Acts devotions

Acts

Acts 3:6 - Better Than Silver or Gold

   Acts 5:41 - Counted Worthy

   Acts 9:10b - Here I Am

   Acts 12:5 - Trouble and Prayer

   Acts 13:3 - Preparing for the Task

   Acts 14:22 - Strengthening and Encouraging

   Acts 15:11 - Saved Through Grace

   Acts 16:7 - Not Allowed

***Acts 17:28a - In Him We Live

       Acts 20:24 - It's Not About Me

   Acts 23:14 - Heap Big Smoke

   Acts 24:15 - Hope

   Acts 26:19 - Direction From God

   Acts 26:28 - Almost Persuaded

   Acts 27:22 - Take Heart

Better Than Silver and Gold
But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Acts 3:6

   There was a beggar who had been unable to walk from his birth. So every day someone carried him to the Beautiful Gate where he could beg for money. Peter and John were walking by on their way to the temple. The beggar called to them, asking for money. Can you see this in your mind? Can you hear the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem at the prayer time? Can you hear the lame man crying out for anyone to help him by giving him money? So he calls out to Peter and John. Now Peter and John have a choice. They can keep walking and ignore his calls. But they didn’t. They stopped and they told the beggar, “Look at us.” The beggar looked at them, expecting that Peter and John were going to give him something.
   What do you think he was expecting? Maybe money. Maybe clothes. Maybe some food. What do you think he wanted? What was he hoping for? What was the best that he could hope for? When you’re a beggar and you’ve been carried to this gate every day to beg, how much hope do you have left for something good to be given to you?
   I suspect that his expectations weren’t very great. Maybe he thought Peter and John would give him a little money. So when Peter said, “I have no silver and gold,” the beggar’s heart must have sunk. That’s what he wanted. That’s what he hoped for.
   And then . . . the beggar hears something absolutely astounding. Peter says, “but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” Then Peter takes him by the right hand and helps him get to his feet. His feet and ankles were immediately made strong.
   So what does he do? What would you do? Would you fall over in shock? Would you say, “No, thank you, I’d prefer to spend my life begging. Put me back!!”? No, you’d do exactly what this man did. He started leaping and praising God! Think about it. This man had never walked; he’d been lame from birth. So not only was there a miracle in his feet and ankles being made strong, but he also knew not only how to walk, but how to leap and jump up and down for joy! And the people all around? They were astounded! They knew who this man was. Maybe some of them had helped to carry him to where he begged every day! The crowd was amazed at what had happened to him!
   We live in a world where there are sick people all around us. They desperately need something and so many of them are crying out for help. Some of them think that money will help. Maybe a new car or a new house. They are looking for people to give them something that will make them feel better. What do you have that you could give them?
   You don’t have silver and gold - or at least, you don’t have very much. You don’t have enough money to satisfy anyone. You can’t lift them up on their feet like Peter did. You aren’t a doctor either. So what do you have? You, like every other Christian, are coming to know God. So you have something more valuable than silver or god.
   So, how does this work? Do you believe that God is? That’s something you can share with people who don’t know God. Do you pray to God? Do you know that He answers prayers? If you know that God has answered your prayers, that’s something you can share with someone who doesn’t know that yet. Do you read your Bible every day? Do you know how valuable it is to hide God’s word in your heart? That’s something you can share with people who just think the Bible is a book of old stories. Do you thank God for the things He has given you? That’s something you can remind people to do - giving thanks to God is so very important! Are you certain that Jesus is coming back to this world, to set up His kingdom? You have a precious gift that you can give to people in this sin-sick world: you can remind people to place their hope in Jesus Christ.
   And you don’t have to go looking for an opportunity to share God with someone else; God will arrange the opportunities. You just need to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that lies within you (1 Peter 3:15). Your answer or your actions don’t have to be a big thing. It doesn’t have to be a long sermon. It can be the way you live your life, praising God and doing what’s pleasing to Him. Think of it: you can be the tool God uses to draw someone to Him.
   And that’s better than silver and gold.

