I would like to briefly talk about Acts 27-28. As your ready through the Book of Acts, we see the Apostle Paul knows that he is supposed to appear before Caesar at Rome. Paul has faced much opposition and persecution, yet he continues to fight the good fight of faith.
In Acts 27:1-8 we see the voyage begins to Italy from Adramyttium on a grain ship, a seaport of the Roman province of Asia. Luke was likely with them during this voyage since verse 2 says “we were put to sea”. As they start their journey, we see they face difficult winds. In verses, 9-12 Paul warns the crew of the ship that there would be danger ahead since they just finished the Day of Atonement Feast (September/October).
In Acts 27:13-38 we see a great tempest of wind arises and they face many difficulties. The crew realizes they are in trouble. Acts 27:21-26 (NKJV) says, “But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. However, we must run aground on a certain island.”.
Paul explains to them the vision he had from an angel which told him they would make it to Italy so he could appear before Caesar. While the crew on the ship was worried about the present circumstance, Paul stood in faith for God’s promise. Paul could have questioned the angel about God’s promises with doubt based on the present circumstance, but he did not. He walked by faith and not by sight. Paul knew who the God he served was because Paul clearly had an intimate relationship with the Father like every believer should.
In Acts 27:38-44, we see they become shipwrecked in Malta, an island south of Sicily and Italy. Did Paul stop and say, “oh no, the angel of the Lord was wrong.”, no he continued on holding steadfast to God’s promise. We need to get to the place where we are not weighed down instantly by our circumstances. Paul could have easily been weight down and given up, but he did not.
In Acts 28:1-6 we see when they arrive at the island of Malta they are treated with “unusual kindness”. As they were on the island, we see Paul gets a viper on him and shakes it right off and it did not harm him at all. There was not any evidence he got attacked by this viper. Why is this the case? Jesus tells us in Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV), “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”. Then if we look at what Jesus said in Luke 10:19 (NKJV), “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”. This shows us that Paul knew his authority as a believer. Paul didn’t have authority because he was an apostle, he had it because he was a believer and he had revelation knowledge of his authority through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:19-20 (TPT) tells us clearly Paul had the revelation of his authority as a believer, “I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm! And now he is exalted as first above every ruler, authority, government, and realm of power in existence! He is gloriously enthroned over every name that is ever praised, not only in this age, but in the age that is coming!”.
The situation of the viper was not the only example of supernatural gifts flowing in the very last chapter of the Book of Acts. We see in Acts 28:7-10 that they came across a sick man named Publius. Paul laid hands on him, and he recovered. This is an example of Mark 16:17-18 being fulfilled in the early church. Divine healing still occurred in the very last chapter of the Book of Acts despite the fact Luke, the great physician was present. Many people like to say that the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit passed away with the Apostles. If these gifts were something that was fading away, why then in the very last chapter of the Book of Acts were there healings taking place? Hebrews 13:8 (TPT) tells us, “Jesus, the Anointed One, is always the same—yesterday, today, and forever.”. If the gifts of the Holy Spirit faded away then it would make Hebrews 13:8 invalid, and I know the God of the Bible is no liar.
Acts 28 ends with Paul finally arriving at Rome and he preaches the Gospel to Rome. This is when the Gospel message officially reaches the Gentiles. We see some people believed the message and some did not. Romans 11:11 (NKJV) tells us, “I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.”. Paul knew from the beginning that when he got to Rome, he would bring the Gospel message to the Gentiles. Could Paul have given up on his mission as an Apostle? Sure, but he did not. He pressed on to the reward. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) tells us, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”. Paul did not know how the whole path to Rome would go, he could not rely on what he saw in the natural he had to stand in faith for what he knew was promised.
The Book of Acts should encourage us to press on in faith. Paul did not waiver in doubt, he pressed on. Too many believers today want to throw in the towel when a small trial comes their way. We need to get away from looking at things with our worldly eyes and get ourselves in agreement with what the Word of God says and press on in faith.
Category Archives: Book of Acts Series 2019
A Study on Acts 25 and 26
As we study the Book of Acts, we see the persecution Paul faces. I am going to briefly go over chapters 25 and 26. We see Paul is in Caesarea and Festus, the governor, wants to go see him. The Jews bring a petition to Festus to give Paul over to them so they can kill him. However, Festus wants to see Paul himself in Caesarea.
When Festus arrives at Caesarea to hear Paul, we first see the Jews make their complaints about Paul. If you have been following along with the narrative of the Book of Acts, we see the Jews make countless claims against Paul without any evidence. How angry would you be if someone made false claims against you? Yet we do not see Paul lashing out over this, as he is one filled with the Spirit, he leads by example with the fruit of self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
We see Festus wants to do the Jews a favor, Festus would want to turn Paul over to them. However, Festus knows that Paul has done nothing wrong. Paul declares his innocence and appeals to Caesar. Paul knows that it is God’s Will for him to stand before Caesar. In verses 13-27 we see King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and they want to hear Paul. This is when Festus realized that he should not be sending a prisoner to Caesar without any charges.
