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Acts 24-25

I remember a book that I was reading, a long time ago.  I do not remember the name of it or the actual content.  What I do remember is being scared.  Really scared.  But not in the way that you might think.  I mean, when you think about being scared, we usually think about something evil.  But this was not the case.  It’s not evil that I was afraid of.  It was holy.

I think that my experience was similar to Felix’s.  You may want to reread it in Acts 24-25.  Let me set the stage.  He was talking to Jesus, and Jesus was telling him of our behavior and God’s judgment that would soon be upon us.  Then, “as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed.”

Stop for a moment and think about Felix’s alarm.  What was he afraid of?  Do you see it?  Felix was not afraid of something evil.  He was afraid of something good.  Jesus was showing him the Holy, and he could not hear it.  What is it about the holy that we do not want to hear?  Simply put, it’s the price.

If you can tolerate the old English, it is worth listening to John Calvin.  He says that we  “do desire to hear the gospel preached.”  But, he continues, as soon as we have heard, we do by and by either loathe, or else they cannot suffer it.” Do you hear it?

There are only two reasons, according to Calvin.  First, we may loathe it.  That means that we disagree with it.  We want to fight it.  That does not describe me.  If you are reading this, it probably does not describe you either.  Instead, I am the one that “cannot suffer it.”  Do you know what that means?  It means that I am not willing to give up myself.  I cannot fathom sacrificing my own agenda for his.  That would mean too much suffering for me!

Is there a limit to your suffering?  A point that you no longer want to follow Jesus because it’s just too hard?  The answer is yes.  It is too hard.   I am thankful for his grace.

For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

*Written by Delaney Bandy

Acts 24 covers approximately 2 years of time surrounding Paul’s trial before Governor Felix in Caesarea Maritima.

Paul’s accusers made their case against him by standing before Felix, the governor, and his wife, Drusilla. They condemned him for being the “ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” Deeming him as dangerous, they claimed that he had defiled the temple (v. 1-7).

Once the governor allowed Paul to speak, he defended himself by sharing his testimony. He explained that he had not been there long and that there was no evidence of their claims, but he confessed to being a follower of Jesus, that he agreed with the Jewish Law and what the Prophets spoke (v. 10-21).

Felix decided to delay his judgement of Paul’s case as he wanted to wait for Lysias, the commander, to make a decision. In the meantime, he opted to keep Paul in custody, with the exception of seeing his friends (v. 22-23).

A few days passed, and Felix sent for Paul concerning his faith in Christ. Paul shared his faith, about righteousness, self-control, and the judgement to come. Felix was scared of impending judgement, and he sent Paul away. He told him that he would summon him back (v. 24-25). Felix’s motives surrounding the situation were to be given money for Paul’s release, so he often called him back to converse. After 2 years, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and to do the Jews a favor, Felix decided to leave Paul in prison (v. 26-27).

We can glean a lot from this chapter as Paul remains steadfast in his defense of the gospel, even in the face of criticism and false accusations. Acts 24:14-16 says, “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”

Paul describes Jesus in verse 14 as “the Way.” He believed that Jesus’ claims were consistent with the Law and the Prophets. In John 14:6, Jesus states “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In the divided, pessimistic world we live in, may we stand firm in the faith by sharing our testimonies and sticking to our convictions even in the face of criticism. Putting ourselves in the position of Paul, nothing is more frustrating than being deemed a liar or being punished for something you did not commit.

The Lord is a keeper of His promises, and although the Christian walk can feel lonely and isolating, our Father in heaven desires for us to endure in suffering and give Him glory.

John 15:18-25, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

*Written by Delaney Bandy

Acts 23

In chapter 23, we pick up where Paul was brought to the Jewish council to find out why a Jewish mob was trying to kill him.  He stood in front of the council declaring that he was living his life in the way that God had set out for him.  Because of what Paul said, the high priest ordered someone to punch him right in the kisser.

