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.