In Acts 26:1-23 we see Paul tell King Agrippa about his life before he came to know Christ. He talks about how he persecuted the Early Christians. Then he begins to tell King Agrippa about his conversion. He goes into detail about his open vision of Jesus Christ. He also talks about what he was commanded to do from that vision. Paul had such a powerful conversion, he encountered Jesus Christ. Sadly, today in modern evangelism it is only about getting people to repeat a prayer with little knowledge as to why they need a Savior. This is the main reason why we have so many false converts and backsliders in the church. We need to evangelize people in a way that they have a genuine encounter with the living God. Salvation is only a work of God, not of man’s manipulative techniques.
Paul also talks about what he was commissioned to do when he preached the Gospel. After preaching Christ Crucified, Paul would call people to first repent, and secondly turn to God. Jesus tells us in Mark 1:15 (NKJV), “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”. Repentance is not just being sorry about our sin, it is turning away from it and turning to God. Yes, we still wrestle with sin after we become a New Creation, we still must deal with our flesh. 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV) tells us, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”. Notice here Paul is saying he disciplines his body and brings it into subjection, how does he do that? He does that with his spirit man. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us we are a tri-being composed of a spirit and soul, inside a body. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) tells us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].”. It is our spirit-man who is renewed upon conversion. A new creation is like a newborn baby in the natural world, he or she is innocent. This is the same way when we become a new creation in our spirit because our sins have been forgiven because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. We must grab a hold of the power of our New Creation when we walk this walk of faith! Thirdly, after Paul tells people to repent and believe, he also encourages them to “do works befitting repentance”. The word befitting means appropriate to the occasion. Salvation should produce good works; you will know a tree by its fruit!
Lastly, we see Agrippa challenges Paul to convince him to become a Christian. Paul responds in Acts 26:29 (NKJV), “And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.””. This is when King Agrippa and Festus realize that Paul is innocent. But Paul knows God’s Will is for him to appear before Caesar. Paul knows this must come to pass. As we read through the Book of Acts, we should be amazed and inspired by Paul’s trust in God’s sovereign plan.
A Study on Acts Chapter 24
In this blog post I am going to pick up from where I left off in my series on the Book of Acts. Looking back at the previous chapter. The people conform a conspiracy that they will not eat until Paul is put to death and Paul is taken to Caesarea, and he is placed in Herods Praetorium while they wait for his accusers to arrive. We see that Paul is constantly facing persecution, yet through it all he finds his strength in Jesus Christ. Finding strength in Jesus Christ is not so we can live an abundant lifestyle, it is to simply bring glory to God.
The Case is Made Against Paul
In the first portion of Acts 24 we see five days after Paul arrives his accusers come. We see Ananias along with the other Jewish elders arrive to bring evidence to the governor against Paul. The lawyer bringing forth the case, Tertullus, first gives complements to the governor Felix for bringing peace to their land. In Acts 24:5-8 (ESV) we see the accusations against Paul , “For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”. The accusations are that Paul is a plague, the Greek word for this is loimos which means a pest. Some translations write it as ‘a troublemaker’. They also accuse Paul of being a creator of conflict, a ringleader for the cult of the Nazarenes, and attempting to desecrate the temple.
Paul Pleads His Case
Paul defends himself from the accusations. Unlike Tertullus, Paul does not complement Felix, he simply pleads his case. Paul mentions how what they call a sect or cult, Paul refers to it as the Way. Paul also makes mention of the resurrection of the dead, which is something that is very controversial between different groups of the Jews. The resurrection of the dead is not only mentioned in the New Testament, but also in the Old Testament, Daniel 12:2 (ESV) says, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”.
More Discussion Between Paul and Felix
We see Paul also mentions about striving spiritually in verse 16. (AMP) “In view of this, I also do my best and strive always to have a clear conscience before God and before men.”. In the ESV this is written as “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”. We need to be striving spiritually. We need to be striving in our personal discipleship, we need to be striving towards a holy and sanctified lifestyle. John Piper says it best “the world does not need cool Christians who are culturally saturated. It needs exiles with the scent of heaven and the aroma of Christ.”. I would like to challenge every Christian to the question, are you culturally saturated right now, or do you have the aroma of Christ? With all that is going on in 2020, it is easy for us Christians to become culturally saturated. We have a particularly important election coming up in just a matter of weeks. Everyone of us has our own opinions that we are vocal about regarding what is going on. Christians should vote according to our Biblical convictions. However, what should our message be this time of year? Are we supposed to be trying to shove a particular candidate down people’s throats? Or are we to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples? No politician will save this country! Yes, God can appoint people to carry out certain tasks, but no politician is this nations savior. One day every President in this nation whether genuinely saved or not will have to bow down to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
We see that while Felix waits for Lysias to come and testify that he becomes troubled when Paul discusses self-control righteousness, and the Last Judgement. Felix sends Paul away but continually calls him back to have conversation with him. He does this to have favor with the Jews. We see that Festus takes over after and Paul will now have to testify for him. Self-control is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. If we lack any of the fruits of the Spirit, then we need to spend time in prayer and lean on Christ in our weakness. We must fight the good fight of faith and fight against all the lusts of the flesh!
Sinful Desires
Romans 6:12, “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.”. With the sexual immorality that is in our ‘entertainment’ system it can become so easy for us to fall into the many traps of sin. When temptation comes our way, we must acknowledge it and respond Biblically. We need to be well-grounded in the Word of God. Jesus responded to the devil when tempted with Scripture. If you are being tempted realize it right away, pick up your Bible, begin to pray, put some worship music on. We need to make war when it comes to temptation. Not every sinful habit immediately falls off when we are born again, that is why we need to develop a good lifestyle of discipleship.
