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)

Day 173: Acts 14:8-28

"Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” - Acts 14:17 ESV

Speaking to an utterly pagan audience, Paul breaks down the reality of God's grace in our lives, even if we are living in ignorant rebellion. There is no good thing that doesn't come from God (see James 1:17). God's goodness and favor are not just limited to those who have been regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is also showing great care for those who have yet to say "yes" to His saving power.

What a great thought to pass through our minds as we turn to share the message of Jesus' love with those we encounter. We need to remind them of how good God has been to them, giving life and provision, even though they've been rejecting Him.

God sustaining this world and those that live in it is one of His most outstanding witnesses of love.

Dennis Gaertner says it so well: "Provisions of divine providence were thus a testimony to God’s goodness." Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts (Ac 14:14–18)

Sure, because of sin, this place isn't perfect. There is death, sickness, pain, hate, apathy, injustice, and many more ugly things; but we can't let them distract us from the miracle of our continued existence on earth.

God has given us the witness. Now it's time for us to call it to the attention of those who are lost without hope: "Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated 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 once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." - Ephesians 2:12-13 ESV

Day 172: Acts 13:42-52, 14:1-7

“So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.” - Acts 14:3 ESV

In Iconium, as in every other city, Paul and Barnabas had set the entire community on fire with an awareness of God's presence through powerful teaching. The signs and wonders that followed were just further proof that this wasn't a hoax. Jesus was still alive and working among them.

The Jewish leaders again felt threatened and saw the need to stir up trouble. The entire town was divided. Still, progress was being made. People were confessing Jesus as Lord, receiving the grace of God.

Ever feel like resistance is high, and progress is slow? For Paul and Barnabas, it didn’t faze them. The message of Jesus was too important, and God gave them glimpses of what He was doing in the hearts of so many people.

God will give us the glimpses we need as well to keep going.

Don't be discouraged. Know that this isn't heaven. Remind yourself that even these powerful Apostles struggled with opposition. Also, we may need to reload with the following verse.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." - 1 John 4:4 NIV

"Paul and Barnabas decided that in view of the hostility they must spend some time in the town, and they continued to witness boldly in dependence on the power of God." - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts. (Vol. 5, p. 247)

Day 171: Acts 13:16-41

“but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” - Acts 13:37-39 ESV

Did you notice in our reading for today how adamant Paul was about testifying to Jesus' resurrection? It is blowing my mind how little he actually mentions what was happening on the cross. Instead, he chose to focus on the historical veracity of Jesus being condemned to death and being taken down from the cross (verse 29). But when it came to the resurrection, Paul knew that if these Jews were to understand what happened when Jesus rose, their justification wasn't far away. Paul leaned on the Israelites' Hebrew Bible to show them how well laid out God's plan for Jesus' resurrection was.

Many people in the first century were crucified. For instance, in 4 BC alone, the Roman general Varus was said to have crucified 2,000 Jews at one time. None were raised from the dead.

In contrast, Jesus wasn't in the grave long enough to see decay (Psalm 16:10), and this is how we know forgiveness through belief in HIs name is possible. We won't find this freedom in the pursuit of flawless morality.

Millions have tried that.

It doesn't work.

If we want to be set free from every sin, we must trust in the resurrected Jesus alone.

"From beginning to end, the faith of Christ rests on the solid ground of established facts; it does not depend on dreams and visions, nor on logical deductions or intuitions of the human reason; it is built on well-attested facts." - Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (1909). Acts of the Apostles (Vol. 1, p. 414)