Counted Worthy
Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. Acts 5:41

If you look around you, there’s a lot of suffering in the world. Have you ever thought about why people suffer? We suffer because of

Stupid Decisions or Bad Choices. One such stupid decision happened when I was 14 or 15 years old. I thought it would be fun to surprise the family with homemade doughnuts when everyone got home. So I made the batter, rolled and cut out the doughnuts, and started frying them. But I’d turned the stove on high and the oil got really hot. I got scared. So I picked up that pot of hot oil, set it carefully in the sink, and turned on the water. Ooop! You see, water and oil don’t mix, and when you add cold water to hot oil, it explodes. I spent the next hour cleaning up oil from all over the kitchen. And I had little blister burns all over my face, my neck, and my arms. It was a bad choice, and I suffered for it.

Sin. The fifth commandment is to honor your father and you mother that your days may be long upon the land. Well, I remember one such time when I broke that commandment. You see, my dad had told the three of us kids to clean the house, vacuum, etc., before 4:00 one particular day. Well, none of us really liked house cleaning, and we knew that Dad wouldn’t be home before 5:30, so we were nowhere near finished cleaning by 4:00. In fact, the vacuum was plugged in, but sitting unused in the middle of the floor, when Dad walked in at 3:55. I don’t have to tell you that we were in trouble. We’d broken one of God’s commandments; we sinned, and we suffered the consequences for it.

the Sinful World in which we live. There’s a lot of evil in our world. People do things to hurt you just because you’re there. Or they hurt you because they don’t like your looks, your attitude, your religion, the honor you get from others. There are all kinds of senseless excuses for why people harm other people in this world, but it basically comes down to a rejection of God and a pervasive air of evil and death in our society. I guess that’s the reason why another first grader threw the basketball into my face one cold winter day. I hadn’t ever done anything to him. And it hurt. I suffered because of the sinful world in which we live.

Entropy. This is the second law of thermodynamics - the natural law that everything in the material universe is breaking down or moving towards chaos. An example of this might be the water pipe which broke before it came into the house, not once it was inside where it’d be easier to get to. Apparently the house settled and the ground did not settle as much, so the pipe just snapped right along the outside wall. The water just shot into the basement with no way of turning it off without contacting the city water department for them to send out an employee. By the time he got there, the basement was a huge mess. And, it happened twice. Whatever they did to fix it the first time didn’t work. They had to bring in a backhoe the second time, dig out the pipe and fix it correctly. And to make matters worse, both times the pipe broke when Dad was out of town. Mom had to deal with it by herself. This isn’t completely true entropy; there were some poor decisions made to exacerbate the situation, but there was still suffering due to entropy.

God’s correction. Sometimes we suffer, and we know we’re suffering, because God’s correcting us. God has gotten our attention so that we’ll stop doing whatever it is that we’re doing.

God’s discipline. This is similar to God’s correction, except that God’s discipline doesn’t necessarily come because of something we’ve done wrong. It could be to give us strength for what is still coming, or it could be so that we’ll be a useful tool to help someone else somewhere down the road. In either case, we are suffering because of God’s love in changing our direction.

We’re going to suffer in this world. The question is, then, how are you going to react to your suffering. If you’re suffering because of your own bad choices or sin, you can repent and make better choices in the future. If you’re the victim in this sinful world, or if you’re the victim of entropy, you can take some precautions, but you have to trust that your life is in God’s hands. If it’s God’s direct action of correcting and disciplining, the best response is prayer, praise, and Bible study. And truly, that’s the best response in any suffering, regardless of its cause. Trusting God, seeking His will, praying to Him and praising Him is always a proper response.

I marvel at Peter and John’s response to suffering dishonor for the name of Jesus. They were teaching the word of God. They’d been thrown into prison. When the angel let them out, miraculously, they went right back to teaching in the temple. They were beaten by the Jewish religious leaders and told to stop. They didn’t get angry. They didn’t complain. They didn’t stop seeking and serving God. They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Mostly I find myself suffering because of my own bad decisions or my own sins. In those cases, I deserve to suffer. I hope that if I’m ever really faced with persecution and suffering, for the name of Jesus Christ, that I will rejoice because I’ve been counted worthy to suffer for His name.

