They warned him not to go but he went anyway

Scripture: "Let the will of the Lord be done." Acts 21:14

Observation:

They knew in their spirit that something was going to happen to Paul and kept urging him not to go to Jerusalem. (Acts 21:4 and 12) They were afraid for Paul, but he wasn't.

Paul had already been warned many times by the Holy Spirit that "imprisonment and afflictions await me," (Acts 20:23) so he had already prepared his heart for the inevitable. (Acts 21:14) Paul trusted the Lord with his life.

So them telling him not to go was breaking his heart. Once they realized that they were hurting him because he had already made up his mind, they finally stopped and surrendered to the Lord's will.

 Paul's tenacity helped them to trust God too.

One person's conviction, confidence, and obedience can inspire others.

Application:

We have to prepare our hearts for what is coming. The Bible says many times to not be afraid because the Lord is with you. We have to accept that God is in control. The Bible also tells us not to worry about tomorrow. When the time comes, He will carry us through. The Holy Spirit will guide us and give us the words to speak. God will do His work through us. 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help me to not be afraid, to not worry, and to be confident in my faith and belief. Thank you God that I can trust you. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. 

Your will be done Lord. Amen.

Hired Hands

 For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples. Acts 20:29-30

wait... even from among ourselves? so who can we trust? can we trust no one?

The wolves seek to steal, kill, and destroy the sheep. (John 10:10-13) 

This verse in Acts makes me look closer at John 10:7-15 because I remembered about the wolves seeking out their prey, but I didn't remember about the hired hand who is supposed to be taking care of the sheep but runs in fear at the mere sight of a wolf because they do not care about the sheep, so the wolves snatch the sheep and scatter them. 

So does this mean we can't trust our brothers and sisters in Christ? our fellow believers? the people who go to the same church? the people who say they are Christians?

So does this mean we can't even trust our pastors? our teachers? our leaders? 

A hired hand could also be a metaphor for a caretaker, a parent, a spouse.

If you can't trust your own father, your own husband, or your own pastor, then who can you trust?

The people who were the closest to me were the ones who hurt me the most, which devastated me and made me question my faith and beliefs. 

But these hard truths forced me to look to the scriptures and learn for myself.

It took a long time for me to grow and mature in my faith to realize that absolutely no one is perfect and all have fallen short of the glory of God. I am not perfect...I am a sinner saved by grace through faith in Jesus. We have been forgiven of all our sins, and that means all... past, present, and future. We still sin, but as believers in Christ, we strive not to sin. Which means we have to give grace to others because we are all only human.  We are each on our own spiritual journey, which is a long process. 

It could be that Paul is saying here to not put all your hope and trust into Paul, but into God, because there will be those that will try to scatter the flock and hurt the weak, especially once the hired hand is no longer there, for whatever reason. 

We just have to remember that we don't put all our faith, hope, and trust in men, but in God. We put our faith in Jesus, our Lord and Savior. We put our trust in God the Father because He is in control. We look for guidance from the Holy Spirit. 

We need to be careful, be mindful, and to walk in the spirit. We are to be wise about the schemes of the enemy. Let the Holy Spirit be our guide. 

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. Jesus is the door of the sheep. Jesus knows His sheep and His sheep know His voice. There is only one Shepherd. (John 10:7-18)

In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. -John 16:33

God said many times in the Bible, "Do not fear, for I am with you."

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Looking at the context of this verse...

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...therefore, be alert...we must help the weak. (Acts 20:28-35)

We ourselves are also the hired hands!!!!!

Dear Lord, help me to discern, to be mindful, and fill me with your Holy Spirit daily. Help me Lord to study your word every day, help me to put on the full armor and to stand firm. You are my strength when I am weak. Thank you Lord that I can trust you. You are my provider, my protector, and You are in control. Thank you Lord for taking care of me as your child. As your hired hand, help me to do your will and to help others. 

Do you know what you believe?

 This trade of ours is in danger of falling into disrepute. Acts 19:23-41

One man who was worried about losing his livelihood riled up several others in his trade, who then riled up the whole city in confusion, and it says "most of them didn't know why they had come together." (Acts 19:32) 

Do you know what you believe?

The crowd that gathered didn't know what they believed, so then were easily led astray by the unbelievers who were threatened by the way of the believers to drop everything and follow Jesus. 

