Archive for the ‘Acts--BibleTrekToday’ Category

Scripture reading for July 11th: Acts 28:1-31

With the prisoners and crew safely on shore and accounted for, they all settled in to wait out the stormy winter season in the harbor on Malta.  The people on the island welcomed them and built a fire to help warm up the cold shipwreck victims.  As Paul gathered some brushwood and placed it on the fire, a viper fastened itself to his hand.  Paul shook the snake back into the fire and the islanders watched him to see if he would die!  (Acts 28:4-6)

Publius, the chief official on the island welcomed Paul into his home and Paul ended up praying for his sick father and the Lord healed him.  Others were brought and Paul prayed for many and they were cured!  God used this time of shipwreck to further His work on this island of Malta!  The people helped supply all the needs of those who had been shipwrecked and after three months they set sail again.

Upon arrival in Puteoli, Paul found some fellow believers and was allowed to stay with them for a week.  In Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with just one soldier to guard him.  Paul invited leaders of the Jews to come to his room and he told them how he got there.  They had not heard anything from Judea but wanted to hear what Paul had to say.  He then took liberty to share the message of the Kingdom of God and tried to convince them that Jesus was the Christ from  Moses and the Prophets!  (Acts 28:1-31)  Some believed and others did not and a dispute arose.  Paul warned them from the Scriptures about having calloused hearts and told them that God had sent him to the Gentiles.  (Acts 28:28)

The Book of Acts has no formal ending.  The last record of all that Jesus began to do and teach through the Church was that of Paul preaching for two years from his own rented house the Gospel of the Kingdom!  There is no formal ending because this story is still being written today by believers around the world!  Jesus is still using believers like Paul to tell His story and share the Gospel of the Kingdom.  All who believe are saved and those who refuse to believe are lost!  What a glorious mystery!

Scripture reading for July 10th: Acts 27:25-44

Caught in an unrelenting winter storm, the centurion and his prisoners heard from Paul that the ship would be lost but all lives would be safe.  The storm went on for fourteen nights and about midnight the sailors felt that they were approaching land.  Some of the sailors attempted to escape from the ship by the lifeboat, but Paul warned the centurion that unless all the men stayed with the ship they would not be saved.  (Acts 27:31-32)  They were encouraged by Paul to take some food and promised that a hair on the head would not perish!  They all ate and then threw the rest of the grain overboard to lighten the ship as much as possible for running aground.

God’s favor was on the group.  The soldiers had planned on killing all the prisoners to prevent any of them from escaping but the centurion wanted to spare Paul so he stopped them.  Everyone of the 276 people on board made it to shore safely but the ship was broken up by the pounding surf! (Acts 27:37, 42-44)

In looking at this shipwreck, it is amazing to see how the hand of God guided Paul.  Although he was a prisoner, he ended up commanding the ship, crew, and centurion and advising them what to do.  God gave him favor with the centurion and elevated his advice in the eyes of those present to accomplish the will of God. (Psalm 5:11-12)   All Paul had to do was obey and keep calm in the midst of the storm.  He knew the final outcome would be safety for them all and that his mission of preaching in Rome would be accomplished.  It wasn’t by his own power or ability, but by the power of God!

A godly man or woman in a crisis can lead from any position of authority through humility and obedience to the Lord.  Paul’s calmness encouraged everyone.  This shipwreck was being used to draw the sailors and prisoners to think about their own lives and their dependency on God.  Paul had a great opportunity to witness to 275 people on board in a captive audience!  God’s ways are amazing and His use of time and circumstances defies our reason!  We can only follow the Spirit in amazement!

Scripture reading for July 9th: Acts 27:1-20

Paul knew he was to stand before Caesar to testify of the Gospel.  (Acts 23:11)  The Lord had appeared to him to encourage him nearly two years earlier and told him what was to come.  Now the time to sail to Rome was at hand.  The voyage was being paid for by the Roman government and Paul had personal bodyguards and escorts as a prisoner.  A centurion named Julius was over the prisoners and was especially kind to Paul.  The progress was slow, because of contrary winds and the season to go North was getting late because of the contrary winds of winter.

