drew conclusions (verse 3). He showed them clearly from God’s own revelation that the Christ had to suffer, be killed and arise from the dead. I’m sure he read them passages such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 that states conclusively that the death of the Messiah (Jesus) was all a part of God’s plan to save Israel from their sins. Many reasonable, stable, fair-minded people listened with an open mind, and honestly examined the evidence and believed (verse 4). Others allowed their emotions to poison their logic and they went on the attack (verse 5).

I know that “religion” can sometimes be a very emotional subject, and emotions certainly have their proper place in matters of faith. But let’s please try our very best to let logic and reason rule the day when it comes to studying the word of God. Let’s determine to honestly examine the evidence and believe the plain and honest truth so that we can make the necessary adjustments in our lives that will be pleasing to our Father in heaven. Nothing is more important to our eternal destinies than learning, believing and practicing the truth (John 8:31-36)

Verse 6 – “These men who have upset the world…” Friends and brethren, when you teach the plain, honest truth, sometimes it just upsets people’s world. That’s just the nature of the Gospel. That’s what it was designed to do (Matthew 10:34-39). Please keep right on teaching it anyway. Upsetting someone’s world is not always a bad thing. Sometime people need to have their worldview turned completely upside down so they can finally start to see things in the proper light. Eyes that have been long been accustomed to the darkness must first be blinded by the harsh light of the truth so that they can begin to see the world with spiritual clarity. Just ask the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:1-18). He most certainly had his world turned upside down.

Please read Acts 17:10-15 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, ‘Release those men.’ And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ‘The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace.’ But Paul said to them, ‘They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.’ The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to leave the city. They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed."

---End of Scripture verses---

The conversion of the Philippian jailer will forever be one of my favorite Bible stories. In these very few verses we see the full force of the Gospel’s power demonstrated in a snapshot of one man’s life. At one point this man was about to snuff out his own life by thrusting his sword through himself, and just moments later he was a baptized believer and rejoicing in the fact that he was saved and heaven bound. What could take a person from the precipice of suicide and eternal damnation and place him safely upon life’s solid ground and standing at heaven’s doorstep? In a word: JESUS! When the jailer saw the prison doors standing open he was certain that all of his prisoners had escaped. Instead of enduring the torcher of awaiting his own execution for his negligence, he decided to just kill himself and spare himself the agony.

Paul yelled to the man from within his prison cell, “Do yourself no harm” (verse 28). They had no intentions of getting away. The other prisoners were no doubt too shaken up from the earthquake to make a break for it, and Paul and Silas were not interested in escaping. They were both God’s free men while being confined in man’s prison, and they wanted to help people escape from the prison of sin and spiritual sickness. Even though they suffered great injury while trying to spread of the Good News of Jesus, all they wanted to do was help the people who wished to do them harm. They were just following the great example of their good Master. Friends, Jesus is the way, and the truth and the life (John 14:6). We can only find eternal life, and the answers to the problems of our life, when we humbly come to him in trusting, obedient faith. He is the only way to the Father in heaven, and the way He lived His life is the only way that we should pattern our own lives after. Love Him. Trust Him. Obey Him. When others treat you poorly for living like Him, forgive them, be kind to them and help them to see the better way.

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (verse 30). It is interesting that when people asked the Apostles the same question in Acts 2:37, Peter answered: “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…” (Acts 2:38) And yet Paul’s response to this question by the Philippian Jailer was, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…” (verse 30). Why the difference? Why did one apostle say “Repent and be baptized,” and another say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus”? The answer to that question is simple. The crowd gathered around the Apostles in Acts chapter 2 had just heard a lengthy sermon about Jesus and they already believed in Him. They wanted to know what else they needed to do to be saved, so Peter told them what was required—repentance and baptism. On the other hand, the jailer in Philippi had not heard of Jesus as of yet, so Paul had to start from square one with him. After Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house” (verse 32), as you would expect, “immediately he was baptized, he and all his household” (verse 33). So you see, there is really no difference between the teaching of the various Apostles, and there is no difference in the ways that people are forgiven and saved. All people must believe in Jesus, repent of their sins and be baptized for forgiveness in order to be saved.  It was appropriately stated by divine inspiration that the jailer and his family “believed in God” only after having obeyed the command to be baptized (verse 34). Then there was every reason to have “rejoiced greatly,” because they had their sins forgiven and were added to the body of Christ.

Please read Acts 17:1-9 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!’ And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’"

---End of Scripture verses---

Human exploitation never ceases to disgust me. In yesterday’s reading we learned about a young female slave who had a “spirit of divination” (verse 16). This was an age in which God allowed tremendous supernatural activity, including demon possession. And while this is an amazing and sometimes perplexing situation to read about, the thing that stands out most in my mind is that this girl’s master’s viewed her merely as a meal ticket. They were making a lot of money off the “gift” that she possessed (or that possessed her), and that’s really all they cared about. She was the subject of abuse from both the spiritual and human worlds and my heart goes out to this poor, young victim. I would love to know her life’s story from the time that Paul cast the demon out of her, but those details weren’t relevant to the Holy Spirit’s lessons for us. I like to think that she learned and obeyed the Gospel after the Apostle helped her out of her terrible predicament.

And Paul actually did help this young girl when he loosened her from the grip of one of Satan’s ministers, even though her masters were sorely displeased and caused quite an uproar over it. They dragged Paul and Silas into the city marketplace and incited the fury of the crowd gathered there, which prompted some of Philippi’s city officials to order them beaten with rods and thrown into the local prison (verses 19-23). So much for a fair and impartial trial! I’ve noticed that the mentality of our present culture is not much different than that of the pagan world nearly 2000 years ago. We, like they, are a culture consumed with outrage and obsessed with vengeance. Clothing, hairstyles, technologies change, but the human heart remains the same. “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Just like the heathens who walked the earth so many centuries before us, we need Jesus more than anything else to help us find peace and salvation and learn love and compassion for our fellowman.