Here I Am
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” Acts 9:10b

When Jonathan was little, Ken decided to teach him how to play hide -n- seek in the huge sanctuary of the Salvation Army building. He’d tell Jonathan to go hide and then he, Ken, would look for him. Much to Ken’s surprise, Ken would walk into the room after giving Jonathan time to hide, he’d call Jonathan’s name, and Jonathan would respond, “Here I am.” Ken’s reaction was similar to Peter’s reaction to Lucy in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, “I don’t think you quite have the idea of this game.”

In actuality, Jonathan was just responding as he was taught; when your mom (or Ken, in this case) calls you, you answer. So how do you respond when your mom calls? In our house, I hear, “Just a minute,” or “I’ll be right there,” or “Coming.” I never expect silence or an exasperated “What?”

That’s the background perspective I bring to reading this verse in Acts 9:10: And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
How many people can you think of who responded to God’s call with “Here I am!”?

Abraham responded this way in Genesis 22:1 when God called him and told him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham responded again in verse 11, when the angel of the Lord called to him and told him not to kill Isaac. Jacob responded with, “Here I am!” when the angel of God called to him in a dream, telling him to leave Laban and go home with his family and flocks (Genesis 31:11). Later in his life (Genesis 46:2), God spoke to Jacob, or Israel, in vision of the night, and told him not to be afraid to go to Egypt. Similarly, Samuel responded (in 1 Samuel 3:4-8) when he heard God calling to him in the night. Not knowing it was God, he ran to Eli. It was Eli who realized it was the LORD. Then in Isaiah 6:8, God asked the question, “Who shall I send?” Isaiah responded, “Here am I! Send me.”

In the instances of Abraham, Jacob, and Samuel, God called them each by name. In the commissioning of Isaiah, when God asked, Isaiah volunteered. They were each given something to do. Each instruction, each task, meant obedience and submission to God, even if the person didn’t particularly want to do the task (with the exception of God staying Abraham’s hand when he would have sacrificed Isaac). It was a similar situation in Acts 9 for Ananias.

God had blinded Saul, who would become Paul, on the road to Damascus. Then he called Ananias and specifically told him where to go (Go to the street called Straight.) and why (Saul had seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he would regain his sight.). Ananias responded to God by confirming that he’d heard of this man, Saul. “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority fro the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel (Acts 9:13-15, ESV).
Do you know what Ananias did? He did exactly as God had told him to do.

It’s interesting to think about one other case of God calling someone - Adam. When Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden, they didn’t go to greet Him; they hid. When God called, Adam did answer, but he explained that he and Eve realized they were naked and they hid from God (Genesis 3:8-10). Their relationship with God was impaired because of their sin.

So. What do you do when you know God is calling you? Do you hide as Adam and Eve did? Or do you respond, “Here I am!” like Abraham did, or Jacob did, or Ananias did? God already knows what you’ve done, and it does no good to hide. Where would you go that God couldn’t find you? If you feel like hiding, then you’ve got some repenting to do - because when God calls you, you want to be willing to respond, “Here I am.”

God may have a job for you. He may decide to send you somewhere, to reach out to someone, to be the tool He uses to impact another person’s life. You may not particularly like the idea of where God is sending you. It wasn’t easy for Abraham to make preparations to sacrifice his son Isaac, but he trusted God. It would have been difficult for Jacob to get up and go home, knowing that Esau was still there and they hadn’t exactly parted on good terms. Samuel wouldn’t have wanted to tell Eli of God’s judgment on him and his household. Ananias probably had some reservations about healing the sight of Saul, the one who had been so vigorously persecuting the church. But if God is your God, then you are His servant. That means you go when He says “Go.”

You don’t want to be like Adam and Eve; you don’t want to hide when you know God is coming. A true servant of God is going to respond to God’s calling, “Here I am.”

Trouble and Prayer
So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Acts 12:5

Two very important concepts are on display in this verse in Acts: one deals with trouble and one deals with the effectiveness of prayer.

Acts 12:5 says, “So Peter was kept in prison.” This is one of the apostles, one of the eleven to whom was given the mandate to preach the gospel to all the world. But he’s in prison. He’s being persecuted for the name of Jesus Christ. He may have been given a job by our Lord, but that didn’t exempt him from experiencing trouble in the course of doing that job.