Temple of Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us our physical body is the temple of the Holy Spirit indwelling in us. When we are genuinely born again, the Holy Spirit enters us. We need to treat our bodies as temples. Imagine if you owned a million-dollar mansion, you would not let it turn into a dump, you would properly maintain it. We are to treat our bodies with care. That includes what we allow ourselves to see and hear, be incredibly careful of what you entertain yourself with. We also must take good care of our bodies in a physical sense. We must eat healthy and not let ourselves live an unhealthy lifestyle.
Righteousness
Paul also talked about righteousness. Romans 3:21-26 tells us how by using the Law we see how unrighteous and guilty we were. However, because of God loved us so much He laid our punishment out on Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. Blood was shed for our sins; the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus Christ to pay the price for our sins. We must all repent of our sins and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. We are unable to be righteous by our own strength, it is not possible. Righteousness is only achievable through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. You will not be more righteous because of doing good works or saying the Rosary. Genuine Salvation will of course bring forth good works as a result, Jesus tells us that they will know us by our fruits.
There are many important points in Acts 24, I encourage you to study and meditate on this chapter in your own private time with the Lord. With all that is going on in the world right now, we must realize how important it is for us to be students of Gods Word. We must take time with it each and every single day. Before you read it each day, pray that God grants your spiritual knowledge and revelation, and also keep your mind clear and focused as your read His Word.
Tongues Explained with Caution
This is a post I wrote last year that I have updated and am reposting. The gift of tongues is a widely debated subject in the church, and it needs addressed. If we only study the Gift of Tongues from the Book of Acts then we will not get the full picture, along with important instructions. If we look in the New Testament, we will find the mention of four different types of tongues.
#1: Tongues as a Sign
The first type of tongue I would like to discuss is tongues for unbelievers, this is for public ministry. This type of tongue is the one that took place on the Day of Pentecost, believers from the Upper Room came down to a large group of unbelievers who spoke different languages and the believers were speaking in the different languages of the unbelievers. Keep in mind the believers did not mentally know the languages of the unbelievers, they were only able to speak tongues because the Holy Spirit gave them the words. Acts 2:4 (AMP) says “And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].”. This type of tongue is an earthly language, for example you might have someone who comes to your church that only speaks French and everyone else speaks English. Someone in your church who truly has this gift would be able to minister to the French speaking person in tongues as the Holy Spirit gives them utterance.
#2: Tongues for Interpretation
The second type of tongue is tongues for interpretation, which is also for public ministry. This is when one speaks in tongues to the whole church and then someone else interprets it. This will require one person to speak in tongues, and then for someone to interpret the tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:27-28(NKJV) tells us, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.”. Why would we want someone to speak in tongues and then interpret it for the whole church during service? The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NKJV) “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”. All these things are to be done for edification of the body of Christ. Edify means to improve or instruct spiritually. So, when one gives a message in tongues in front of the church there should be an interpretation so that the church can be edified.
#3: Tongues for Personal Edification
I would like to move on to the two private types of tongues, and the first one is your personal prayer language. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:2 (AMP) “For one who speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak to people but to God; for no one understands him or catches his meaning, but by the Spirit he speaks mysteries [secret truths, hidden things].”. I would like you to notice that is uses the word unknown tongue, which is probably a language not known on earth. Having your own personal prayer language is important because you edify yourself, 1 Corinthians 14:4 tells us, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.”. In the next verse we will find that Paul wants us all to speak in tongues, he also mentions the importance and greatness of prophesy and tongues with interpretation, “I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.”.
#4: Tongues for Intercession
The last type of tongue I would like to discuss is tongues for intercession. Romans 8:26-27 (AMP) tells us, “In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will.”. I believe that tongues for intercession will usually come during your personal time in praying in the Spirit. With intercession you might be interceding for your own self or for someone else. The important take away is this is as the Spirit gives you utterance.
Gifts Given as the Spirit Wills
So now enough about tongues, lets talk about all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul told us the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV), “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”. Notice it says different types of tongues, hence why I just discussed the four different types of tongues. I would also like to point out that all these gifts are controlled by God through the Holy Spirit and given out accordingly to believers. Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 12:11 (NKJV), “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”. I would like to encourage you to not become jealous if someone else you know flows in more gifts of the Spirit than you do, God will not bless everyone the same exact way, therefore your testimony is your testimony, not someone else’s.
You Must Repent and Believe First
I would also like to talk about receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The first thing that needs to happen is you need to be born again (repent and believe). When one truly becomes born again you receive the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is what makes you a new creation in Jesus Christ. I would like to point out that true salvation should be the priority in the church before one receives the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 (NKJV) tells us, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”. When one is truly born again and then asks and receives the true infilling of the Holy Spirit they must walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 (NKJV) says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”. We must not only walk in the Spirit but also flow in the Spirit. Jesus said in John 3:8 (NKJV), “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”.
Cessationism Is Not Biblical
I would now like to address a popular teaching that many people hear and that is that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for today and that they ended with the Apostles. The one scripture they will use in this teaching is 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NKJV), “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”. However, we must read on from this verse, lets look at verse 10 “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”. I personally believe that the only way that it can be perfect is when Jesus returns. Some may argue that the word perfect is referring to the completion of the New Testament. I disagree because of Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV), “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”. When looking at Hebrews 13:8 I also keep in mind the trinity which you can read into further in Matthew 28:18-20.