Let’s learn the valuable lessons that Paul and Silas teach us from this dreadful experience that they endured together. Instead of feeling that all was lost and being consumed with anger and frustration and self-pity, these two godly men could be heard praying and joyfully singing praises to God, even as their feet were fastened in stocks in the interior of a dingy dungeon (verse 25). They still believed with all their hearts that God was in control, even when it seemed that their world might be spiraling out of control around them. Their faith didn’t allow their outward, physical circumstances to undermine their inner, spiritual peace. Please, friends, when the world has beaten you down and Satan has worked you over and you feel all alone and that all is lost, WORSHIP GOD! That is the time, more than ever, that you need to turn to the One who made you and knows you best and loves you most. Pray to God and sing praises to His holy Name. He will lift you out of the emotional abyss. Assemble with His saints as often as you can to pray to God and worship and praise Him, and to glean strength from His Christian warriors.

We are engaged in a battle of life and death, and Satan wants to destroy our lives and consume our souls. He brings the war to us every day, but we cannot fight him with convention or chemical weapons. If we try to we are bound to lose. This is a spiritual conflict and we must use the spiritual weaponry that God has equipped us with. And listen, WE MUST FIGHT BACK. We simple MUST put up a fight against our greatest enemy or we will become a casualty of war. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). So, armor up! Put on the belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation and STAND FIRM (Ephesians 6:14-16). “Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15), and prepare for action. Grab your sword (the word of God), and hit your knees and pray (Ephesians 6:17-18). Muster with your fellow soldiers of faith and don’t dare try to fight this enemy alone. 

Satan hates a faithful, praying, worshiping child of God. He much rather prefers it when we are inactive and unwary. It’s time to take the battle to him. He is no match against our Almighty God. “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Get up. Get moving. Get studying. Get praying. Get worship. May God bless us and help us to do so.

Please read Acts 16:29-40 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us. It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, ‘These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.’ She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!’ And it came out at that very moment. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, ‘These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Does verse 14 teach us that the Lord worked directly on Lydia’s heart apart from the message she was taught? Does it teach us that God handpicked and predestined Lydia to be saved and therefore His saving grace was irresistible to the will of a powerless woman? The answer to all of these questions is, of course, “No”. With what method had “the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul”? The first part of verse 14 gives us the answer to that question. Verse 13 tells us that the Paul and his travelling companions, “sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled” by the riverside to pray that day. And verse 14 tells us that Lydia “was listening”. Lydia’s heart was opened to receive the word because she was listening to the Gospel as it was preached, and because she had a good heart that was receptive to the word of God.

Romans 10:17 tells us that, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” This is the Lord’s chosen method for opening people’s hearts to the truth. When people choose to listen to the word with a good and honest heart, that good soil will open up and receive the seed of the word and it will produce good fruit unto salvation (Matthew 13:23). Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus then told His listening audience the manner in which the Father draws people to Him. “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” The Lord and “opens hearts” and “draws” people to Him hear and learn the living, active, powerful word of God (Hebrews 4:12).

Friends, God will never impose His will upon you by circumventing your own free will. In just the same way that Lydia did, you must listen to (or read) the message of salvation, and you must make the good choice to willingly obey and follow Him. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The power of God for salvation is packed within the pages of your Bible, and that salvation is for everyone, not just a preselected few. You have to hear it, believe it and choose to obey it, just like Lydia did. Verse 15 tells us that she and her whole household were baptized that very day.

Please read Acts 16:22-28 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily. They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. So putting out to sea from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.”

---End of Scripture verses---

It is so interesting to me that Paul took and had Timothy circumcised, then the two of them went around telling people that circumcision is not necessary. This is really a good illustration of the fact that being a Christian is all about giving up your rights in order to help other people prosper. Timothy was half Gentile and he had not been circumcised, even though he had been taught the Old Testament Scriptures since his childhood (2 Timothy 3:15). He had not been circumcised and he was still considered to be a faithful disciple (Christian) with a very good reputation (verses 1-2). It is obvious that circumcision wasn’t required for salvation for one who had already been saved, even though he was half Jewish. So why did Timothy willingly go through this painful procedure? Luke tells us that it was “because of the Jews in those parts” (verse 3). It was because he wanted no impediments to his influence and effectiveness when preaching the Gospel to the Jewish people who knew his background.

Paul wrote in 1 Cor 9:20-23 the following: “To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.” Paul’s young protégé Timothy proved that he lived out the principle of “becoming all things to all men” in his life as well. We should do whatever we need to do and give up whatever we need to give up in order to help save peoples souls, as long as those things are not immoral or illegal.

Just a few quick words about the “Macedonian Call” and the events leading up to the Gospel first entering in to the continent of Europe. First of all, I’m not sure why God prohibited Paul and his companions from going into Asia “Minor” (verse 6) and Bithynia (verse 7) to preach the Gospel. What these verses do teach us, however, is that the Lord was directing the steps of these men as they were carrying the Good News throughout the world. God always knows what is best and His timing is always perfect. Secondly, the “Macedonian Call” is an appeal for help. The man in the vision pleaded with Paul to, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (verse 9). But what kind of help did the people in Macedonia need? Did Paul and his companions go there to help build houses in their communities, or gymnasiums or even church buildings in which they could meet together? No, they did none of these things. The understanding that Paul came to after seeing that vision was simply this: “God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (verse 10). God sent preachers and teachers into the mission fields of the world to teach people the truth. That is the help that all people need most desperately of all, and that is what these men were commissioned by the Lord to do. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke at this point (in verse 10 he wrote “we”), along with other faithful teachers of the word, went and helped people with their greatest need. They helped and blessed them spiritually by teaching them the message of salvation.

Please read Acts 16:14-21 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“After some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.’ Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Sometimes even the best of friends and most godly of brethren can have “sharp disagreements” (verse 39). This does not necessarily mean that one is right and the other is wrong. Sometimes good people just see things differently. The contention between Paul and Barnabas was obviously the result of personal judgment and not issues concerning the truth of the Gospel. “Paul did not think it wise” to take along John Mark after he had abandoned them so quickly during their first preaching trip together (Acts 13:13).