I find that very encouraging. Trouble comes to all people, but it’s comforting to know that sometimes the trouble you’re experiencing is because you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing. Yes, you can experience trouble because you made a stupid mistake. Yes, you can experience trouble because God is discipling you. Yes, you can experience trouble because of your sin. But sometimes, you can experience persecution and trouble because you’re obedient to Jesus Christ and the adversary doesn’t like that.

The other concept is the effectiveness of prayer. Many people would take a Que será, será attitude when faced with difficulty. After all, God knows what’s going on. He’s in control. Therefore, whatever will be will be. There’s no fighting it. If it’s happening, it must be God’s will.

But that’s not what we see here. The church family saw Peter in prison and they made earnest prayer for him to God. But was it effective? Absolutely! In the middle of the night, an angel struck Peter in the side, telling him to get up and get dressed. The chains fell from his hands, they walked past the guards, and the gate opened to allow them passage. God delivered Peter from Herod’s hands. And lest you think that it was just a one-time occurrence, there are other passages which indicate the power of prayer:

Hannah prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1). In verse 17, “Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.’ ”

In Judges 16, Samson asks God to restore his strength just one more time. When God did, Samson pushed over the supporting pillars of the building, effectively killing more Philistines in his death than he had in his life.

David repeatedly asked God for direction: 1 Samuel 23:10-12; 1 Samuel 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; and 2 Samuel 5:19-25. Each time David asked if he should go up against his enemies, God answered.

1 Kings 17:22 records, “The LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived.”

At Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18), Elijah prayed that God would answer him and let the people know that Jehovah is God. The fire of God not only consumed the drenched sacrifice, wood, stones and dust, it also licked up the water in the trench around the altar.

Hezekiah (2 Kings 19; 2 Chronicles 32:20-23) laid before God the insult of Sennacherib against God. “And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword. So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.”

Psalm 6:9; Psalm 66:19; Psalm 116:1; and Psalm 118:21 all speak of God hearing and answering prayers.

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” It can be alternately translated, “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power.” James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.”

This one little verse in Acts reminds us that we can’t automatically assume that trouble means we’re not in God’s will. It also reminds us of how very important it is to pray, earnestly laying our petitions before God. Sometimes the answer is “yes,” sometimes it’s “no,” and sometimes it’s “wait.” But we have been given the privilege of taking everything to God in prayer, coming boldly before the throne of grace. It would be foolish to neglect so great a gift.

Preparing for the Task
Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:3

This verse is rather striking: I cannot think of another instance where all three things happened at the same time - prayer, fasting, and laying on of hands.

I thought of

Ezra praying and fasting for a safe passage back to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:21-23).
The apostles praying and laying on of hands to chose the seven in Acts 6:6.
Prayer and laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17).
When Saul’s sight was restored, Ananias laid his hands on Saul and told Saul what God had said; something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes (Acts 9:7).
They received the Holy Spirit in Ephesus when hands were laid on - but implied in that is praying, I think (Acts 19:6).
Esther asked that all the Jews fast for three days with her and her handmaids; no mention was made of praying (Esther 4:16).
Daniel fasted and prayed for his people (Daniel 9:3).
When Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, he crossed his hands as he laid them on their heads (Genesis 48:14).

Even in my own life, I can think of very few times when all three occurred. We pray a lot. We lay hands on sometimes. We do not fast very often. So what was this event which caused the church to do all three? It was Saul (later to be called Paul) and Barnabas heading out on their first missionary journey. Yes! I definitely think this would be an occasion for beseeching God for His wisdom and guidance and strength and protection. But look at the verse just preceding this one: While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (verse 2) This missionary journey was commissioned by God through the Holy Spirit!

So what can we take from this passage? At least a couple of things come to mind:

God may have given you a job, but it doesn’t mean it will be easy.
God may have given you a job, but you still can’t accomplish it in your own strength.
God may have given you a job, but you may not know exactly how to accomplish it; you still need His guidance.
Prayer, fasting, and the laying on of hands are all ways of beseeching God for His mercy, involvement, and/or blessing in situations.