Paul knew that the Jewish council was divided up between Pharisees and Sadducees.  Verse 8 highlights the main difference between the two.  The Sadducees believed that there was no resurrection and that there are no angels or spirits while the Pharisees acknowledge them all.  A big uproar began amongst all of them and started getting violent when finally the commander told his troops to get Paul out of there before he was ripped to shreds.

Later that night the Lord appeared to Paul in verse 11 to let him know he was going to get through this, get out of Jerusalem and make his way to Rome.  The Lord didn’t say HOW, but just reassured him there was a promise in place.

The next morning a group of 40 Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.  They all went to the Jewish council from the day before and asked if they could “have a word” with Paul.  In reality, they had a plan to ambush him while he would have been on the way to the council and kill him before he ever got there. BUT, crazy enough, Paul’s nephew overheard the Jews talking about their killing plot and he went and reported it to the commander.

After hearing this, the commander prepared a bunch of armed men to escort Pual in the cover of the night to Caesarea and sent with them a letter to the Governor explaining how a group of Jews want to kill him and that he deserved a fair hearing in front of his accusers instead of dying for no reason.

What I keep going back to in this chapter is Paul’s nephew and the Lord’s promise.  What are the odds his nephew overhears the group of Jews who were plotting out loud their plan to kill Paul??  We all know, have heard, what God’s miracles look like when they happen but what about the way God works in unseen ways that don’t APPEAR as miracles at first glance.

God promised Paul that he would have the chance to preach in Rome that night he was taken from the violent uproar.  I can only imagine the relief that Paul felt knowing that that wasn’t the last night he would ever have again.  It is sometimes easy to forget, but we need to remember…..everything, everyday, all of us are a part of God’s plan.  It was not dumb luck Paul’s nephew overheard that plot for murder.  God providentially arranged the time, place, and volume of the voices of the those would-be-killers and placed Paul’s nephew exactly when and where he needed to be to hear them.  Let us all rest assured, God works His will through the mundane and ordinary events of a busy world and our busy lives.

Acts 22

As we pursue the Lord, there are bound to be moments where we are used to spread the gospel. We are the body of Christ and it is our duty to show others the gift of salvation that Christ has so freely given to us. As most of us know, this job is never as simple as it sounds. Many people are difficult to reach, each living for their own agendas and wandering through life on their own accord. Nonetheless, our duty remains and we must seek out how to accomplish it. Luckily there are many great examples in the Bible of people who do well in spreading the word, Acts 22 containing one of them.

As Paul begins his address to the angry mob, he makes it clear to us that one of the best tools we can use in spreading the Gospel is our commonality with others. He knows the Jewish mob and what they appreciate, and he uses that to his advantage in his defense. Being a Jew educated by Gamaliel, Paul knows that he can earn the crowd’s ear if they are aware of his great credentials. After all, what crowd would receive a lecture from someone with no knowledge of what he speaks?

But this doesn’t only give the crowd assurance that Paul is intellectually strong in the ways of the Law, but also that he is one of them. Being a Jew himself who has converted, his story will carry much further than if he were to be some gentile from a far-off land. Paul once shared the same views that they do, and now he has changed. That means something!

This gives us great insight into how we should address others as believers. Paul began by being personal with the crowd, showing how he had once been very much like them. He had been in their shoes before, being one of the most zealous of Jews in the persecution of the church. Yet despite all of his prior convictions, he gave it all up in an instant when faced with the glory of Christ. 

I believe that we can share a similar sentiment about our lives with others when spreading the word. We were all once a part of the world, we all were slaves to our sin and struggled with the same things as those who don’t know Christ. We have enjoyed the same pleasures as them, and have endured the same difficulties. We aren’t some far-off people that have no clue, but instead are real people who have lived much like them before. 

This isn’t to say that everyone has endured the same struggles or has the same passions, of course not! But when we show someone that we can have at least a general empathy for their struggles, that we have been in similar dark places, it creates a trust that can allow for a conversation overflowing with the love of Christ. Once this trust is established, we can explain how Jesus has changed our lives and given us new meaning. 