I can personally understand the reasoning behind the firm stance that both of these good men took, even though an explanation for Mark’s departure is not revealed to us. I can see why Paul would be hesitant to take along someone who proved himself to be undependable on such a spiritually important and physically demanding venture. And I can also completely understand why Barnabas, who was given the name “the son of encouragement,” would want to give a fellow a second chance to make things right—Especially when it was his own cousin (Colossians 4:10).

The great thing about this distressing rift between two exceptional Christians is that everything turned out well in the end. It is obvious from the way that Paul wrote of Barnabas in 1 Corinthians 9:6 that he still considered him to be his companion in the faith; and Paul wrote that Mark was “useful to him” (2 Timothy 4:11), and called him a fellow worker who was an encouragement to him (Colossians 4:10-11). But even more importantly, God took a troubling situation and turned it into a blessing, like only He has the ability to consistently do. When Barnabas took Mark and Paul took Silas and both parties went their separate ways, the Lord then set two powerful tandems to work for the Gospel, covering twice as much territory then they originally would have been able to.

We surely do serve a powerful and awesome God who always makes things work out for the good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). “The Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you” (Deuteronomy 23:5).

Please Read Acts 16:1-13 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, and they sent this letter by them, ‘The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.’ So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message. After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out. [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The leaders of the Jerusalem Conference decided to write a letter addressing the conclusions they arrived at from their meeting. They sent this letter by the hands of some chosen men to the Christians living in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Aside from the obvious facts of its contents, there are some important biblical principles that we can learn from this important letter.

Acts 15:24 – “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls.” There is a very important biblical truth revealed in this short statement. We learn here that if “no instruction” has been given by God on an issue or a practice, then we have no right to do it. Some people were insisting that Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to be saved, but this command didn’t come from God or any of His authorized ambassadors (the Apostles). God has told us clearly through Holy Spirit inspiration what people need to do to be saved. To acquire salvation, people must hear the Gospel (Romans 10:14-17), believe in Jesus (John 3:16), confess that belief before others (Romans 10:9-10); repent of their sins (Acts 2:38), and be baptized in order to have those sins forgiven (Mark 16:16). No other instructions concerning the acquisition of salvation have been given. Since those steps have been specified through divine inspiration, no other step is required—Including circumcision.

This is an issue of authority—Of the importance of trying to determine what we are and are not authorized to do when it comes to matters of “religion”. When trying to determine what the Bible authorizes us to do as we worship and serve God in Christ’s church, we often refer to the concept as “the silence of the Scriptures”. Where nothing is “instructed” or written on a spiritual matter, nothing has been authorized by God. Respecting the silence of the Scriptures is a matter of taking our determination very seriously to respect and obey God and His absolute authority over our lives and in Christ’s church. We simply cannot add things to God’s perfect plan if we desire to please Him, even if we like them very much and they seem harmless on the surface (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18). If God hasn’t authorized a belief or a practice then we should want no part of it.

This is the exact reason why members of the church of Jesus Christ should not offer worship to God with manmade instruments of music. Worshiping God with manmade musical instruments is very much like circumcision. Both of these actions were authorized in the Old Testament as requirements for God’s people under that covenant to be saved and worship Him correctly. But, in the same way that circumcision is no longer sanctioned as a requirement for salvation, worshiping with mechanical instruments is no longer authorized as well. Look all the way through your New Testament, from cover to cover, and you will find “no instruction” given for Christians to worship God with manmade instruments in His church. You will also find no examples of this or inferences that can be drawn for their approval either. What you find very clearly and simply are “instructions” (commands) to sing (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). The “instruments” that we are authorized to use when we worship God are our lips (Hebrews 13:15), our voices and our hearts. Vocal music has been specified and no other instruction has been given. It is very clear from New Testament revelation that God commands us to sing and only sing when we worship Him.

I know this is a very unpopular biblical stance and that many do not agree with this conclusion. I respect everyone’s views and judgments on this and any other biblical issue. But I would urge all of us to make it our number one desire in life to do just what God wants us to do, and that requires a good appreciation for, and understanding of the subject of authority. 2 Corinthians 5:9 urges us to make it our main ambition in life to be pleasing to God. And please remember that just because it was a requirement to do something in the Old Testament, that doesn’t necessarily make it okay for us to do the same thing in Christ’s church today. Keep in mind that we do not offer animal sacrifices, burn incense, worship God in a tabernacle or temple, etc., even though God’s people did these things under a previous covenant. The Old Testament still serves a very important purpose for us today. It was written for our learning, instruction and encouragement (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11), but we are not bound by its authority today for our religious practices.

One other thing about what is written in verses 28-29 before we close. “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” The letter that was written in Jerusalem said that these things were revealed by the Holy Spirit and that they were “essentials” (or “necessary” or “requirements” depending on the Bible version you are using). That’s why many people believe that it still is, and always will be, forbidden for Christians to eat food that has been offered to idols, and consume animal blood. I respect and understand this reasoning, and I honestly am not sure why anyone would want to do these things anyway. Where these issues can become more problematic is in cultures that differ from ours. No matter where we live or what the cultural norms are, however; pleasing God and staying pure in His sight is the most important thing we can do in our lives.

Please read Acts 15:36-41 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, ‘Brethren, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, “After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago. Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

---End of Scripture verses---

After Peter spoke in defense of the Gentile converts, that they need not obey the Law of Moses to be right with God, Paul and Barnabas and James took their turns speaking to the same effect. Paul and Barnabas recounted the many conversions they had made from the Gentile ranks, and the implication was that all this was done without the requirement of circumcision or with keeping any other aspect of the Law of Moses (verse 12). Then James quoted Amos 9:11-12 as a single example of the many Old Testament prophecies that foretold of God’s acceptance of the Gentiles (verses 12-18). He then concluded that the non-Jewish converts to Christ should not be “troubled” with a law that had no spiritual or cultural bearing on their lives.

But what about the prohibitions suggested by James and accepted by the conference in verse 20? This seems like a strange list of restrictions, some of which obviously have their basis from the Law of Moses. In that verse, James suggested, “that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.”