We should never think that we’re going to change God’s will, but perhaps we can change God’s mind (think Moses, the Ninevites, Hezekiah) in a particular instance. But being able to petition God requires something else: a relationship with Him.

Proverbs 28:9 says, “If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”

Isaiah 59:1-2 says, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

If you want God’s guidance and blessing in your life, adding fasting and the laying on of hands is not going to make your prayers more powerful - not if you don’t already have a relationship with Him. Now is the time to draw near to God (James 4:8). Now is the time to focus on your relationship with Him.
“. . . Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion . . .” Hebrews 3:7

Strengthening and Encouraging
strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22

Look at the progression through this verse:
1) strengthening the souls of the disciples;
2) encouraging them to continue in the faith;
3) saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Strengthening the souls of the disciples:
When you think of strengthening, you might first think of weight-training, building muscles, growing stronger physically. But the word “souls” doesn’t indicate that’s what this verse is about. The word “soul” is the Greek word psuche (5590), which is not the physical body. It’s not the spirit from God. It is that life element (which animals also have), those feelings and emotions, the identifying characteristics which make you uniquely you. So when this verse talks about strengthening the souls, it’s talking about making you less fearful, more confident, more able to be strong in the face of whatever you face.

Encouraging them to continue in the faith.
When you strengthen someone’s soul, it can take many forms. It can be the current prevalent theory of building up someone’s self-esteem (regardless of whether it’s based on fact). It can be the self-help talk. It can be very worldly or inwardly focused. So this verse goes on to elaborate about how the disciples were strengthened: they were encouraged to keep on the same path they had begun. The word “encouraged” is the Greek word parakaleo (#3870) which means para “by one’s side” and kaleo “to call.” So the word itself means “an aid, every kind of calling to a person intended to produce a particular effect.” The disciples were being called to keep on the path. That’s what the word “continue” means. It’s emmeno (#1696) which means “to remain, to persevere.” The disciples were called to persevere on the path which they’d begun in Christ.

Interestingly, the word parakaleo (the calling which is intended to produce a particular effect) has a couple of derivations, of which we may be more familiar. Paraklesis is “calling to one’s side and aid, an appeal, and encouragement.” One who does the paraklesis is the parakletos - the one called to one’s side and aid, the counsel for the defense, advocate. Jesus is called our parakletos in 1 John 2:1. And Jesus Himself calls the Holy Spirit our Paraklete.

Saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
There’s nothing hard here about the Greek words. The word for “tribulations” is the Greek word thlipsis (#2347) whose root is “break,” from which is derived “to crush, press, compress, squeeze”. Thus the word thlipsis itself means “a grievous affliction or distress; pressure or burden upon the Spirit.” The word “kingdom” is the Greek word basileia (#932) which means “royal dominion, kingdom.”

It’s very interesting that the way the disciples were encouraged to continue on the path is through the next phrase: “saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Unless you were convinced that the Kingdom of God was worth it, telling you that you are going to experience many tribulations to get there doesn’t really fill your heart with joy and eager anticipation! Why would the disciples be told this? We know from the context that these were fairly new converts. This is a difficult thing to share with a new believer.

But we need to consider the context of what had just happened! Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. They are spreading the gospel through Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. In Lystra, Paul had just healed a man crippled in his feet, lame from birth (14:8). The crowd called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes” and wanted to sacrifice bulls to them in their honor. There was a legend in Lystra that once Zeus and Hermes had visited the city in human form as ordinary men, but they were not welcomed by the people. Only an elderly couple opened their home to these “gods.” Zeus and Hermes, the legend goes, turned that home into a temple and destroyed the houses of all those who had rejected them. With that background, you can understand why the people of Lystra were so ready to proclaim Barnabas and Paul “gods,” especially in light of the healing. When Paul and Barnabas protested they were not, some Jews who were opposing the message Paul and Barnabas were preaching, turned the crowd. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming that he was dead. How quickly the crowd changed from proclaiming Paul and Barnabas “gods” to trying to violently kill them.