We are no longer in need of certain things and this threatens the economy of society. We don't need to worry because God is our Provider. 

You can only have one Master. (Matt 6:24) 

Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:25-34)

The Bereans knew what they believed because they studied it for themselves.

I need to pray and study God's Word daily like the Bereans. 

These Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica, they received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11) 

But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. (Acts 17:13)

It's easy to get caught up in the things of this world, especially when we are hurting, struggling, grieving, lonely, depressed, desperate just to survive and put food on the table for our families. The wolves are targeting the weak sheep, especially when they are separated from the herd. Satan tempted Jesus when he was alone, tired, and hungry. But the things of this world are only temporary.  

So we do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:16-18)

Paul said, I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (Phil 4:11-13)

Rejoice in the Lord always. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 7:4:7)

Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thess 5:17-18) 

Praying continually doesn't mean you're always on your knees 24/7/365, it just means you realize that God is a part of your day, He knows your heart and your thoughts, and He is speaking to you whether you realize it or not, you just have to listen and stay in tune to Him. 

The world is like a radio, it has many radio stations and lots of static in between but then you finally find the right station that speaks directly to your heart. So I try to stay in tune with God so I can hear Him when He is trying to tell me something. 

I can be praying even when I'm talking with someone, especially when I need Him to give me the right words or help me to be silent and listen. I can be praying while I'm doing my work as unto the Lord. Praying continually helps me to not worry.

Dear Lord, I know your word says not to worry, several times even, so you must know that we as humans do worry or you wouldn't tell us so many times. I heard a pastor say that he repeats himself whenever it is something that he really wants us to hear and understand. Lord, please help me not to worry. It's so easy to get busy, distracted, and then I get anxious because I'm not focused on You. Help me to focus on you Lord.  Help me to study your word every day. You are my Provider and You are in control Lord. Thank you Lord for all your many blessings. 

Compelled by the Spirit

 Paul was compelled by the Spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus is Christ.  Acts 18:5 NKJV

The word "compelled" sticks out to me. He was compelled, it wasn't on his own. Hmmm...So let's think about this...

Compelled - forced or driven to a particular course of action, often by an irresistible internal urge

Was he forced to do it? To be forced implies that he didn't do it willingly. Force is a harsh word here.

Compelling -  rousing strong interest, attention, conviction or admiration

Synonyms: urged, pushed, pressured

One could argue that he was driven, pushed, urged...  

An irresistible internal urge...like a temptation?

Like a temptation is not a sin in of itself, it's if we give in to the thing that tempts us, that's what causes us to sin. The temptation did not force us to do something unwillingly. We have a choice to give into the temptation or not. One thing can be a temptation for one person but not another person, and they may have a completely different thing that tempts them to sin. We can pray to God to give us the strength to walk away from the thing that is tempting us to sin. God gives us a way out, if we seek Him, if we seek the way out, He will show it to us.

I believe that the irresistible internal urge here is absolutely the Holy Spirit. In other words, Paul was convinced or persuaded by the Holy Spirit to testify about Jesus.

The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. -John 14:26

Helper - one who provides a person with the means toward what is needed or sought

The helper does not force the person to do anything, they just help them get it done.

Acts 18:5 ESV says "Paul was occupied with the word".... hmmm... the word meaning Jesus? Wait, I thought he was compelled by the Spirit? But then, I guess, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are three in one. So Paul was compelled by God no matter how you look at it.

***My ESV footnotes direct me to the following...2 Cor 5:14, Job 32:18, Jer 20:9

The love of Christ controls us. -2 Corinthians 5:14

For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. -Job 32:18

There is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones and I am weary with holding it in and I cannot. -Jeremiah 20:9

This also reminds me of another verse about not walking in the flesh, but walking in the spirit. (Gal 5:13-26) 

The Spirit leads us, but we have a choice to follow His guidance. We choose so willingly because we know He loves us, He wants what's best for us, and we can trust Him. 

Dear Lord, please help me to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Thank you Lord for helping me and guiding me. Help me to live by the Spirit and also keep in step with the Spirit. Thank you Lord for your grace and your mercy.