From the story, we know that the hard-heartedness of the crowd didn’t produce much change in that moment. However, I still believe this is still an essential take-away from this chapter. We must relate to those around us to allow the love of Jesus to seep in. This does not mean sparing the truth, but instead creating a space for others to trust us in giving them the truth. Use the experiences that the Lord has brought you through to create connections with others and show them the love of Christ. Just as Paul did, show others how much Christ has changed you!

Acts 21 offers a powerful example of boldness and courage through the apostle Paul’s unwavering commitment to spread the gospel, even in the face of danger. Despite being warned repeatedly that suffering awaited him in Jerusalem, Paul remained resolute. His willingness to endure imprisonment and even death for the sake of Christ (Acts 21:13) reveals a fearless devotion that should inspire us as Christians today.

Paul’s example challenges us, if we are believers, to prioritize faithfulness over comfort. His determination to fulfill God’s calling, regardless of the cost, encourages Christians to be courageous when sharing their faith. Whether facing social rejection, criticism, or persecution, Paul’s boldness reminds believers that our mission is greater than their personal safety or reputation.

Additionally, Paul’s reliance on the Holy Spirit provides a model for us. Though warned by fellow believers of the dangers ahead, Paul trusted in God’s plan and remained obedient. This demonstrates that courage comes not from self-confidence but from complete dependence on God’s guidance and strength.

In a world where sharing the gospel may lead to resistance, Acts 21 calls us to stand firm. Paul’s willingness to risk everything for the truth should inspire us to boldly proclaim our faith with love, conviction, and trust in God’s sovereign purpose.

God’s got us. We must trust in Him.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT

Acts 18

This chapter of Acts shows us some characteristics of a godly marriage. Before we talk about that, lets first set some context. Verse 1 tells us that Paul arrived in Corinth after he had left Athens. He was in Athens preaching Christ to certain philosophers and then left Athens on a somewhat good note… Getting mocked is the least of Paul’s concerns on his missionary journeys.

Corinth was a very influential roman city best known for its immorality. It was a very wealthy trade city that had a significant cultural influence. The last thing to mention on Corinth was that this was also a very pagan city. Just as Paul is getting acquainted with this city, he meets two people Priscilla and her husband Aquila.

The rest of this post will focus on these two individuals. We see from our passage in verse 2, Aquila and Priscilla were Jews who left Italy because of an order from Claudius Ceaser that all Jews must leave Rome. Once again, we see God turn what the enemy meant for evil into something very good. Our first point to notice is that Priscilla and Aquila displayed their love for Jesus through their hospitality to their brother, Paul. Aquila and Priscilla not only worked with Paul, but they opened their home to him. As I first read this I think, “well that’s so kind of them for hosting him so he can get on his feet!” And then I read verse 11, realizing that Aquila and Priscilla hosted Paul for a year and a half. That is hospitality.

I keep reading and see that in verse 18, Aquila and Priscilla leave their post in Corinth to continue on Paul’s missionary journey. They established churches in Corinth (Acts 18:1-11; 1 Cor. 16:19-20, Ephesus (Acts 18:19; 2 Tim. 4:19, and Rome (Romans 16: 3-5). The second point to mention of this couple is that they were fully devoted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Romans 16:4 Paul mentioned that they had “risked their necks” for his life. They were willing to put everything on the line for Jesus, even their life.

The last point is that Aquila and Priscilla were devoted to the teaching of proper doctrine! They met an eloquent speaker named Apollos in Ephesus. The NKJV states in Acts 18:25 that Apollos was “instructed in the way of the Lord” and “taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.” Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

To conclude, Aquila and Priscilla give us three traits that make a godly marriage. The first is being hospitable, the second is being fully devoted to the Gospel, and the third is being devoted to the teaching of proper doctrine. If you are married, evaluate your marriage with your spouse. If you are engaged prepare with your future spouse. If you’re single or dating use these characteristics to evaluate if your potential spouse will be your partner in a godly marriage!