So it was in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe that Paul and Barnabas were strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. In light of what had just happened to Paul and Barnabas, the disciples would have needed that strengthening and encouragement. They would have needed to know that tribulation is part of the life of a Christian because Satan hates the message of hope in Christ. The carnal human nature is enmity against God. The society at large would have fought tooth and nail against the life-changing message of Christianty. They would have needed to know that experiencing “grievous afflection or distress; pressure or burden upon the Spirit” does not mean that they are necessarily outside of God’s will.

So what about you today? When you experience difficulties, do you press on towards the goal? Do you count it all joy? Do you see the tribulations and problems as “light and momentary afflictions” which “are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”? (2 Cor 4:17).

Furthermore, do you encourage and strengthen your church family as they are enduring tribulation? Do you parakaleo them to emmeno, keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith? (Hebrews 12:2). I hope so. That’s part of our job as servants of the Most High God.

Saved Through Grace
But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will. Acts 15:11

When you look at a fireman, how do you know he’s a fireman? He might be wearing his fire-fighting gear. He might be driving a fire truck. But usually, you know because he’s putting out fires.

When you look at a teacher, how do you know she’s a teacher? Usually you know because she’s teaching.

When you look at a farmer, how do you know he’s a farmer? When you look at a doctor, how do you know he’s a doctor? When you look at the governor, how do you know he’s the governor. You know because they are doing their job. You make a logical deduction that they are that person because of what they are doing.

So how do you know that someone is a Christian? You see the evidence that they are a Christian because of the things that they are doing, just like the fireman or the teacher or the governor. You make a logical deduction that they are a Christian because of what they are doing.

But just because someone puts on a fireman’s coat and starts fighting a fire doesn’t guarantee they are a fireman. Someone can stand up in front of a group of people and start speaking, but that doesn’t make them a teacher. Someone can sit behind a big desk in the capitol building, but that doesn’t make them the governor. The actions are just evidence, logical evidence, maybe even strong evidence that they who they are, but the actions don’t make them that person.

So in Acts 15, the Jerusalem council is wondering what to do with all of the gentiles who were becoming Christians. There was a group of Jews, ones who believed in Jesus Christ, who were very adamant that these gentiles had to keep the whole law in order to be saved. They insisted that, if the gentiles, wanted to be Christians, they had to do all of these things.

But actions are evidence of who you are in Christ. Actions don’t make you a Christian. In other words, your actions don’t save you. You don’t belong to Jesus Christ because of what you do. You belong to Jesus Christ because of what He has already done. Once you become a Christian, accepting Jesus as your Savior, your actions are important. They can be strong evidence that you are saved. But your actions don’t save you.

This is what Peter stood up and told them all during the Jerusalem council. But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will (Acts 15:11). The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ saves us.

Sometimes we read right through Acts and we don’t stop to think of the implications in our own lives. That is, are we guilty of judging that people don’t belong to Jesus Christ because of their actions? The believing Jews, the ones who demanded circumcision and complete obedience to the law of Moses for salvation, were judging that the gentiles couldn’t possibly belong to Christ because of their actions. Do we do that? Do we look at others and think that they are not saved because of what they do? Yes, behaviors are strong evidence. But that’s all. They are just evidence, evidence from which we can draw a conclusion. But what if our deduction is wrong? What if God is drawing that person to Himself? What if God’s not done with them yet?

Think about it this way. In my own heart, I know that I fail to live up to God’s standard.
But I’m trying to live in a way that pleases Him, not because I want to earn my salvation, but because He is my God, He’s worthy of being given my utmost, He deserves the honor and glory of me bringing every thought into submission to Him. But when I fail, what if someone looked at me and said, “You’re not a Christian because you just did x y z.” My action, in that instance, is not the reality of my salvation. It’s evidence that I need to progress on the road of purification; but my salvation is not in danger because my salvation is not based on my actions, but on the actions of Jesus Christ. It’s a done deal. Thankfully, I have the privilege of repenting and restoring my relationship with God because Jesus ever lives to make intercession for me. My actions are an indication that I am saved, but they do not save me.

At the end of the day, there’s another way to tell that someone is a fireman, or a teacher, or the governor: they get a paycheck. Similarly, there’s another way to tell that someone is a Christian: they will be in God’s kingdom; when Jesus Christ returns, He will gather those who belong to Him to Himself. I am very much looking forward to that day - because I am saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.