The Unknown God

Paul said, As I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found an altar with this inscription, "To the Unknown God." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you... The God who made the world and everything in it, the 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 mankind life and breath and everything. He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their preappointed times and boundaries so that they should seek the Lord in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being...we are indeed the offspring of God. Acts 17:22-31

Even people who do not know God, know that He is there and exists. God the Creator made us so that we would seek for Him and so that we would find Him. 

You will seek Me and you will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

What sticks out to me here is that God is not far from us and we will find Him! God is reachable! He is accessible to each one of us! The key is to seek with all our heart... not half-heartedly, but with our whole heart.  

This says all humans come from one blood - Adam. We are all brothers and sisters as children of God. God is so big that we cannot fathom it, but we live and move and have our being in Him. 

God loves everyone as His children. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us so that we can be with Him forever in heaven.

God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ Jesus died for us.  -Romans 5:8

God does not need anything from me. But, God wants to be with me because He loves me. 

He wants a relationship with me, but He wants me to seek after Him... He wants me to want to spend time with Him. He didn't create us to be robots to serve him unwillingly.

Don't we all want that? Don't we all want someone to love us and want to spend time with us? Not just because we told them to or need them to, but because they want to.

Thank you Jesus!

Faithful in the little things

 Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. Acts 16:2-3

Timothy goes on to be used in a great deal of ways later by the Lord. Timothy was a disciple and had a good reputation. Paul trusted and relied on Timothy. Timothy and Paul became close friends. 

How did Timothy get his good reputation? Why did Paul want him as a traveling companion?

Timothy was faithful in the little things so God used him for greater things.

Timothy first served his own home town, before going on a journey with Paul to preach the gospel.

I can be a missionary in my own neighborhood. I can try and be a good friend to those around me.

I need to take of myself first before I can take care of others. Like when the airplane steward tells us to put on our own facemask first before we help our children. 

I need to be a disciple first, reading and studying God's Word. I need to pray constantly. If I am filled with the Holy Spirit, that will help me to be faithful with the little things. If I can be trusted with the little things, then I can be trusted with greater things. 

I need to not get weary of doing good. But the only way to do that is to do it in the Lord's strength and not my own. The joy of the Lord is my strength.

One simple sentence can lead to so much inspiration. I get so much more out of the Bible when I look beyond by using the SOAP method and listen to God's voice speaking to me through His Word. Thank you Lord!

Dear Lord, help me to be your disciple and to be faithful. Please help me to not get tired of doing the little things. Fill me with your spirit and renew my strength to do your will. Show me Lord what you want me to do. Let your light shine through me to others around me. Help me to give grace. Help me to restore relationships. Help me to be a good friend. Thank you Lord for choosing me. Thank you Jesus for being my friend.

Life is not fair

 When there had been much dispute, Peter rose and said, "you know that God chose among us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" Acts 15:7-11

They weren't able to bear the yoke so why were they trying to make the Gentiles do it?

They were probably thinking that it wasn't fair. Its' probably not fair but God doesn't care if it is fair. He doesn't want anyone to perish. It's just like the parable of the laborers who worked different amounts but all got the same wages.

Sometimes life is not fair. But that's not fair! I know, but we have to remember that we were saved by grace! We did not deserve the mercy and grace that the Lord has given us. We need to give grace as much as we can, but only with the Lord's help. We cannot possibly do it on our own. We have to look to the Lord to help us give grace. We also have to be careful not to put undue burdens on ourselves that God never said to do. We need to be still and wait for his direction and his perfect timing.

Lord you know that I am not perfect, that is why you sent your son Jesus for something that I could not possibly bear on my own. Thank you so much Lord for your forgiveness, you mercy, your grace, and your unconditional love. Please fill me with the Holy Spirit. 

Keep the faith

 When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith. Acts 14:21-22

The unbelieving Jews were poisoning the minds of the people against the disciples. They were violently attacked, abused and stoned, and then later Paul was stoned and left for dead. But they kept moving on to preach the gospel.

We will have trouble in this world, but God is with us carrying us through. 

Dear Lord, give us the courage to stand up for what we believe in and the strength to do what you want us to do. Help us to trust you, to look to you for wisdom, direction, protection, and comfort. Help us to hear your still small voice when you speak to us, help us to listen to your guidance. Thank you Lord for all your blessings and answering our prayers. Help us to keep pressing on. 

Fasting

 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. Acts 13-2-3

As they were fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to them. Then they prepared for their journey by fasting and praying.