Why prohibit “things contaminated by idols”? The Apostle Paul would later write under inspiration that “food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat” (1 Corinthians 8:8). But he also wrote in the very next verse, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1Corinthians 8:9). Even though an idol is nothing (1 Corinthians 8:1) and food is just food, as Christians we must give consideration to the effect that our actions have on other people, especially other Christians. Since eating idol meat was and is a very offensive thing to many Jewish Christians, avoiding such food was in the best interest of the body of Christ as a whole. And also, the safest thing for former idol worshippers to do was to completely sever themselves from the temptations that come from those practices and that lifestyle, once they came to Christ.

What about abstaining from fornication? Shouldn’t that just have been a given? When a person dedicates His life to God through Jesus Christ, spiritual purity is of the utmost importance. Well, unfortunately this truth just isn’t as completely obvious to some people as it should be, especially to people who lived in a society that was steeped in sexual immorality. One of the slogans of the citizens of Corinth was that fornication was just as appropriate for the human body as food was appropriate for the stomach (1 Corinthians 6:13-14). Fornication was also an integral part of the pagan systems of worship during this era. It just needed to be impressed upon the minds of Gentile converts that those old habits and practices and customs have no place in the life of a child of God.

And finally, “things strangled and from blood.” From what I understand, the prohibition from eating animals that had been strangled results from the blood remaining in the body. There were proper ways to kill animals, but any way that allowed the blood to remain in the carcass was a problem because there was/is a prohibition against consuming animal blood. This was a law given by God that predates the Law of Moses and can be found all the way back in Genesis 9:4, immediately after Noah’s flood. Some people believe this law will remain in place until the end of time and some believe it ended at the cross of Christ. I won’t argue the matter one way or the other; but I do know that, once again, eating animal blood was and still is a very repulsive thing to many Jewish people. It is my person conviction that, excluding the injunction against fornication, the other three prohibitions were made more as concessions given to the Jewish Christians than they necessarily were prohibitions given for all time and in every situation. It would have been the height of foolishness to just disregard every issue that was repugnant to the mind of Jewish Christians and then expect there to be peace in the body of Christ that intermingled both Jew and Gentile.

The lesson for us? We simply must give consideration to the convictions and sentiments of our fellow Christians in order to live in love and harmony with them—As long as those convictions and sentiments are not sinful and do not go against the doctrine of Christ in any way (2 John 1:9).

Please read Acts 15:22-35 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, ‘It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.’ The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.’ All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.”

---End of Scripture verses---

We have here a clear case of converts resisting the apostolic authority of both Paul and Peter. Both of these inspired ambassadors knew by revelation of the Holy Spirit that Gentiles didn’t need to be circumcised to be saved. But many of the Jewish converts were so adamant about this error that it was decided that the apostles and church leaders should convene in Jerusalem to settle the matter once and for all. If you believe the apostle Paul described the events of the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council in Galatians 2:1-10, as I believe, then this meeting was actually appointed by divine revelation (Galatians 2:2). God Himself arranged this gathering of inspired men and leaders of influence to remove all doubt, and to establish the truth once and for all that circumcision is not a requirement for salvation.

But even more than that, some of the Pharisee converts insisted that, “it is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses” (verse 5). It was also concluded at the Jerusalem Conference that honoring any or all of the Law of Moses is not a requirement for salvation as well. Peter, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit said, “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (verse 10) The Law of Moses was a cumbersome burden that has been once for all time removed by “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:2). Anyone who claims that Christians must observe the Law of Moses in order to be pleasing to God must dismiss what is clearly stated by the inspired writers of the New Testament.

Some religious groups even go so far as to teach that the Jews and the Gentiles have two different sets of laws governing them under the umbrella of the New Testament. This couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Peter went on to say in verse 11, “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” All people are saved in exactly the same way under God’s covenant with mankind through Jesus. We are all saved by obedient faith. There is no longer any distinction between Jews and Gentiles in the eyes of God (verse 9). We are all the same and we are all held to the same standard of authority. Jewish converts are not required to observe the Law of Moses in order to be saved in Christ Jesus, even though we read that many of them continued to observe parts of that law in keeping with the customs of their people and culture. They were allowed to keep much of the law for reasons of conscience and custom, but not bind those things upon others for salvation (Romans 14:5-6; 1 Corinthians 9:18-23).

Please read Acts 15:13-21 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor 

“But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe. After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’ When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a long time with the disciples.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Verse 19 – “But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.” Isn’t it amazing how fickle people can be sometimes? One moment they were calling Paul a god and trying to offer sacrifices to him (verse 18); the Next they were hurling stones at him, dragging him out of their city and leaving him for dead. Obviously this is an example of two extremes, but bad things happen when we place our focus on human beings rather than on God. First, the people of Lystra were blown away by the things that Paul and Barnabas did. Then they were easily turned in the opposite direction and worked into a violent fury by a bunch of ungodly instigators. It is always better to follow the will of God than the will of the people. God will never lead you in the wrong direction or incite you to do harm to other people.

Verses 21-22 – “After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’” How many of us would willingly go back to a city in which an angry mob had recently tried in earnest to kill us? Well that’s exactly what Paul did when he returned to the city of Lystra. But the Apostle Paul had more concern for the wellbeing of the new converts there than he did for his own safety. There was a multitude of reasons to stay away from that place, but there were also many good reasons to return. There were young Christians there who needed their souls strengthened and their faith encouraged; and Paul and Barnabas were not about to turn their backs on them and leave them to fend for themselves in the hour of their greatest need. It is not always easy to do the right things. It is not always easy to be a faithful Christian. Sometimes we must endure “many tribulations” in order to serve God steadfastly. It is always more than worth it.

Verse 23 – “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” These cities where new churches had recently been planted also needed appropriate leadership for spiritual guidance, service and protection. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each of the congregations that they had recently help to establish. It is God’s will, and a part of His perfect plan for His people, to have qualified men serving as elders at each local church of Jesus Christ. We read about the qualifications of these men in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Always a plurality (more than one) in each congregation. Always men. Always married. Always having children of their own. In God’s perfect plan, apostles were not always going to be a living part of the leadership of His church. God ordained that godly men should serve as elders/shepherds/bishops, leading His people steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42).