Paul urged the centurion not to travel onward because of the possible loss of ship, cargo and lives.  (Acts 27:9-10)  But the centurion listened to the pilot and ship owner and sailed on towards another harbor on Crete.  A storm of hurricane proportions swept down on the ship and continued for many days.  They ended up throwing the cargo overboard and tying the ship together with ropes.  The storm continued and they all thought that they would die at sea.  Paul stood up and spoke to the crew and prisoners.  “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss.  But now I urge you to keep your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.  Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said “Do not be afraid, Paul.  You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” (Acts 27:21b-24)

God is faithful to His servants.  God gave Paul wisdom that helped him and those with him survive a difficult and possibly fatal storm. He was given a word of wisdom by God that gave courage to go on.  God never promises His servants that that they won’t suffer through trials, but He does promise grace for every trial!  He used even this storm to accomplish His purposes!

Scripture reading for July 8th: Acts 26:1-32

God’s servants often get labeled by those they are sent to reach.  In Jesus’ ministry, the Jews accused Him of being filled with an evil spirit and a ‘Samaritan’.  (John 8:48)  At the upper room on the Day of Pentecost, the disciples were accused of being drunk at nine in the morning!  (Acts 2:13)  Paul was called a “trouble-maker” by the Jews because of his preaching about Jesus as Messiah.  (Acts 24:5)  Paul was again labeled by governor Festus as he shared his testimony to King Agrippa!  “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted.  “Your great learning is driving you insane.” (Acts 26:24)

Why did Festus make a statement like that about Paul?  Paul had just preached the Gospel to King Agrippa and Festus as he made his defense and gave his testimony.  This Gospel is the power of God for salvation and Paul was not ashamed of it!  (Romans 1:16)  The Gospel brought conviction and demanded a response of faith.  When hearts are hardened, the flesh tries to silence the voice of truth or bring accusation against the source of truth.

Also, those who are resisting the Holy Spirit find the message of the Gospel as foolishness and something hard to understand.  Paul taught that the message of the cross was foolishness to those who were perishing.  (1st Corinthians 1:18)  Festus thought that Paul’s great learning was causing him to go crazy.  That was the only way he could make sense of his message.

We should not be surprised at the reactions of people when we share the Gospel message with them.  Paul took it in stride, telling Festus that what he was saying was both true and reasonable.  Paul directly asked King Agrippa if he believed the prophets and encouraged him to believe!  Agrippa’s response was, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” “Paul replied, “Short time or long–I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except without chains.” (Acts 26:28-29)   The real insanity was not with Paul, but with these Gentile leaders who had opportunity to believe and passed it up!  They walked out saying that Paul could have been set free if he would not have appealed to Caesar.  But their bondage to sin continued!

Scripture reading for July 7th: Acts 25:1-27

After two years in jail awaiting a decision from governor Felix,  Festus replaced Felix and was again approached by the Jews to have Paul brought to Jerusalem for a trial.  They again had plans to ambush him and kill him as he was being transported.  Old habits die hard!   I wonder how the men with the vow had gone without eating or drinking for that amount of time!  (Acts 23:21)

Festus again set a time for a trial and invited the Jews to come and press charges at the court in Caesarea.  Again the Jews made charges that they could not prove.  Paul again reiterated that he had done nothing against their law, temple or against Caesar.  (Acts 25:8)  Again, Festus asked Paul if he were willing to go to Jerusalem to face their charges.  Paul declined and because he was a Roman citizen, appealed to Caesar!  Festus granted his plea and the Jews went away empty-handed again!  Paul’s call to preach at Rome had been granted with an all-expense paid trip there!

As the details were being worked out, King Agrippa and his wife Bernice came by Caesarea to visit Festus.  They discussed Paul’s situation and the King asked to hear Paul.  Festus arranged this meeting for he hoped to have some better charges to accompany Paul to give to Caesar.

We can see how in all of this, patience is required of God’s servants as God works out details and brings about His purposes.  Where God guides, He provides!  He had planned and revealed to Paul that he would stand before the Gentiles and their kings.  (Acts 9:15)   He would also stand as a witness to the nation of Israel.  In confronting the leaders of the Sanhedrin before the court of Felix and now Festus, Paul had opportunity to share the Gospel and his testimony of God’s saving grace in his own life.  Some were saved and others were lost because of their hard hearts.