Fasting and praying are necessary when you have a big decision to make, or you are looking for answers and direction from God, or to prepare for a long undertaking. 

Fasting is not easy. Fasting is not something that I want to do. Fasting is not a diet or a way to lose weight. Sometimes we are called by the Lord to fast and pray because he wants us to depend on him, to seek his will in our lives, and to trust him. Fasting takes effort, discipline, and forces me to focus on the Lord and depend on Him for my energy. When I am focused on the Lord is when I can hear Him the most.

Dear Lord, please help me when I need to take time to fast and pray for your guidance, your wisdom, and your direction. Help me to stay in tune to hear your voice when you are speaking to me. Help me to listen to you and to seek your will in my life.

Unexpected

 When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all expectation of the Jewish people." Acts 12:9-11

Peter thought he was seeing a vision. He didn't know what he was seeing was real. 

The word "expectation" jumps out at me.

God does not always do what we expect. In fact, I think He does the unexpected just so that is how we know that it is God doing it! That's how God gets the credit for the impossible! Things that are not possible for man is possible with God!

God seems to work things out differently than how I imagined, and that is how I know that He works in the impossible scenarios. All the glory to God for He can do miracles!

Thank you Lord for showing me that You are in the unexpected! Help me to be open-minded and to see you how I least expect. Thank you for answering my prayers.

Barnabas

 When Barnabas came and had seen the grace of /god, he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. Acts 11:23-26

Joseph, who was called Barnabas by the apostles, which is translated Son of Encouragement, a Levite of Cyprus, had land, sold it, and gave the money to the apostles. Acts 4:36

Barnabas brought Paul to Antioch. Acts 11:25-26

Barnabas was not a major figure in the Bible, but he brought a lot of people to the Lord, taught a great number of people, and helped the work of Paul by bringing him to Antioch. 

Barnabas was not a famous person but he played a vital role in God's Kingdom. We need to do our small part for the Lord and not worry about getting the credit. All the glory goes to God anyway. Our small part could help someone else who has a big part.

Dear Lord, please forgive me for thinking I didn't have a big enough part to play. I need to do my small part to the best of my ability that you gave me. Help me to do what you want me to do. Help me to work as unto the Lord, not for man to see me and give me complements but for you and your eternal Kingdom. Thank you Lord.

Doesn't Make Sense

 Peter said, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." Acts 10:28

Jews were not allowed to eat unclean animals. They were always taught not to marry or associate with anyone from other tribes or nations. So I guess it went against their tradition to talk to Gentiles. They probably could not understand at first why God would want them to tell the Gentiles about Jesus. But when God showed Peter that He shows no partiality and that Jesus died for all people, that's when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles also.

Sometimes God asks us to do things that we do not understand at the time. Just because that is the way something has always been done, does not necessarily make it right. Traditions can be changed. Laws can be changed. God loves everyone. God is the Creator and He loves all His children no matter what. God wants no one to perish but for all people to have everlasting life and to live with Him. We need to not judge by outward appearances. God sees our heart. God wants us to love others just like Him.

Dear Lord, please help me to give grace. Please help me to not judge by outward appearances. Please help me to have faith, especially when it doesn't make sense. Thank you Lord for your grace and your mercy.

One Small Act

 The Lord said to Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, "Arise and go...to Saul of Tarsus for behold, he is praying and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and purring his hand on him so that he might receive his sight." Then Ananias answered, "Lord I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem." But the Lord said, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear My Name before Gentiles, Kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My Name's sake." Acts 9:10-22

God spoke to Ananias in a vision, but he was afraid to go. What God was asking him to do did not make any sense to him, so he got confirmation. What if he didn't obey? Ananias obeyed even though he was afraid. Because he obeyed, Saul was healed and filled with the Holy Spirit and went on to do the works of the Lord. It's amazing how one small act of obedience can lead to so many great things.

We are going to be afraid, but we can not let that fear cripple us and stop us from doing what the Lord wants us to do. Do not fear, for the Lord your God is with you.

Dear Lord, please help me to obey you even when, especially when I am afraid. Thank you Lord that I can trust you. I can depend on you because I know that you love me as Your child and want what is best for me. You are with me so I do not have to be afraid. Thank you so much Lord for your protection and your guidance.