Spiritual Gifts Do Get Abused
However, I will agree there is an issue when it comes to all the gifts of the Holy Spirit today in the church. We need to number one be aware of false prophets and teachers. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:15 (NKJV) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”. Why do we need to be aware of false prophets? Well false teachings will lead one to hell, Satan is working aggressively to get people to fall into the trap of false teachings to land people in hell for eternity. Before warning us of false prophets Jesus also told us in Matthew 7:14 (NKJV), “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”. If you read further you will find that Jesus gave another warning regarding these false prophets, He said in Matthew 7:22-23 (NKJV) “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”. There are many ministers who focus on the signs and wonders rather than true salvation. Some examples of those who practice lawlessness are those who teach a watered-down gospel, fail to teach on true salvation, and those ministers who focus on making money. We should not just be seeking Jesus for the signs; we should be seeking Him because without Him we will spend eternity in hell. The type of Apostasy we are seeing today has been warned to us in 1 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV), “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”. So, could there be a false Holy Spirit in churches? Absolutely Satan will do anything to deceive people. Anything done in the church needs to be done carefully and in order, that is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NKJV), “Let all things be done decently and in order.”.
I encourage you as you follow certain ministers on mainstream to really be careful. Just because it is mainstream Christianity does not mean it is Biblically correct. I would like to point out that anytime that someone speaks in tongues that it must be done with utterance from the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues cannot be done on demand, but only as the Holy Spirit gives you utterance. I encourage you if you haven’t already to ask God to give you a fresh and new infilling of the Holy Spirit and that you can flow in the gifts that are of His will for you.
Further Reading
Today’s Christian Culture vs. The Early Church
In this blog post, I would like to talk about Acts chapter 23. Paul is right now before the Sanhedrin council and states that he has lived all his life in good conscience with God. However, we see that the high priest, Ananias, does not believe that and asks for people to stone Paul. Paul responds in verse three by rebuking the Ananias for trying to appear righteous outwardly but being corrupt inwardly. This reminds me of Jeremiah 5:31 (ESV) which says, “the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?”. This was a problem in then and today. We got false prophets and teachers in the world today, and I would say it is far worse today with the impact of social media. We are warned that in the end days that there will be a great falling away, that has already started years ago even before the start of the century we are currently in, and it is only going to get worse. Yet people who profess to be Christians love what these false teachers say and do.
Modern Christian Culture and the Broad Way
I believe it is evident not just here, but in the many letters, Paul wrote that he was strong in the gift of discernment. He relied on the Holy Spirit to discern good from evil. Sadly, today many Christians do not take five seconds to even double-check what they are hearing from the pulpit or hear on ‘Christian’ radio. We live in such a digital world, that people’s credibility is determined by how many followers they have or how popular they are. Jesus warned us of this in Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV), “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”. I am 100-percent convinced that a good majority of what we see in main-stream Christianity will not lead one to the narrow gate. Why do I say that? Well, Jesus said, “those who find the narrow gate are few”. Just because its what you see at the Christian bookstore does not mean it will line up with Scripture. Am I saying every minister is going to be 100-percent perfect? Absolutely not, but we must learn where to draw the line at as Christians. Look at the world around us right now, we are getting so close to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Now is not the time to be messing with what is popular to the world with a dip of the Bible in it. We must be real and genuine believers; we are called to be different than the world.
Pharisee’s vs. Sadducee’s
After Paul calls out the high priest, he then states he is a son of a Pharisee and believes in the resurrection of the dead. There is a huge debate between Pharisees and Sadducees, we even see this in the four Gospels. After Paul said this the scribes of the Pharisees say they find no evil in Paul and to let Paul go and not fight against God. This led to tension between everyone, and the guards have Paul taken out and put in the castle. Just looking back on Paul’s life right now, he has had it very rough. He has suffered much physical and emotional harm from people, yet he never threw in the towel. Are you and I ready to give a defense for the Gospel? Or are we just going to back down? Romans 1:16 (ESV) tells us, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”. We are not to be ashamed of the Gospel.
Books of Acts Destroys the Modern Name it and Claim it Prosperity Gospel
As Paul is in the castle that evening, the Lord spoke to him. He told Paul that he will also bear witness of the Gospel in Rome, and to be of good cheer. God knew that Paul would face opposition and challenge. It was not in God’s plan for Paul to have his best life on this earth. Paul faced much persecution and eventually was beheaded. Yet in America, modern Christianity promises us our best life now with the name it and claim it saying, “I am a victor, not a victim”. How many of us are truly willing to be beheaded or take a bullet for the Gospel? Really be honest. Because in America I believe we have developed a form of lukewarm Christianity and would not be prepared at all for major persecution. The church in America has lacked Biblical boldness and has more of an ego than anything else. We have gotten too far from the place where we have let our culture influence how we look at the Bible, rather than letting the Bible influence our overall mindset.
