Day 183: Acts 21:18-36

“On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.” - Acts 21:18-19 ESV

As he promised, Paul finds his way to Jerusalem. The experience starts with a strong report of what God had been doing among the nations (Gentiles). This positive report will be interrupted by a concern for the "zealous for the Law" Christians in the city. Things won't end well.

Until then, let's focus on the language Paul uses to describe what was happening among the non-Israelites.

First of all, he itemizes what God had done (one by one). Each story mattered because they represented individuals that Jesus deeply loved. The church is composed of many individual souls with stories.

Second, it wasn't Paul's ministry that was proprietary. We won't be able to do things exactly the way he did throughout the first-century Mediterranean world, but we do worship the same God that worked through their efforts. This means we can be assured that a hopeful movement is still possible in Jesus' name today.

Do you have at least one person you're actively praying for to receive Christ as their Savior? If so, look for the windows God is providing to share the gospel.

God, help us reach one soul at a time, and please do what only You can do (as You have done) in our point of history. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

"It was a noble account to render. Since he had saluted the Church (ch. 18:22), when he had probably seen James last, he had laboured at Antioch, in Galatia and Phrygia, and had wrought a mighty revolution in Asia. He had consolidated his work in Macedonia and Achaia; he had held his visitation of Gentile elders in Miletus; he had visited Tyre, Ptolemais, and Cæsarea, great Gentile cities, and had seen everywhere astonishing tokens of the grace of God which was with him. And now he pours his tale into the ears of the chief pastor of the mother Church of Jerusalem, and those of the Jewish elders. A tale of wonder indeed!" - Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). Acts of the Apostles (Vol. 2, pp. 172–173)

Day 182: Acts 21:1-17

“Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, ‘Let the will of the Lord be done.’” - Acts 21:13-14 ESV

What is it with us and our aversion to pain? For most of us, safety for ourselves and our families is our top priority. It is understandable. Why would we willingly walk into a situation that we know will bring harm to us?

This is what was confusing to all of the prophets among the Christians in every city Paul visited. The Holy Spirit was saying the same thing, "Pain awaits Paul in Jerusalem!" It is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit didn't say that Paul shouldn't go into the city; He only said that opposition awaited him.

How about us? Do we sometimes discourage someone from doing something difficult, maybe even painful, even if it's the right thing to do?

Since we have the advantage of hindsight, we can now see that this would be the beginning of Paul's most significant opportunity for influence throughout the Roman Empire. More letters would be written (think New Testament). More rulers would be engaged. He would journey toward the largest platform in the known world: Rome itself.

All because he was willing to face opposition in Jerusalem.

What pain are we currently avoiding that could lead to greater influence on those who have yet to confess Jesus?

The grief displayed by Paul’s friends had the effect of pounding at his heart as they attempted to dissuade him. But for himself Paul was quite prepared not merely for what was prophesied but also for possible death at Jerusalem. It was not that there was any virtue in such sufferings for their own sake, but only if they were accomplished on behalf of the name of Jesus, i.e. as a necessary part of Christian service." - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts. (Vol. 5, p. 360)

Day 181: Acts 20:1-37

"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." - Acts 20:28 ESV

This encouragement that Paul gives to the Ephesian elders gets me every time. When you put great care into any group of people, whether that's teaching kids at church or coaching a little league team, your heart remains with them for quite some time. We want to think that the investments we've made will produce fruit for future generations.

Paul can see that there was great spiritual warfare taking place in Ephesus. Their church was started in the midst of an insane book/scroll burning (see Acts 19:21-40). This wasn't an easy place to be a Christian, and the same is true to this day (there is no known Christian church in Ephesus today).

Leadership will always start first with us. We cannot expect to lead anyone anywhere without first being affected by God's grace. Then we have to turn our eyes toward those we are attempting to lead. How much quality time have we spent with them? People don't select leadership in the church like we select a president. The Holy Spirit selects them, and we merely identify them.

How do we know Jesus cares for the church? His blood is all the proof we need, and it continues to power His people day in and day out to do the work He initiated in the first century. May we all be the leaders God has called us to be, and may we be in prayer for our elders, asking God to give them wisdom and strength.