Not Allowed
. . . they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Acts 16:7

Do you ever find yourself reading through the Bible and not really thinking about what’s being said? When you stop to consider what’s in this verse, or actually this is just a portion of Acts 16:7, it’s amazing!

First of all, this Paul’s second missionary journey. (This is where the Bible map is a great help!) The first missionary journey was to Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. The second missionary journey starts at Antioch, goes up through Paul’s hometown of Tarsus. Then he (and Silas) revisit Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia. These churches which were planted on the first journey are revisited. It must have been a huge encouragement to Paul that what he and Barnabas had done on the first journey was bearing fruit. But when they left Antioch (of Pisidia), they were visiting places where they hadn’t been before. How would they know where to go and where not to go?

We laugh at Yogi Berra saying, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” But when you want to go where God wants you to, how do you know what direction that is? When you are traveling, how do you know whether to turn right or left? It makes a difference. Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Doesn’t God have a preference for where we go and what we do and the words we say?

This verse in Acts 16:7 seems to indicate that God does care: . . . they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them (Acts 16:7, ESV).

So if God cares, how does He let us know? This verse only tells us that the Spirit of Jesus did not allow Paul and Silas to go into Bithynia. It doesn’t tell us how!

Let’s think about this for a minute. Traveling is not always easy. You can travel through bad weather. You can get blisters on your feet, if you’re walking. You can get a flat tire or a broken air conditioner if you’re traveling by car. You can hit road construction. There are any number of things which can slow you down when you’re traveling. But are those things which slow you down just part of living in this world? Are they stumbling blocks which Satan throws in your way because he doesn’t want you to serve God? Or is God leading you in a different direction?

Think about this for a minute. There are too many stories which came out of September 11, 2001, about how people were delayed getting to work that morning. That delay, which initially was upsetting and irritating to them, actually ended up saving their lives - because they weren’t in the Twin Towers when the planes flew into them. Amy Grant sings, “A reckless car ran out of gas before it ran my way.” We don’t know how God arranges things to protect us, to guide us in a different direction, to move us to do or say what is His will, but we can’t automatically assume that what we initially thought was negative is actually negative!

So the question remains: how do you know what God’s will is? When do you persevere? When do you go a different direction? Don’t you wish Luke had given us a few more details so we’d know how the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t allow Paul and Silas to go to Bithynia? I can’t imagine that it was a literal wall, but we just aren’t told. So what do you do?

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

First, we have to seek His will. That means praying and asking for His guidance. It means seeking Godly counsel from others. It means two people (Paul and Silas in this case) praying to God individually and together, and then coming to agreement on where to go. Sometimes we can’t agree on where to go, and we see that here too: Paul and Silas went one direction and Barnabas and Mark went another direction. So, we still have the question: how do you know God’s will? You pray. You read your Bible. You seek Godly counsel. You fast. In the end, you do the best you can.

Someday, maybe, we’ll know which way we should have gone. And maybe someday we’ll get a chance to ask Paul and Silas how it was that the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t allow them to go into Bithynia.

***In Him We Live
‘In him we live and move and have our being’; . . . Acts 17:28a

Materials: balloon-powered, homemade cars (bottles, straws, balloons, lids for wheels, hot glue gun)

Do you know where you came from? Do you know Who created everything around you . . . everything from the material from which the plastic bottle is made to the air you breathe to you yourself? Well, of course! God is our Creator.

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them (Exodus 20:11)

Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, (Acts 4:24)

We know this; we know God is our Creator. And we celebrate it often! But it’s important not to stop there. God has work for us to do and He works in us to accomplish His purposes.

For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phil 2:13

O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. Isaiah 26:12

So we were created by God and He has not only designed our work, but helps us in it.
Then there’s a thought-provoking verse in Revelation 4:11

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

This is striking. We continue to live, to exist, because God wants us to - for His pleasure. It makes you think, “What if we no longer bring pleasure to Him? Will we cease to exist?”

Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” Jeremiah 14:12

This is what Luke records in Acts 17 - In Him we live (We were created.) and we move (We are able to do whatever it is we do.) and have our being (We continue to exist.). Knowing this, it’s beyond foolish to think God doesn’t care what people do. And it’s ludicrous to think that God doesn’t care what His people do. We owe Him everything, and He has the right to decree what our lives will look like.

