God Speaks
After the Jerusalem Council, Silas, Timothy and Luke Join Paul on His Second Missionary Journey
Verse of the Day: [After an earthquake and seeing that Paul, Silas and other prisoners were still there, the Philippian Jailer asked,] “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 327
We Respond
Acts 15
Reflection: Acts 15 is a report of the discussion a council of the leadership of the Church in Jerusalem about 20 years after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The need for such a meeting was because the Holy Spirit was working among Gentiles to lead them to faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. Some influential believers of Jewish descent were insisting that these Gentiles had to become “good Jews” before they could be considered “real Christians.” Leaders in the “First Christian Missionary Church of Antioch, Syria” decided that Paul, Barnabas, and several others should go to Jerusalem to get a ruling from the apostles and elders there to settle the disagreement. They made several stops along the way. Both Jewish and Gentile believers responded with great joy when they heard that Gentiles were being saved. The same was true when they first arrived in Jerusalem. Soon, however, some believers who had been Pharisees insisted that new Gentile converts must be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses. After listening to the debate, Peter addressed the group saying in essence, “Since I was the first of ‘The Twelve’ to be used by God to preach the gospel to them and see Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit, I affirm that we all (Jews and Gentiles) are saved the same way, through the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Next, Barnabas and Paul reported on the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles leading many to faith in Him. Then James, Jesus’s half-brother, spoke to the group, referring to the prediction of Gentiles hearing and believing through God’s restoration of His chosen people, the Jews (Amos 9:11-12 and Isaiah 45:21-22). So those at this meeting formulated a letter of instructions to be delivered to all the churches concerning what was required of Gentile believers in Christ. This letter is recorded in Acts 15:23-29. Then Barnabas, Paul, Judas, and Silas delivered this letter to the believers in Antioch of Syria, encouraging and strengthening their faith. After some time, Paul suggested to Barnabas that they revisit the churches they had previously established. Barnabas agreed and wanted to take John Mark. Paul, however, strongly disagreed. So, they separated with Barnabas taking John Mark and sailing for Cyprus; meanwhile, Paul chose Silas and traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening churches there.
Prayer: Dear God of Truth, help Your people, especially those in leadership positions, to recognize error and stand up for the truth. After there has been honest debate and examination of all of the facts but still no resolution, may we seek the wisdom of a higher authority (with You being the highest authority). May we take time to listen to each other quietly and respectfully, to Your Holy Spirit, and to Your word to create simple rules or principles that we can agree upon and apply going forward. May those in authority choose godly, upright leaders from among various people groups to deliver and explain these principles and encourage people to follow them. May some leaders remain with the various smaller groups to teach these laws and principles and to train future leaders. Whenever there is a disagreement, may it lead to an expansion of, rather than a detriment to, Your kingdom, LORD. For Your glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will pray for the leadership in each of the seven areas of influence (religion, business, government, media, education, families and sports, and entertainment and the arts) to lead according to God’s will and purposes whether they know Christ as their personal Savior and Lord or not.
- I will discuss with the LORD with which of the areas of influence He wants me to involve myself more actively with and how, then do it.
- I will work as God directs me to defend “both the truth of the gospel and the missionary outreach of the church.”*
- I will examine my own heart and actions to see where I might be “adding to the gospel and denying the finished work of Jesus Christ.” After all,”. . .salvation is wholly by God’s grace, through faith in Christ, plus nothing!“*
* The Wiersbe Bible Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe, p. 368-372
Acts 16
Reflection: While ministering in Derbe, Paul recruited Timothy, a Christian young man with a Jewish mother and a Greek father. Once Timothy was circumcised so that he would be accepted in the synagogues, he joined them in delivering the decrees regarding believing Gentiles to the growing churches. As Paul, Silas, and Timothy traveled to various places, the Holy Spirit directed them where and where not to go. One example of this is a dream God gave Paul about a man asking him to come to Macedonia. At that point Luke joined them in sailing to Philippi, a Roman city in that area. In Philippi, they met Lydia, a prominent woman who was an immense help to them. One day they encountered a fortune-telling slave girl who brought undue attention to them even while she was telling the truth. Paul set her free of demonic control. The irate reaction of her masters created a riot that resulted in Paul and his associates being arrested and thrown into the prison’s inner dungeon. About midnight, while these Christians were praying and praising God, an earthquake freed them from their shackles. The chief jailer saw the prison doors wide open and assumed the worst. Paul stepped in and not only saved the man’s life but also the souls of him and the members of his household. These new believers were baptized and in return fed and tended to Paul and his companions’ wounds. The next morning when the city officials learned that Paul and Silas (whom they had publicly beaten) both had Roman citizenship, they tried to handle things privately, but Paul and Silas insisted on leaving town on their own terms after preaching at Lydia’s house once more.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus who is leading Your people in establishing Your Kingdom on this earth, please direct Your chosen leaders as they train younger people to carry on the work. Show them any actions that must be taken in order for these new leaders to be accepted and more effective. Holy Spirit, please be as specific with Christian leaders today as You were in the “Macedonian call.” May they be just as effective. Like Lydia, may people of wealth and influence be open to the gospel of Jesus Christ and His workers, providing for them. Like Paul and Silas, may Christians recognize and deal in Your strength with demonic oppression. Help Christians to deal with both persecution and prosecution in a godly manner, so that those who see their response will come to (or be strengthened in) faith in Christ. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will look for a specific young person I can mentor and/or train in what it means to follow Christ.
- I will help that young person to find ways to “fit in” with his/her peers without compromising their Christ-centered values.
- I will look to the Holy Spirit to direct me as to where I should go, to whom I should speak, and what I should say, then do it.
- I will use whatever advantages or privileges I have to further the Kingdom of God, like Lydia with her prominence or Paul with his Roman citizenship.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.