Wake Up Church
I am not trying to be condemning here, I am trying to wake people up to the truth. Jesus will return one day, and He has eyes of fire that you do not want to mess with. Now is not the time to be playing games. We need to live with the mindset of truly not being ashamed of the Gospel. Paul did whatever it took to obey God by preaching the Gospel everywhere he went. Are we willing to do whatever it takes with what God has called you and me to do? We need to step it up. More people are fearful of a virus and following all the guidelines than they are fearful of God and following all that He commands of us.
A Conspiracy is Formed
Continuing with Acts chapter 23 we see that the following day over 40 people formed a conspiracy to take an oath to not eat anything until they killed Paul. Things begin to get even more serious; people are taking oaths to kill Paul. Paul’s nephew ends up going to the commander and telling him privately about this manner. We see that the commander gathers up 200 men the take Paul safely to Governor Felix. The commander, Claudius Lysias lets the governor know, by a letter, about Paul’s accusations and that he was sending him over because he was a Roman. When Paul arrives at Caesarea, he is put in Herods Praetorium while they wait for his accusers to arrive.
Jesus is All We Need
Again, as we look at the life of Paul, he did much traveling and he has been around the block when it comes to persecution. We must put ourselves in the shoes of those who do missionary work in hostile countries. I have great respect for anyone who goes to do missionary work in hostile countries. A couple years ago I went to a Voice of the Martyrs Conference in West Virginia and heard many missionaries speak on their experience with persecution. They all had one thing in common when they spoke, they were all filled with true joy. James 1:2-4 (ESV) tells us, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”. We count trials joy because it produces steadfastness, it grows our faith in the Lord. Psalm 107:9 (NASB) tells us, “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.”. We need to come to a place that no matter what goes on in our life that Jesus is all satisfying. Because if we lack that as our mindset, we will lean towards the sinful means of this world to satisfy us.
Acts 21:37-22:30 — A Reflection on Real Christianity
I have been working on making some changes that you will soon see on this blog, which is why I have not posted as much as usual. I wanted to pick back up in the Book of Acts. In my last post, I left off on Acts 21:36 which is where Paul was attacked in Jerusalem and taken to the barracks.
Acts 21:37-40
In verses 37 thru 40, we see that Paul asks the commander if he is permitted to speak, the commander is surprised by Paul’s use of the Greek language. In verse 40 it says Paul spoke to the people in Hebrew, he was likely to be speaking in Aramaic since this was considered the new Hebrew. Paul also states that he is a Roman citizen from Tarsus, a city of importance.
Acts 22:1-4
This is where we see Paul’s first apologetic speech that is documented in the Book of Acts. Apologetics is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as, “reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine.”. Many Christians do not realize the importance of apologetics today. Apologetics is necessary to defend the faith, there are many great people in this field who serve God. An example of this would be defending the Biblical account of creation over the theory of the Big Bang or Evolution. If you are going to be going to a college in the fall, I would highly recommend to you to study some apologetics on Genesis. We must stand strong on our faith!
During Paul’s speech, he first introduces himself and provides his background. We then see that he talks about how before he became a Christian, he was involved with ordering persecutions of Christians. This right here is an example that we must pray for our enemies. Even though we cannot tolerate what our enemies do, we must pray for their Salvation.
Acts 22:6-21
Paul goes on and talks about the encounter he had with Jesus, which you can read the full account in Acts chapter nine. Those who were around Paul when this happened, as he recounts what took place had great fear over the light, which was the Glory of God, that they saw. When the presence of God came in Acts chapter nine, during Paul’s encounter, the presence of God was taken seriously. People were not joking around or taking it lightly, they were fearful of what they were experiencing.
The Presence of God
In John 8:12 (ESV), Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”. Jesus is the light of the world. This light they saw in Acts during Paul’s encounter was referring to Jesus being the light of the world. The light of Jesus is brighter than anything we can ever imagine. The people that were around when this took place in the Book of Acts became fearful of what was going on because the presence of God was there. They were not joking among themselves or carrying on like they normally would, they were afraid. Yet today when God’s presence supposedly shows up in many churches, people are still on their cell phones. Really? I would honestly question what type of presence showed up at your church. I can say with assurance that most churches today do not really know what the true presence of God is like. Why do I say that? I say that because a lot of what I have seen, and other people have seen shows that the church in America on average has little to no reverence for our Lord.
Let us look at Exodus 3:5 (ESV), “Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”. Now let us look at Leviticus 19:30 (ESV), “You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord”. Why am I pointing these Scripture out? Because if we want the presence of God to truly show up in our church services to convict and reveal people’s sin, then our houses of worship must give reverence to God. Why are so many churches in America and around the world looking like the bars and night clubs of the world? Why are so many churches making it casual to come to worship Jesus? The new norm in the church is “go grab your favorite drink and get comfortable”. Really? That is not the God of the Bible, and that is not the God I worship.
Proverbs 1:7 (ESV) tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”. Having true knowledge from God is reflected in a sincerely God-fearing character. We have too many people who claim to be Bible-believing Christians and are concerned about going against the trends and customs of this world more than they are fearful of the Living God. Hebrews 12:28 (ESV) instructs us, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,”. If we are profoundly grateful for the gift of Salvation, then it should be reflected by how we worship God. We need to get back to having total reverence to God.