Are you patiently waiting and praying for every opportunity to share the Gospel?  Do you complain when things don’t go as you hoped or seem to try your patience?  Ask God to show you how to listen to Him and fulfill your calling in the midst of the trying circumstances!

Scripture reading for July 6th: Acts 24:1-27

In reading today’s passage, there is a lot of drama!  The high priest, Ananias and some of the elders from the Sanhedrin travel down to see Felix with a lawyer named Tertullus.  Tertullus presented the case for them before the governor and accused Paul of being a troublemaker and desecrating the temple.  The Jews with him agreed.  The governor asked Paul to speak in his own defense.  Paul refuted the charges stated that the only thing that could be the cause of the charges was his own stand for the resurrection of the dead.  (Acts 24:19-21)  Felix postponed making a decision and had Paul taken away and kept under guard.

Some time later, Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess sent for Paul and listened as he preached about Christ Jesus and the coming judgment.  Felix came under conviction and cut Paul off from speaking any more.  “That’s enough for now!”  You may leave.  When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”  At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.” (Acts 24:25b-26)  This went on for two years until Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus.  We can see that Felix was a hard man and looked out for himself.  His power and position allowed him to receive bribes and extort money for favorable rulings!  His Jewish wife made it easy for him to favor the Jews and keep Paul in jail.  The “convenient” time to hear more about Christ never came in his life that we know of!  The world has not changed much!

Paul shared the Gospel where ever he was placed by the Lord.  God opened doors through imprisonment that Paul would never have had otherwise.  He lived with integrity, in spite of pressure to work the system through bribes.  He was his own lawyer, listening to the Holy Spirit for what to say when taken before judges, governors or kings.    God provided for him daily and spoke encouragement to him when it was needed.  Paul knew he was in the center of God’s will, even if it did not look like it to those outside the faith.  God’s ways are different than man’s and lead to fullness of joy and the Holy Spirit!

Scripture reading for July 5th: Acts 23:11-35

As Paul brought division in the Sanhedrin by his statement in favor of the resurrection of the dead.   The Pharisees and Saducees got into a violent argument that caused the commander to order Paul taken away to the barracks.  They used force to remove him from their midst!

“The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.  More than forty men were involved in this plot.” (Acts 23:12-13)  Evidently the command “Thou shall not murder” did not mean anything to these religious Jews.  Forty men set out to kill Paul and plotted with the elders of the Sanhedrin to deceive the commander and put their plan into action.  But a relative of Paul heard about the plot and warned Paul who had him talk to the commander privately.  The commander ordered four hundred seventy soldiers to take Paul to Caesarea that night.  Paul was sent to Governor Felix with a letter explaining Paul’s citizenship and the Jews accusations.

This plot of murder was stopped by God’s chosen authorities!  I often wonder when I read this if this group of forty men starved to death or died of thirst because of the vow they took!  God tells us not to make vows unless we are serious about keeping it.  (Ecclesiastes 5:4-7)  He also tells Christians not to swear by anything or make an oath.  (James 5:12)  God also places authorities in power to punish the wicked and protect the righteous.  In this case, the Roman soldiers and authorities were used to protect Paul from the church authorities plotting his murder!

Deception is a favorite tool of the devil.  He is a liar and the father of all lies and also a murderer!  (John 8:44)  Jesus Himself was nearly stoned by a crowd of Jews when He pointed this out and called them to repentance and belief in the truth!  (John 8:59)  Jesus had warned the disciples that they would face this kind of persecution and that they would stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them and the Gentiles.  (Matthew 10:18-19)  They were not to worry, because the Holy Spirit would speak through them!  Jesus was certainly a prophet and His words were fulfilled!  They are still true today!

Scripture reading for July 4th: Acts 22:17-23:10

The next day, Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin.  Their attitudes had not been changed.  When Paul told them that he had fulfilled his duty to God with a good conscience, the High Priest order Paul struck in the mouth!  This body of elders were so prejudiced against Paul that they would not let him explain.  To them, he was speaking blasphemy and deserved death!

“Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others were Pharisees called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.  I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.”  When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.” (Acts 23:6-7)  Paul knew these rulers and how they thought.  He knew how to bring about a division over religious issues.  The Pharisees had a strong belief in the supernatural and resurrection and the Sadducees were skeptical about anything they could not understand, especially the resurrection.