"Their responsibility was the greater in that the flock which they were commissioned to tend was no other than the church of God which he had purchased for himself (an echo here of Old Testament language)—and the purchase price was nothing less than the life-blood of his beloved Son." - Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 392–393)

Day 180: Acts 19:13-41

“But the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?’” - Acts 19:15 ESV

Seven Jewish sons of a man named Sceva tried to use the name of Jesus like you use an air compressor or a hair straightener, but their plan backfired. The demon immediately recognized them as frauds, and they lost their clothes and some of their blood in the process.

We cannot use Jesus as another product that gives us benefits toward what we want. God desires a relationship with us through Jesus. The following quote hammers this idea home:

“God reveals himself in personal relationship and only in personal relationship. God is not a phenomenon to be considered. God is not a force to be used. God is not a proposition to be argued. There is nothing in or of God that is impersonal, nothing abstract, nothing imposed.” - Eugene Peterson

Do we want to use Jesus, or do we want Jesus to use us?

Do we want to worship our own desires, or do we want to worship Jesus and submit to his desires?

This has the potential to radically change how we pray, how we read the Bible, and how we attempt to help those in need around us. May we be those who come to worship Jesus and not those who waste the opportunity by angling for wish-fulfillment or our own selfish desires.

Jesus, we trust that your way is best above all others.

Day 179: Acts 18:23-28, 19:1-12

“He began to speak 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.” - Acts 18:26 ESV

Misdirected boldness isn't something that should intimidate us. I think we many times see those who are talented and unafraid as threats. The best thing we can do as we encounter these gifted individuals is to engage them in conversation.

This is exactly what our power couple does. Aquila and Priscilla didn't dismiss or shame Apollos. Instead, they "took him aside" and clarified what he was attempting to communicate.

Now, this could have gone poorly if Apollos wasn't teachable, but thankfully that was not the case. Pride often keeps the talented stunted when it comes to spiritual maturity. Because of his humility, Apollos was positioning himself to become a major player in expanding Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Here we see another African playing a significant role in God's kingdom (see our previous post about the Ethiopian).

Does just the idea of engaging someone like Apollos make you feel uncomfortable? Don't be intimidated by strong people. Instead, think if all they'll do for Jesus' Kingdom once you help them onto the right path.

Are you ready to learn and grow like he was? The teachable spirit of Apollos needs to be found within all of us.

"He knew of the task Jesus gave men and women to do, but he did not yet fully know of the help Jesus gave them to do it. Aquila and Priscilla gave him fuller and more accurate instruction. The result was that Apollos, who already knew Jesus as a figure in history, came also to know him as a living presence; and his power as a preacher must have been increased dramatically." - Barclay, W. (2003). The Acts of the Apostles (3rd ed, p. 163)

Day 178: Acts 18:1-22

“And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.’” - Acts 18:9-10 ESV

A pattern that occurs over and over in the Bible is this:

• God calls someone.

• That someone responds in faithful obedience.

• God supplies that someone with all they need to accomplish their call.

Paul ends up in Corinth and is immediately supplied with what he needed. He needed finances, and he needed partners for ministry. God gave them both directly in the form of a power couple named Aquila and Priscilla. The word tentmaker is literally leatherworker in Greek. They were good at what they did, and as God had designed, were forced to flee Rome at the exact time Paul ended up in Corinth.

What ends up happening in many cases is that we let fear keep us from recognizing what God is doing. Jesus knew that this would be a temptation for Paul, and so Jesus Himself affirms the purpose of his presence there.

Do you think Jesus has more of his people around you than you realize? Don't let fear keep you from seeing them.

"He had come to Corinth full of misgivings—“in much fear and trembling,” he says himself (1 Cor. 2:3)—but he should abandon all fear and go on proclaiming the gospel boldly. He would reap an abundant harvest by so doing, for the Lord had many in Corinth who were marked out by him as his own people." - Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 350–351)

Day 177: Acts 17:1-34

“For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” - Acts‬ ‭17:28‬

To what lengths are you willing to familiarize yourself with those you want to reach with the Gospel of Jesus?

Here we see that Paul probably quotes the Cretan poet Epimenides (who brought reform to Athens) and the Greek poet Aratus (315-240 BC).

Why would he quote these two pagan poets when there were so many Old Testament passages he could have used? One word. Connection. As soon as he makes these two quotes, the crowd at the Areopagus probably leaned in. This definitely wasn’t the monotheistic Jewish crowd in Acts 2, and he wouldn’t be able to reach them the same way.