Acts 21:22-30
Going back to the Book of Acts we see that Paul also talks about meeting Ananias. He is the one who baptizes and converts Paul. We then see the people listening to Paul speak tell him to stop speaking and condemn him and want him to be put away. The leaders realize that since Paul is a Roman, they are unable to put him away or mistreat him. Because of this the Sanhedrin council becomes divided and Paul is put in the protection of Roman soldiers.
Final Thoughts
This chapter gives us another opportunity to review Paul’s conversion to Christianity. Before he became a Christian, he was in a position of power, after he became a Christian he was in a position of persecution and poor health. Yet he still pushed on. He did not live his best life now; he was not prosperous in the sense of earthly things. Yet why do so many Christians think they are entitled to chase these things? Christianity is not built on the wealth of men, but on the blood of men. Let us take the time to really re-evaluate how we view our Christian walk. Are we seeking power for our own gain, or are we seeking God alone diligently because we need a Savior?
Acts 21:1-36: What Do You Represent?
Introduction
In this blog post, I am going to discuss the majority of chapter 21 in the Book of Acts. As always, I encourage you to take the time to read this chapter in its entirety. In the first six verses of chapter 21, we see that Paul and his travel companions go to the following areas on their way to Jerusalem: Cos, Rhoades, Patara, Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Syria. They finally end up in Tyre. During Paul’s travel, he always sought out other believers. It is important that we find likeminded people to be around.
Insight from Holy Spirit
The believers in Trye determined by the Holy Spirit to tell Paul not to go to Jerusalem. They knew in their spirit that afflictions awaited Paul in Jerusalem. Acts 21:4 (ESV) tells us, “And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit, they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.”. The Message version translates this portion as “Their message to Paul, from insight given by the Spirit, was “Don’t go to Jerusalem.”. It is so important that we rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will give us insight regarding someone else. Maybe you feel the urge to call and/or pray for a person. When you feel this, seek God on how to follow through and be obedient.
Biblically Correct-Reverance
Paul knew that afflictions would await him when he traveled. I believe this is another reason as to why he sought out believers as he traveled. Acts 20:23 (ESV) tells us, “Except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”. Paul was clearly aware of this in chapter 21, and his fellow believers in Tyre confirmed this. At the end of his stay at Tyre we see in verses 5-6 (ESV), “When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.”. I would really like to draw your attention to where it says, ‘And kneeling down’. How often do you see that in the Protestant churches today? Look at Acts 20:36 (ESV), “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.”. Did he form a prayer line with a catcher standing behind a person? No, not once do you see that in Scripture. Paul set an example; he gave reverence to the Lord. We need to learn to bring reverence back to the churches! When was the last time you were in church and knelt together as a body to pray for one another? It rarely happens much anymore. I am not trying to condemn any practices in the different church circles, I am just saying we really need to consider how Biblically correct we are. Jesus Christ is coming back for a pure bride, and part of being a pure bride involves reverence. Hebrews 12:28 (ESV) tells us, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe”. I could write a novel or two on how the church has lost reverence for the Lord, but I will save that for another time.
Paul in Caesarea
In verses seven thru sixteen, we see that they travel from Tyre to Ptolemais, which is a 20-mile journey. They then travel 40 miles to Caesarea, likely by ship. When Paul and his travel companions arrive at Caesarea they stay at the house of Philip, the evangelist. One fact about Philip is found that he is one of the seven from Acts 6:1-5. Additionally, we see that he had daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Then we see a Prophet by the name of Agabus come along who prophecies how Paul will be treated symbolically in Acts 21:11 (ESV), “And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’””. Agabus is introduced to us in Acts 11:28 (ESV), which says, “And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).”.
Trust in God’s Sovereignty
Regardless of what others tell Paul, he still intends to go to Jerusalem. Paul responds in Acts 21:13-14 (ESV), “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.””. Paul fully trusted in God as he would face persecution for the sake of Jesus Christ. Paul trusted in God’s sovereign will 100-percent. How many of us today truly trust in God’s sovereign will for our lives? Psalm 115:3 (ESV) says, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”. We must fully trust in God’s sovereign will for our lives, too many people want to win favor with God to accomplish their own personal gain. We must have our mindset focused on God’s Will alone.
As we read on in Acts 21, we see Paul and his companions travel from Caesarea to Jerusalem, which is about a 65-mile journey. They stay at Mnasons home, likely about halfway through the journey.
Finally in Jerusalem
In verses 17-26 we see they finally reach Jerusalem and were gladly received by the brethren. Paul goes along with James and the elders and tells them all what God has done through his ministry thus far. As Paul talks to them, we see they are concerned as to how the people will respond to Paul since they know his stance on circumcision (referring to the law). So, they have Paul join a group of men who took a vow for purification, and he goes with them to the temple to complete the sacrifices the next day.
Paul is Attacked
In verses 27-36, we see that near the end of the purification days, some Jews from Ephesus who knew of Paul decided to yell in the Temple about Paul’s teachings regarding circumcision. These Jews cause a large commotion in the Temple and drag Paul out of the Temple and lock him out. We see that the people were trying to kill Paul, and this rapidly turned into a riot. The guards captain heard about this and went to the scene with some soldiers, and the people immediately backed off Paul. They wanted Paul to be chained but the captain could not get enough information on what the reason was, because of all the commotion. Paul is then carried by the soldiers to the barracks. In my next blog post, we will look at what takes place at the barracks.