Please read Acts 15:1-12 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

“In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands. But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them, they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; and there they continued to preach the gospel. At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And he leaped up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us.’ And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.’ Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Verse 3 – “Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.” We’ve addressed this subject before, but this verse tells us exactly what the purpose of miracles was. When men endowed with gifts of the Holy Spirit performed miracles, it was to “testify to” or “confirm” the message they were teaching (Mark 16:15-18; Hebrews 2:3-4). Miraculous gifts were used as confirmation for the speaker and validation that what he was speaking was the truth. Since God has given us the Bible in its perfect, completed form, there is no need for a continuation of the use of miracles as a source of confirmation (John 20:30-31; 1 Corinthians 13:8-13; 2 Peter 1:1-3).

Verse 11 – “When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us.’” When the idolatrous people of Lystra witnessed the healing that Paul performed on a lame man, they definitely received the wrong message. Instead of seeing the miracle as proof that they should listen up to the message that he was bringing them, they saw it as evidence that Paul and Barnabas were gods that had come to earth in the form of men. It took all their power of persuasion just to keep the people from offering sacrifices to them (verse 18).

Verse 15 – “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.” Paul adamantly insisted that God had sent him to teach them to abandon these very practices that they were wasting their time with. It is the height of foolishness to offer sacrifices to lifeless idols and feckless humans, and refuse to honor and worship the ever-living, all-powerful Creator of the universe.

Verse 17 – “Yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." It is the God of heaven who gives us every good thing in our lives. He provides us with all of our physical needs, and gives us all the things that produce gladness within our hearts. Most importantly of all, He gave us the best gift of heaven when He sent Jesus to this earth to live and die and arise for us. God alone, through His Son Jesus Christ, gives us spiritual hope and blessings that extend beyond life on planet Earth. Because of what Jesus did, we have the hope of an eternity in heaven if we remain faithful to Him.

The living God of heaven is the only one deserving of our greatest love and our truest devotion. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Please read Acts 14:19-28 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, “I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, that You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.”’ When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

---End of Scripture verses---

“When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (verse 48). This is one of the favorite verses of the people who believe that God predestines certain individuals to be saved and predestines all others to be lost. When Paul referenced Isaiah 49:6 and said, “I have placed you as a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth,” the Gentiles who heard this were jubilant. As many of them who had been “appointed to eternal life believed.” But how had they been appointed to eternal life? Was this something that God did against their will? And since God “desires all people to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4), is this something that God did against His OWN will? Of course the answer to both these questions is “NO”.

First lets consider what Paul said to the Jews in the audience who were “contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming” (verse 45). Paul told these rebellious people that, “you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life” (verse 46). These people judged themselves unworthy of the message that Paul had been preaching to them, so they were rejected by God. They were lost because of their own faithless hearts and shameful actions, not because God had determined before time that those individuals would be lost. They put themselves in that dreadful position because of their thoughts and their behavior. The same is true with the receptive Gentiles in the audience. When they heard the inspired revelation of God, they “began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord” (verse 48). The difference between those who were accepted (appointed) and those who were rejected was the condition of their hearts. The receptive Gentiles “heard the word in an honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15). The soil was primed and ready for the seed of the word of God, and it produced much fruit.

The only thing predetermined by God is that only people with willing and receptive hearts can come to Him, because only those kinds of people are going to be properly affected by the living word of God. We read a similar statement in John 1:11-12 that makes this truth much more clear. “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Receiving the word of God is what “gives you the right” to become children of God. That is the precondition. The thing that has been “preordained” by God is not the individual person. It is the type of heart that is necessary to receive His word of salvation.

One other point on this subject. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” That word “established” or maybe “ordained” in your version of the Bible, is the exact same word rendered “appointed” in Acts 13:48. Does anyone believe that God predetermines who the individual government officials are for each principality in the world? If so, does that mean that God hand-selected Adolph Hitler to be ruler over Germany in the 1930’s and 40’s? Well of course He didn’t do that. God established governmental rule, but He doesn’t choose the maniacs who sometimes ascend to places of preeminence. In the same way, God has foreordained a plan for mankind to be saved, but He doesn’t handpick the people would will choose to believe and obey that plan. We all have been given the free will to accept God’s offer or to reject it. The choice is always up to us!

Consider the invitation of Jesus himself: “Come to Me, ALL who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." The invitation is for ALL. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

Please read Acts 14:1-18 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed Lord’s Day!

-Louie Taylor

“‘And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, “You are My Son; today I have begotten You.” As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: “I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.” Therefore He also says in another Psalm, “You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: “Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.”’ As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Just as Peter had done on the day of Pentecost, Paul impressed upon the minds of his Jewish and proselyte audience that Jesus had arisen from the dead (Acts 2:24-26). The resurrection of the crucified Messiah is the linchpin of the whole Bible. The Old Testament prophets had prophesied that Jesus would not “undergo decay” (Psalm 16:18-11), and the New Testament teachers and writers repeatedly stressed the importance of the Jesus’ resurrection. All of God’s promises concerning rescuing His people and blessing all the families of the earth were fulfilled in that one momentous, triumphant achievement (Acts 13:32). Yes, it is true that the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had taken Jesus and killed him because of their envy and wickedness of heart (Acts 13:27-28); but this was all done in accordance with the predetermined plan of God (Acts 2:23). And even though they killed Him and “laid Him in a tomb” (Acts 13:29), God did not allow death to corrupt the flesh of His Only Begotten Son or the grave to keep hold of the King of glory.

Paul warned his listeners in verses 40-41, “Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: ‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; for I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’” Paul quoted Habakkuk 1:5 to warn them not to be as hard-hearted and unbelieving as their ancestors had been. Habakkuk had admonished Israel that they would be defeated by Babylon because of their unfaithfulness, and the people scoffed at the appalling thought of falling into the hands of those uncircumcised heathens. The biggest obstacle to obedient faith for the Jews in Paul’s day was believing that Jesus was the Christ. That the Messiah actually had to be killed in order to ascend His throne, and that Jesus had actually arisen from the grave and was sitting at the right hand of the Father in heaven, reigning as Supreme Ruler over His spiritual kingdom.