Today’s Reading : Acts 6

My apologies, I wrote on the Acts 16 a couple of weeks ago instead of Acts 6.  Here is the post for Acts 6. – Be Blessed.

Compromise is defined by Britannica as a way of reaching agreement in which each person or group gives up something that was wanted in order to end an argument or dispute.  Delegation is defined as the act of transferring authority and responsibility for tasks to another person. It can also refer to a group of people chosen to represent others.  

In the very beginning of Acts, we are given a narrative of how the church began. This is the beginning of the Christianity faith and  so many things were happening at such a rapid pace. Jesus has been resurrected. Jesus spent time with the people for 40 days after his resurrection. Then the Apostles, who were the closest of the disciples to Jesus, also known as the 12, began to spread the gospel throughout the region. There was so much rapid growth that the main focus was to expand the Gospel.

In the previous chapters in Acts, we see how the people are growing in the word of God and how they are forming the community. They’re showing how the love for each other takes precedence over selfishness. In the previous chapter, we see how the spirit of God is everywhere and cannot be deceived. It shows how to be truthful, even when you are not wanting to give everything but just be truthful. This was seen with and Ananias and his wife,Sapphira.

As in Acts 6, Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with the newness of our journey, sometimes we forget about the small things. The small things are the foundation of what we do: taking care of the widows, the orphans, and the sick are the foundations of : love our neighbor and the mosaic religion. 

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

As the new religion is starting, we forgot about our widows and were reminded of this by the other religions, because they took care of our people. The founding Apostles were able to be in unison with the Holy Spirit and devise a compromise for this oversight. 

They created a delegation of deacons and elders that would take the responsibility of caring for our most vulnerable population. The deacons/elders are:  St. Stephen, St. Phillip, Prochours, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas.  These individuals were chosen because of their dedication to the faith and the church.  These individuals went on to become bishops and martyrs for the Christian church.  

At the time of beginning of the new church, this could have been a time filled with confusion and chaos, but the Holy Spirit allowed the leaders of the early church to make sound decisions and delegate with purpose the delicate task of protecting and nurturing proper individuals. 

There are many times in my life when chaos and confusion attempt to take over. There are times I’m trying to find compromise and delegation and it is very difficult. But from this chapter, I’m reminded that the Holy Spirit when invited can erase all confusion and chaos and bring harmony back to the basics.

Throughout this coming week, can we find the chance to ask the Holy Spirit to ease the chaos and confusion in our lives. And where this chaos and confusion is that the Holy Spirit gives us an ability to compromise and delicate the task to make it easier for us to show God‘s glory.

Be blessed.

Acts 15

10,000 hours.  That’s how many hours of practice you need to become a master a task, according to Malcom Gladwell.  What do you want to master?

Let’s say you want to learn to play the piano.  You commit to one hour, every day, learning and practicing your new craft.  If you listen to Gladwell, one hour per day will take you 27 years to master it.

I’m discouraged before I start.

Its discouraging because I want the result and it takes too long to get it.  That’s what I don’t like about Gladwell’s formula.  It puts all the emphasis on the end goal, but nothing on the beginning.  Truth is, joy starts the moment you decide to play.

At that moment, when you start playing, you are a piano player.

New players are vulnerable.  To help, experts will criticize, judge and scrutinize.  The new student quickly becomes discouraged.  The joy is gone.

New Christians struggle with the same issues.  Experts say that believing isn’t enough.  You must be baptized, circumcised, read your bible, pray every day, stop drinking, never smoke again.  You name it.  New believers are discouraged by the rules, every day.

Paul steps in to remind us that its none of those things that save us.  In fact, the moment a new believer decides, grace steps in.  God is glorified.  They may not be the prettiest example of a Christian, but to God, they look just like you and I.

He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.  Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?  On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.” Acts 15:9-11 (CSB)