Final Thoughts
I would really like to challenge you to examine yourself on how much reverence you give to God. Not only in church, but in your personal life. Do you tell unclean jokes, have vulgar language, addicted to something, or have anything in your life that goes against the Word of God? We must examine ourselves daily because we as Christians represent God. If we really appreciate the atonement for salvation on the Cross, then we should have a burning desire to lead a life that represents God with total reverence. How we live our lives as Christians is a testimony unto others. What kind of testimony are you giving?
Acts Chapter 20: Foundational Truths
Introduction
As we have seen through the Book of Acts, there are many important lessons and principles found in this book of the Bible. We must note while the church may never exactly function the way it did in the Book of Acts, we still have many principles to apply from this book.
Acts 20:1-3: In It for Personal Gain?
In the first three verses of chapter twenty, we see Paul travels from Macedonia to Greece. He stays in Greece for three months and then the Jews plot against him. Paul then goes back through Macedonia. We must realize that the Apostle Paul faced much persecution, trials, and tribulations in his life. His life was by no means ‘his best life now’. 1 Corinthians 4:11-13 (KNJV) tells us, “To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.”. This Scripture tells us that as Christians we are not promised a problem-free life on earth. We will face tribulation, trials, and persecution. The Bible does not guarantee us a luxurious lifestyle on Earth. I really will never understand the basis of the people who get behind the pulpit and believe God for private jets. These ministers are false prophets because they want to use the Gospel as a means for a luxurious lifestyle for their gain. Paul also told us in 2 Corinthians 2:15-17 (NKJV), “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”. The words ‘many, peddling’ in this Scripture means false prophet. This Scripture is talking about false prophets who are only in the business for their gain. This just gives us a warning as to how the Gospel has become so Americanized.
Acts 20:4-12
In verse four through twelve Paul’s traveling companions meet him and they sail from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread. After the feast, they end up in Troas and it was the first day of the week and they broke bread together. While Paul was gathered with disciples on the third floor of a building a man falls from the third story and dies. Paul then goes and prays over the man and goes back with the disciples to break bread. We then see the man who was dead rises back up. Paul and the disciples did not let this situation stop them from breaking bread.
Acts 20:13-24: Not to Be Moved by Tribulation
In the next few verses, we see Paul travel from Troas to Miletus. Paul then wants to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. As Paul goes to Ephesus, he speaks to the church elders and tells them how he served the Lord in humility and with many tears. Oh, how if the church today could get back to the call of anguish. There is a great teaching by David Wilkerson on anguish. We also see how Paul talks about how he faced tribulation in many cities he went to, but he was not moved by it. How come we become so easily moved by the situations in our lives or the world? We must not be moved as Paul tells us in verse twenty-four. Additionally, Paul says that his life on earth is worth nothing, he has this mentality because he is completely and fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. We must be like this, we should not want our lives, we should only focus on glorifying God more and more every single day. We must strive to finish what God has called us to do with our lives for His Glory alone.
Acts 20:25-31: Importance of Overseers
In verses, twenty-five through thirty-one Paul talks about the importance of overseers in the church and warns of false prophets. Paul warned us about false prophets because we will be in great danger if we believe a false gospel. In verse thirty-one he tells us he “did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears”. Here we go again it should hurt us inside when we see people falling false doctrines and false prophets. We need to see things the way Jesus sees them. Paul tells us to be watchful in this passage and 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV) “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”. He also tells us to be vigilant in Colossians 4:2 (NKJV), “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving”.
Acts 20:32-36: Scripture and Grace Alone (5 Solas)
In the last few verses, we see the importance of the Word of God and Grace. We are complete in Christ as it is written in Colossians 2:10 (NKJV), “and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”. Additionally, we are complete with Scripture also. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”. It is very important to take this concept home of being made complete with Scripture and with Grace through Jesus Christ. Sadly, today many people will take a ‘prophecy’ spoken over them more seriously than the Word of God. Many people today will make it more of a priority to seek physical healing over true Salvation. I have seen too many healing services where nothing on the correct Gospel was taught. Sermons must all have a foundation of the Gospel and then built upon from there. Don’t get me wrong I believe our God is willing and able to do miraculous things far beyond our imaginations, while at the same time focusing on the foundation of the Gospel is our number one priority. In verse thirty-six we see before Paul departed that he knelt and prayed with the disciples. He didn’t have any prayer line, he knelt and prayed with them. Oh, how greatly we need to kneel in church services more and more and learn to give God reverence.
Final Thoughts
There were so many things I covered in this post, and I encourage you to go through this chapter on your own time and study it for yourself and meditate on it. I feel today we as a church need to get back to the foundation of the Gospel because there is so much distortion. We need to learn to take diligent time to meditate on Scripture, worship our God as a church and individually, and rely on the Holy Spirit in our prayer life.
Acts 19:21-41: Determining in Your Spirit
Introduction
In my previous blog post, we looked at Acts 19:1-20, so if you have not read that post yet be sure to check it out first! We previously saw some great revival take place in the first part of Acts chapter 19. We also looked at some great revelation regarding the gift of tongues and prophecy. We are also going to look at the importance of reasoning in the spirit.
Acts 19:21-22
Acts 19:21-22 we see that after the great working of God that took place through Paul in the previous verses that Paul plans on going through Macedonia and Achaia to get to Jerusalem. He also plans that he will then go to Rome. However, he sends Timothy and Erastus ahead of him while he stays on the west side of Asia for a while longer.