As the synagogue services broke up for the day, many of the goodhearted Jews and Gentile converts followed after Paul and Barnabas, wanting to hear and learn more of the truth (Acts 13:43). Those two men encouraged them to “continue in the grace of the Lord” until they assembled again on the next Sabbath day when Paul would address them again (Acts 13:44). We get no indication that these people had obeyed the Gospel and received God’s SAVING grace at that particular point. When Paul encouraged them to continue in God’s grace, I believe he was telling them to continue to study the Old Testament Scriptures in order to verify the truth of what he had just taught them; and to continue to believe and cling to that truth. In Acts 20:24, the same Apostle Paul referred to God’s word as “the gospel of the grace of God.” Grace is unmerited favor. God has given His word to mankind as an act of grace, and within that powerful message is revealed all of the good things that God has done for us and promises to do for us if we are faithful to Him. All of these temporal and eternal blessings are unearned gifts from God. Paul wanted these believers to continue in that grace from that point onward. He urged them to hold on to that truth and cling to it until they had acquired salvation, and then remain faithful to God even until the end of their lives. Nothing less is expected of us!

Please read Acts 13:44-52 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, ‘Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.’ Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, ‘Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.” From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, “What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.” ‘Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

A few observations:

“Paul and his company” (verse 13) – Paul has clearly been given the position of prominence by the writer from this point onward. In verses 2 and 7 we read about the things that “Barnabas and Saul” were doing. After the events that unfolded at Paphos on the Island of Cyprus (verses 6-12), Paul is no longer referred to as Saul, and he is recognized as the leader of the group by his words and actions.

Paul gives his Jewish audience a history report (verses 17-22) – Just like Peter (Acts 2) and Stephen (Acts 7) who taught before him, the Apostle Paul used a tried and true, effective technique to get the attention of his patriotic audience, and open a doorway to the hearts of potential converts. It is either appropriate or ironic, depending on the way you look at it, that Paul followed in the footsteps of the first martyr of the faith; the very one who, as he was being stoned, Paul assented to the death of and held the coats of the men committing the murder (Acts 7:58; 8:1). (Okay Jerri Wold Caliguiri I am ready for a grammar lesson on the best way to phrase that last improper sentence!)

Verses 22-31 – From the historical vantage point of King David, Paul preached Jesus unto them. Jesus was the One in whom God fulfilled all the promises that He had made from Abraham to David. In Jesus God blessed all the families of the earth (Genesis 12:3), and in Jesus God raised up a King to sit on the throne of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 132:11). When God speaks it is always the truth, and when God makes a promise it is always fulfilled. The problem has never been with God’s word or with His plan. The trouble with mankind is that most people don’t take the time to know Him, and don’t make the effort to learn His will (verse 27).

Please read Acts 13:32-43 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, and said, ‘You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.’ And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Acts chapter 13 begins what most people refer to as the first “missionary trip” of the Apostle Paul. It is hard to overestimate the importance of the preaching tours undertaken by Paul and his various companions. Obviously all teaching of the truth is of vital importance, and the power to accomplish much good resides in the word, not necessarily in the human vessels that carry the message (Philippians 1:18). But these undertakings by Paul, as directed by the Holy Spirit, are of such extreme significance that the Spirit inspired Luke to dedicate nearly two-thirds of the book of Acts to the coverage of them.

Verses 1-3 tell us that the church in Antioch “set apart” Saul and Barnabas for the work that the Holy Spirit had called them to do. There is a lot in this “separation” that is not specifically clarified, such as the purpose for the two separate fasts, and just who the men were that laid hands on Barnabas and Saul before they set out on their journey. One thing is clear, however—this “laying on of hands” was not to impart miraculous spiritual gifts to these two men. Barnabas and Saul were obviously not lacking anything they needed in that regard. The only times that this action involved a supernatural endowment is when the Apostles laid their hands on Christians for that express purpose of conveying some special gifts (Acts 8:17-19; 19:6). The majority of the other times the term is used, it is merely an expression of approval for a person or the activities that they are involved in (1 Timothy 5:22).

On the Island of Cyprus, after Barnabas and Saul preached the Gospel in the synagogues of the Jews, Luke records the first incident of interest that they encountered. In the city of Paphos, the regional governor, Sergius Paulus, summoned Barnabas and Saul for the express purpose of hearing the word of God (verse 7). The proconsul demonstrated that he was a man of intelligence (verse 7) by doing this, even though he was foolish enough to have a fraud of a magician as his consultant (verse 10). When Paul (as Saul is referred to from this point onward) temporarily blinded Elymas, God removed another serious obstacle to the spread of the Good News, and confirmed the truthfulness of the word of salvation. Because of what he saw and what he heard, the Sergius Paulus believed the truth.

Please read Acts 13:13-31 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.”

---End of Scripture verses---

For some unrecorded reason, the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon had strained relations with King Herod Agripp I of Judea. Today’s text tells us that “their country was fed by the king’s country” (verse 20). Their dependence upon the king’s support may have been intensified by the famine that had struck the Roman Empire (Acts 11:28), although I’m not certain about the timing. If so, they would have been that much more eager to make amends with ruler that fed them. When Herod arrived at Caesarea (verse 19), they seized upon the opportunity to shower the vain king with flattery (verse 21). Because of the work of the historian Flavius Josephus, we actually have corroboration of this very incident from secular history. Josephus wrote in “Antiquities of the Jews” the following:

“Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea he came to the city Caesarea, which was formerly called Strato's Tower; and there he exhibited spectacles in honor of Caesar, for whose well-being he'd been informed that a certain festival was being celebrated. At this festival a great number were gathered together of the principal persons of dignity of his province. On the second day of the spectacles he put on a garment made wholly of silver, of a truly wonderful texture, and came into the theater early in the morning. There the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun's rays, shone out in a wonderful manner, and was so resplendent as to spread awe over those that looked intently upon him. Presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another, (though not for his good) that he was a god; and they added, "Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.”

When Herod accepted the kind of glory and praise that is reserved only for God Almighty, the Lord struck him dead. There is no reason to assume from the text that God killed the arrogant king on the spot. Verse 23 says “immediately an angel of the Lord struck him…” According to Josephus, “A severe pain arose in his belly, striking with a most violent intensity.” Evidently the angel struck him with a severe illness which caused him great suffering, and he died shortly thereafter. Josephus tells us that he passed away five days later. Many sources think the worms that ate him up were maggots in his groin area. Maybe the reference is made to worms that would have eaten his cadaver after his death. Of that I am not certain.