The dispute and arguments between Pharisee and Sadducee became so violent that the commander was again afraid for Paul.  He ordered Paul taken back to the barracks.  “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!  As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11)  God again stood by His servant and strengthened him with a word of knowledge that would help Paul endure imprisonment and persecution.

The divide between those who believe in the supernatural and those who are skeptical is still in the church today!  Many who claim to believe in Jesus Christ and His resurrection argue vehemently that the miracles of Jesus ceased with the early church and apostles.  Those who do believe are looked on as crazy or fanatical.  Sometimes there is even heated arguments and division of entire churches!  But God is not shaken by this and doesn’t want His servants to lose their courage to declare truth and be used in the supernatural!  He comes supernaturally to strengthen and encourage!  Take time today and thank Him that He is the God of resurrection and miracles!

Scripture reading for July 3rd: Acts 21:37-22:16

Paul asked permission from the commander to speak to the violent crowd.  The request was granted and Paul stood up to speak to them in Aramaic, the native language of the Jews.  They became very quiet and listened as he testified about his experiences as a Jew and how he became a persecutor of those who followed the “Way”, putting them in prison and even to death.  God had opened a door for Paul to preach and he seized the opportunity to again reach these who were so opposed to the Way of Jesus.

Paul shared his testimony of the encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.  Jesus told Paul that he had been persecuting Him, not just the followers of the Way.  He was struck blind for a time and a godly man, Ananias, came and prayed for him.  He received his sight and was told that God would use him to share his testimony of Jesus with many.  (Acts 22:8-16)

Paul shared how God warned him to leave Jerusalem earlier because they would not accept his testimony.  “Lord,” I replied, “These men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in You.  And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.”  ” Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” (Acts 22:19-21) It was this final statement that again brought the crowd to life for Paul’s death!  “Rid the earth of him!  He’s not fit to live!” (Acts 22:22)

The uproar caused the commander to order Paul flogged and questioned.  As they were preparing to do this, Paul asked the centurion if it was legal to flog a Roman citizen.  When Paul brought this fact up, he was spared him the beating and arranged a meeting with the Sanhedrin the next day.

The idea that God would send a Jew to the Gentiles was outside the thinking of the Jews of Paul’s day.  Even though God had made His people to be a testimony to the whole earth, they had become proud and selfish.  When they heard the truth, they tried to get rid of it by shouting, violence, and even murder!  Following Jesus means we can expect some of this treatment!

Scripture reading for July 2nd: Acts 21:18-36

Just as God had allowed Paul to know what awaited him in Jerusalem, events in our reading today unfolded to bring God’s word to pass.  Religious people hold strong opinions and often the truth interferes with their ability to hold those opinions.  They must eliminate those who hold other views that threaten their opinions.  Often they actually believe that they are doing God a favor even though they are openly breaking His law!  This is real deception!

Paul arrived in Jerusalem and went to see James and the elders there and report what God had done among the Gentiles that he had visited.  They rejoiced at what God had done but saw a problem coming there in Jerusalem.  Many Jews knew Paul’s reputation and how he had been teaching among the Gentiles that they did not need to keep the law of Moses or circumcise their bodies.  They knew that there was a potential conflict and possible trouble and devised a plan for Paul to purify himself according to the Law.  This process would take seven days and an offering and Paul went and made notice in the temple of this process.

When the seven days were nearly over, Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple and stirred up the crowd.  People came running from everywhere and they seized Paul and dragged him from the temple trying to kill him and beating him savagely.  The commander of Roman troops took some soldiers and ran into the crowd and they stopped beating him.  Paul was arrested and put in chains and then asked what he had done.  There was another uproar and Paul had to be physically carried out by the soldiers as the crowd shouted, “Away with him!” (Acts 21:36)

It is interesting to note that these were Jews attending the temple in order to worship God and offer sacrifice according to God’s law.  One of God’s laws was “Do not commit murder” (Exodus 20:13) and they were ready to kill Paul before even going through a trial or hearing witnesses.  They had judged him guilty of sin against God because they heard that he had broken their concept of God’s law.  Any judgment that condemns someone belongs to God alone.  We must check our hearts and make sure our zeal is properly directed.  Religion can be violent and dangerous!