Perhaps we need a new way of connecting with those we’ve hit a dead-end when it comes to sharing our faith in Jesus.

Before we are there to baptize, we are there to learn. When we learn about those we want to reach, we earn the right to share about the UNKNOWN GOD, and we make Him known. Empathy opens the door for epiphany. Connection leads to redirection.

"Paul was prepared to take over the glimmerings of truth in pagan philosophy about the nature of God. But whereas the Greeks thought of the divine nature of man, Paul would have thought of the way in which man is the image of God. It is God who is the source of man’s life." - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 306)

Day 176: Acts 16:16-40

“And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.” - Acts 16:33 ESV

Luke gives us three lives that were changed as a result of this stop in Philippi. The first was Lydia (a wealthy clothing mogul), the second was the demon-possessed slave girl, and the third was this jailer who was commissioned to contain Paul and Silas.

Even after being beaten with rods, Paul and Silas couldn't hold back their prayers and praises in the middle of the night. A divine earthquake would give them an opportunity for freedom, but they decided to stay. Their songs and willingness to save the life of this jailer were major witnesses that led to the man asking a question we all love to hear: "What must I do to be saved?" This man had the protection of the Roman government, but he now longed for better salvation. He wanted what they had (I believe many in our culture are this way today).

Are you ready for someone to ask you this question? Are you ready to "speak the word of the Lord" to people like the jailer and his household? If so, God will be sending them your way. You better be ready to get down into the water with them and get wet.

I'd love to end with this incredible quote from F.F. Bruce's commentary on Acts: “He washed and was washed,” says Chrysostom: “he washed them from their stripes, and was himself washed from his sins.”

God is preparing them for you to speak. Are you getting ready for them?

See this resource for help as you prepare to share the message of Jesus with others.

Day 175: Acts 15:36-41, 16:1-15

“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” - Acts 16:9-10 ESV

As Paul and Barnabas made plans to run it back for a Second Missionary Journey, they couldn't agree on what to do with John Mark. This caused them to multiply into two efforts and led to new partnerships for Paul with Silas and a young gun named Timothy.

Because we are flawed and constantly distracted, God has to go to great lengths to guide and direct our steps. This was true with the paths Paul had thought Jesus wanted him to walk, but the "Spirit of the Lord did not allow" them to go into certain places. This is odd language, but it speaks to the care God puts into helping us know where we're supposed to serve.

The call (at this point) was to go to Macedonia. Paul's time there would be significant in many ways. For one, Philippi and Thessalonica were there, and both ended up receiving letters that we still benefit from today. Plus, despite their poverty, the Macedonian churches were insanely generous (see 2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

Have your plans not gone as you expected? As Christians, we have to believe that there is purpose in that frustration. God is always speaking, continually leading. May we respond to the calls He places on our lives.

"Luke wishes to make quite clear that this action was taken on the basis of divine guidance. It was not based on mere human desires or interests." - Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles (p. 480)

Day 174: Acts 15:1-35

“And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.” - Acts 15:31-32 ESV

Dealing with conflict, for many of us, causes feelings of angst or discouragement. There is a deep feeling that we are wasting time and energy that could be better spent in other ways during any dispute.

Even so, how we pivot from disagreements will define us and the organizations or companies that we work for or alongside.

For the first century Christians, they had to undo the belief that the Israelites were somehow superior to the nations (Gentiles). God had irrefutably spoken through the experience with Cornelius, and now it was time to put it into practice, especially for the Jews in Jerusalem.

The solution, though it may seem odd to us (being culturally removed), was a huge hit with the non-Jewish Christians in Antioch. They didn't need to become Jewish to follow Jesus. Retaining their own cultural identities was not only to be tolerated, but it was also to be celebrated; so that Revelation 7:9-10 can be someday fulfilled:  “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

“The decrees from the council in Jerusalem were received with genuine happiness because of their 'encouraging message.' For the disciples at Antioch the decision of the council was a victory, confirming their policy toward Gentile converts who were not forced to be circumcised. The four requirements were viewed as a measure to ease the fellowship of Jewish and Gentile believers." - Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts (Ac 15:30–35)