A Note Regarding the Word Spirit
Acts 19:21 (NKJV) says “When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”. Paul purposed in his spirit what he would do. Some synonyms for the word purpose are to intend, aim, plan, and design. If we look in the Amplified Bible, it translates it as “Paul determined in his Spirit”. One important note regarding the many translations of the Bible that we have available today is that when they translate the word spirit, they often capitalize on the letter ‘s’ when it should be lowercase. When the ‘s’ is uppercase it signifies that it is referring to the Holy Spirit, however, when it is lowercase it is referring to the human spirit of an individual or even our human spirit when it is written in the context of instruction such as in Paul’s letters. In the case of Acts 19:21, it should be lowercase ‘s’ since it is referring to Paul’s spirit.
Determining in Your Spirit
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) tells us we are a three-part being, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”. In my previous teaching, I wrote about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is necessary to walk in the fullness of what God has called you to do for His Kingdom. So is your spirit man of this world or is it of God? Too often many people have a dual spirit man, meaning it is not fully submitted to the Holy Spirit. Often people will make their decisions based on what logic tells them to do rather than reasoning in their spirit what they should do. If we truly reasoned in our spirit with total submission to the Holy Spirit our lives would be so much more different.
Acts 19:23-41
In the remaining verses, we see a commotion arises over the Gospel. Demetris a silversmith that made shrines of the other gods, tells his fellow workers that what Paul was teaching condoned their line of work. The city then was stirred up and they took Paul’s travel companions, Gaius and Aristarchus. When Paul arrived, they would not let him into the theater where they were gathered. While all these people were gathered Scripture tells us that the people of the assembly were confused. The people did not even know why they were there regarding this matter. This all resulted from just one person stirring the pot to condemn Christianity. We know that confusion does not come from God. 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV) tells us, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”. We see that the city clerk ends up dismissing the case that was being brought up against Paul’s travel companions. Demetrius was simply upset because Paul and his follower’s teachings upset their profit from the Diana cult. Today we have many people who get upset over true Christians who stand firm on Scripture regardless of what is politically correct. We must always remember to stand firm.
Final Thoughts
One of the most important keys to take away from this blog post is recognizing the correct capitalization of the word ‘spirit’ within the Bible. When you have this understanding as you read the Bible you will begin to get deeper revelations. It may even be worth it to make a notation in your Bible as you notice the incorrect capitalization for the word spirit. I also challenge you to apply what I taught on in this blog post which would be to focus on walking in the spirit man you are and to put away any duality.
Acts 19:1-20
Acts 19:1-7: Paul in Ephesus
In the first seven verses of Acts chapter 19, we see that Paul is in Ephesus and the disciples in that area only knew the baptism of John. Paul does correct them on their doctrine, and they all become converted and are then baptized with water and then receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Notice in verse six tells us “And when Paul laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied”.
Acts 19:8-10: Paul Doing His Custom
In the next few verses, we will see that Paul continues to do his custom, which was to preach the Gospel and reason with people in the synagogues. Acts 17:2 (NKJV) tells us, “Then Paul, as his custom was, went into them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures”. Additionally, this was a custom Jesus had also as we see in Luke 4:16 (NKJV), “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.”. As we see in verse eight in Acts chapter 19 Paul spoke concerning the things of the Kingdom of God. I truly feel the church needs to focus back on the things regarding the Kingdom of God and that we need to become more Kingdom Minded in our everyday lives. Too many people want to sleep at the devil’s throne Monday-Saturday while only spending Sundays in the outer courts of Gods Throne. We also see in verses nine and ten that the people rejected Paul’s teaching, and this led to Paul going to the School of Tyrannus for 2 years. This school was in Asia and when Paul was there both Jews and Greeks heard the Word of God.
Acts 19:11-12: Unusual Miracles
In verses 11-20 we see that God worked ‘unusual miracles’ through Paul. Acts 19:12 (NKJV) says “so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”. Paul was truly anointed by God; he was fully sold out for the things of God. Can we still anoint handkerchiefs and other pieces of fabric for today? Well yes, none of the Three People of the Godhead have changed, nor will They ever change. This move of God through Paul was very similar to what we see with Peter in Acts 5:15 (NKJV) “so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.”.
Acts 19:13-20: Imitators and Magicians
As we go on in verses 13-17, we see that some Jewish exorcists tried to imitate Paul and it backfired on them drastically. So bad that the person who was demon-possessed jumped on them. The demonic spirit even spoke to them in verse 15 “And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”. Both Jesus and Paul were filled with the Holy Spirit, these Jewish exorcists were not. Two things Paul and Jesus had in common was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, of course, Jesus had the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Him. This just shows us that who we are in private is who we will be in public and when we do spiritual warfare. Also, we see in the remaining verses that many people believed and even people who practiced magic burned their books. Anything that is of the devil’s realm we should have nothing to do with.
Final Thoughts
I covered a lot of material in this blog post. It is my prayer that you seek God more diligently every day and get to know Him on a deeper level every day. We must learn to be more Kingdom Minded rather than earthly minded. I see far too many people who are in church and are earthly-minded and carnal than they are Kingdom Minded. It is so important we seek greater manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives for God’s glory.