One thing I know for certain is that God eliminated a serious threat to the wellbeing of His kingdom when He extracted Herod from the earth. The wicked king had already killed the Apostle James with the sword (verse 2) and intended to do the same with the Apostle Peter. Killing with the sword most likely refers to beheading. The Lord put an end to the king’s arrogance and wickedness and removed a dangerous obstacle to the progress of the church of Christ. Verse 24 tells us, “The word of the Lord continued to grow and be multiplied.”

Please read Acts 13:1-12 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, ‘Gird yourself and put on your sandals.’ And he did so. And he said to him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’ And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. When Peter came to himself, he said, ‘Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’ And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. They said to her, ‘You are out of your mind!’ But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, ‘It is his angel.’ But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, ‘Report these things to James and the brethren.’ Then he left and went to another place. Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.”

---End of Scripture verses---

With the killing of James, the church suffered its second prominent martyrdom and the loss of its first inspired apostle. We are not told the reason why Herod (Agrippa I) put one of the sons of thunder to death, but the result pleased him so much that he quickly set his sights on Peter. Herod may have been poised to take the leaders of the church out one by one, and, but for God’s intervention, he may have succeeded. He had Peter arrested and was just waiting until Passover was finished to put him to death to the further delight of Jews that hated Jesus (verse 3).

Herod was very serious about taking Peter out and he took no chances that he might escape before his execution (verses 4-6). He put Peter in prison and set 16 armed soldiers in strategic locations to watch over him. He even had Peter chained between two of the guards as he slept through the night. Maybe Herod had heard that the Apostles had escaped imprisonment before (Acts 5:17-20), and he was determined to not have that happen on his watch. Unfortunately for Herod, he never learned the lesson that when you battle against God, even impossible things can happen, and you have zero chances of winning that fight.

“So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church of God” (verse 5). I wonder what the nature of those prayers was? Were the Christians praying for the strength of Peter’s faith, that he would remain loyal to Christ to the bitter end? If they were praying that he would be spared from the sword and delivered unto them once again, they obviously didn’t expect God to deliver. The brethren who had been praying at Mary’s house were so incredulous when Rhoda said that Peter was at the door that they accused her of being out of her mind (verses 13-15).

Brethren in Christ, prayer is a very powerful weapon against the forces of Satan. If we don’t believe that God can deliver on the things that we request of Him, then we take the spiritual legs right out from underneath our own prayers. It is very understandable that these brethren prayed for the best and expected the worst. They had certainly prayed earnestly for James as well, only to see him murdered by wicked and perverse men. But when we pray to God, we should not be driven to a state of utter disbelief when God answers “Yes” to those prayers. We serve a mighty and awesome God. Prayer works. Prayer can accomplish great things (James 5:15-16). Pray to Him often. Pray for the best and prepare for the worst. But pray with faith unwavering. And whatever the result may be, glorify God that His will is being done. I don’t know why it was God’s will to allow James to be killed and then to spare Peter. And I don’t know why God sometimes allows bad things to happen to us. But I do know this much: God is still there. God is still all-powerful. And God always hears and answers the prayers of His faithful people.

Please read Acts 12:20-25 for tomorrow. And pray!

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”

---End of Scripture verses---

The Gospel continued to spread as a direct result of the persecution of Christians that began with the murder of Stephen (verse 19); and also because of the recognition that uncircumcised men were welcome by the Lord into His church (verse 20). When the Apostles and elders of the church in Jerusalem heard of the great success with which the Gospel was spreading to the north, they sent Barnabas to the church in Antioch to help out the brethren there. It is no wonder that they sent Barnabas for this mission and it is no mystery what they sent the “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36) to do.

When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, “he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with a resolute heart to remain true to the Lord” (verse 23). Sadly, babes in Christ sometimes fall away from the Lord shortly after they turn to Him in obedient belief. At times the difficulties of discipleship and human weakness overwhelm young converts, and accost their faith, and they may be tempted to abandon their conviction to follow Jesus. Quite often the difference between a fledgling disciple taking flight or falling flat is the encouragement that he does or does not receive from his brethren. Young Christians need the edification of elder statesmen and the courage that can be instilled within them by the kind and confident exhortations of veterans of the fight of faith.

It takes “a resolute heart” to remain faithful to the Lord. It is not always fun and it is not always easy to stay true to Jesus to the end, but it is always rewarding and always worth it. It takes diligence and determination to see the race through to the finish line, but God has promised us that He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5); and that He will help us if we are making the effort (Philippians 2:12). Even if all your friends abandon you and all your brethren let you down, God is always faithful and true. But remember that it takes faithfulness unto death to receive the crown of life (Revelation 2:10). God rewards those believe in Him and seek Him with all diligence (Hebrews 11:6).

“The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (verse 26). There is some uncertainty as to whether this name was adopted by the disciples themselves or given in a derisive manner by their enemies. It doesn’t matter one way or the other. This is a glorious named to be called by. To be a Christians is to be a follower of Christ. To be a Christian is to be Christ-like. It is to obey His commandments and follow His example. To be a Christian is to wear the name of Christ. “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:16).

Please read Acts 12:1-19 or tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

- Louie Taylor

“Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, ‘You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.’ But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, ‘I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, 6and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.” But I said, “By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” But a voice from heaven answered a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea. The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, “Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.” And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?’ When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

When the brethren in the Jerusalem church asked Peter why he “went to uncircumcised men and ate with them (verse 3), he recounted the story of the conversion of Cornelius and his Gentile companions to them. Just a couple of observations about some of the details of Peter’s meeting with the apostles and brethren in Jerusalem.

Acts 11:14 – We learn that the angel told Cornelius that Peter would “speak words to you by which you will be saved.” God has chosen to make salvation available to mankind through inspired words. Any “salvation experience” that takes place apart from revelation from the mind of God is not authentic. Some people are convinced that the Holy Spirit “moved” upon them and saved them apart from anything they had learned or personally did in response to God’s inspired word. Notice though that Cornelius and the people with him were not saved by the Holy Spirit “falling” on them (Acts 10:44). That action happened in tandem with Peter speaking the Gospel of salvation to them to divinely demonstrate that they should be baptized and be saved (Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47-48). The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The power of God to save our souls is packed within His living word and only obedience to it can produce salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9).

Acts 11:18 – “When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, ‘Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.’” I love the fact that these men glorified God when they understood that He accepted the Gentiles into the body of Christ. No matter what kind of preconceived notions they may have had, and no matter how long it took them to come to the realization of this truth; when they were made aware of it they celebrated it. I also appreciate the fact that they accepted Peter’s word as truth and used logic to come to the proper conclusion. They trusted the inspired apostle’s description of the events without having to “see it to believe it.” When we read the inspired word today it should be good enough for us as well. We shouldn’t require some type of “miraculous intervention” to learn and do the will of God. We should be satisfied with God’s chosen method of speaking to us through the Bible, and just humbly and obediently do whatever He tells us to do.

For tomorrow please read Acts 11:19-30.

Hope you have a blessed Lord’s Day!

- Louie Taylor

“Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)—you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem.

They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.’ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Acts 10:34-35 – “Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.’” Peter began speaking the words of salvation to this predominantly Gentile audience by telling them that even HIS understanding of the truth had been incomplete. God showed Peter in a vision that Christ successfully tore down the dividing wall of partition that kept Jew and Gentile separated (verses 9-16; Ephesians 2:14). In God’s eyes there is no difference. People are just people and they all sin. Any person who has reverence for God and is willing to turn from his unrighteousness and obediently follow Jesus (verse 36), that person is welcome to God. God does not show partiality to people based on any physical basis, including Jewish people. Only spiritual qualifications must be met.

Acts 10:44 – “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.” If it seems odd to you that the Holy Spirit “fell” on people who had yet to become Christians, there is a very good reason for that. This was most definitely not the norm. The standard procedure was for the Apostles to lay their hands on some converts to impart certain miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit after they believed and obeyed the Gospel (Acts 8:14-17; 19:1-7). But Acts 10 was a very peculiar situation that served a very particular purpose. God was showing Peter and his Jewish companions that the Gentiles were acceptable to Him, and that they should not be excluded from the kingdom of Christ.

Holy Spirit baptism was not an every day occurrence and it is not used by God to accomplish His will today. Unless you include the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus when He was baptized by John (Matthew 3:13-17), it is only recorded in the Bible as having happened one other time. The 12 Apostles were baptized by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost around ten years earlier, and that also was for a very unique purpose (Acts 2:1-4). This is why the Jews assembled at Cornelius’ house were so amazed (verse 45). Because the same thing that happened to the Apostles all those years ago had now been done to some Gentiles right before their very eyes (Acts 11:15-17). It is interesting to me that Peter mentioned in his sermon of Jesus that, “God had anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power” (verse 38). And then a little later the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentile listeners as well. What an impression this must have made on the Gentile recipients and on the Jewish witnesses! Mission accomplished!

Acts 10:46-47 – “Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’” With these words Peter stated the purpose for the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles who had gathered around him that day. This extraordinary event took place to remove all doubts from the minds of the Jewish witnesses that the Gentiles should be baptized into Christ in order to receive salvation. “And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (verse 48). The unique Holy Spirit baptism was administered to demonstrate that the typical water baptism should be administered. The first was impermanent, unusual and involuntary. The second is continual, common and compulsory (Ephesians 4:5).

Please read Acts 11:1-18 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

“Peter went down to the men and said, ‘Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?’ They said, ‘Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.’ So he invited them in and gave them lodging. And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I too am just a man.’ As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. And he said to them, ‘You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.’ Cornelius said, ‘Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, and he said, “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.” So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

Verses 25-26 – “When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I too am just a man.’” It may have been the case that Cornelius was merely practicing the Oriental custom of paying honor to a person of high esteem and not worshiping Peter is if he was God. Just the same, Peter put a halt to any kind of reverential homage. Peter was just a man and he was deserving of no such treatment and he knew it. Of course, every time I read these verses I am reminded of the Pope and the way that people bow down to him and fawn over him. If Peter had been the first Pope as many claim him to have been (which he obviously was not), he would certainly not approve of such behavior. Peter was actually hand-picked by Jesus, inspired by the Holy Spirit and divinely authorized to speak with the authority of Christ (none of which any Pope has ever been), and yet he knew his proper place. Human beings were created to offer worship to God, not receive it from their fellowmen.

Verse 28 – “And he said to them, ‘You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him.’” Whether or not this was the spirit and intent of the Law of Moses is arguable, but nowhere have I found the prohibition against “associating” or “visiting” with a Gentile in it. The Jews were commanded to not intermarry with the idolatrous peoples living in and near the land of Canaan, and to not practice their religious atrocities (Deuteronomy 7:3-12); and yet we know that they often did the very things that God demanded they not do. Maybe the Jews of Peter’s day were just trying to be overly cautious and not get caught up in the same snares and trip over the same stumbling blocks that their forefathers did.

Verse 33 – “Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” All uncertainty aside about some of the details of this passage, one thing is obvious and absolutely undeniable. Cornelius and his companions were primed and ready to hear the word of God. Not only were they eager to learn what God wanted them to know and do, they wanted to hear ALL of it! Cornelius didn’t have a complete understanding of the truth yet, but he possessed a keen awareness that the words he was about to hear amounted to the most important information that could fall upon human ears. Would to God that His covenant people would open up their Bibles and come to worship services with the same avid appetite and eager anticipation that Cornelius did in Acts chapter 10! It is an awesome blessing and privilege to not have to personally call for an apostle of Jesus Christ in order to hear the perfect word of God spoken and learn the truth. We have it readily at our disposal in our Bibles every minute of the day, and we can hear it taught every Lord’s Day by able-minded and dedicated Bible teachers and preachers in the Lord’s church.

Please avail yourselves!

Please Read Acts 10:34-48 for tomorrow.

God’s blessings.

- Louie Taylor