And our response: We rely on Him. We trust Him. We seek to do His will. We thank Him. We worship Him. We devote our lives to His service with joy and gladness. He calls the shots; it’s time we recognize that! In Him we live and move and have our being.

It’s Not About Me
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

I thoroughly enjoy Facing the Giants. One of my favorite scenes is when Coach Grant Taylor is presenting his new team philosophy to the football team. He offers to give ten dollars to the person who can tell him who won the state football championship five years previously. They can’t do it. Even though football is very important to these kids, they can’t remember who won the championship even five years before! His point is valid! Even if you’re a huge sports fan, it’s unlikely you can remember all the amazing athletic feats accomplished by a specific team five years ago, to say nothing of individual athletes. It’s just not that important in the scheme of things.

Likewise there have been enormous achievements in the lives of people down through history, but unless you have a reason to remember those achievements, you don’t know about them, let alone value them highly. It’s just not that important to know who won the school spelling bee in Podunk, MO in 1926. It’s not even important to know that your mom received a Superior rating in a music competition or was on the winning team in a science bowl compettion in high school. What does it really matter?

The truth is, in the words of Paul, our lives are not of any value unless we are spending them on the One who really matters. If we are living our lives in service to the Lord Jesus Christ, then there’s some lasting value. We are glorifying the God of the Universe - who, by the way, is worthy of our praise. He alone is worthy of our praise and time and adoration.

Paul knew that the only thing of value in his life was to do the job God had given him, to do the ministry he’d received from Jesus Himself. That word “ministry” is the Greek word diakonia (Strongs #1248). It means “serviceable labor, involving compassionate love toward the needy within the Christian community.” Paul knew that he’d been called to serve the brethren out of love for his Savior. It wasn’t about Paul and how important he was; it was all about God and how important He is.

It’s a good thing to remember - to keep our lives and the value of what we do in perspective. There are so many things in which we can choose to invest our time and effort. But really, which of them are important and valuable?!

Heap Big Smoke
They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.” Acts 23:14
Have you ever promised somebody that you would do something? Did you do it? It’s easy to tell someone you’ll do something, and then forget. For instance:

The dentist office calls and leaves a message for your dad, asking him to come in thirty minutes earlier for his filling. You take the call, but you forget to tell your dad. He finds out three days after the appointment.
Your mom’s friend calls just as your mom gets home. You say, “Oh Mom just got home. I’ll have her call you right back.” Your mom’s friend calls 45 minutes later, wondering if your mom got the message.
Someone asks you to pray for them. You say, “I will pray for you.” Do you do it?
You’re talking on the phone. The person says, “Tell your family I said, ‘hi.’” You hang up the phone and never mention the message.

These all seem like little things, but what about not keeping your promises when they are big things? I remember a little girl whose dad would draw elaborate plans for bunk beds and desks in the cubbyhole underneath. She would get so excited. But it was all just talk. Her mom used to sing, “Heap big smoke, but no fire. Heap big smoke, but no fire. Him talk lot, but him not so hot. Heap big smoke, but no fire.” In other words, the person talked a lot, but you couldn’t depend on him. Do you know anyone like that? Are you like that? A more important question is: Does it matter to God?
In Psalm 15, the psalmist asks who will dwell on God’s holy hill, who will be part of God’s kingdom. One of the characteristics listed is in verse 4: “who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” In other words, the person made a promise and they keep that promise even if it costs them!
Psalm 50:14-15 says, "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High; Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”… Part of God being your God is keeping your promises to Him.

Numbers 30:2 says: "If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

Deuteronomy 23:21 goes one step further: "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you.” It is a sin to not keep your promise to God.

So look at the memory verse from Acts 23:14: They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.” These Jews knew how God felt about keeping their vows. But God protected Paul and didn’t let them kill him. So what happened to them? Did they keep their vow? Did they starve to death because they hadn’t killed Paul? We’re not told.

So that brings up the question: can you change your mind? Think about it. What if you promise God that you are going to kill someone - like these Jews wanting to kill Paul? If you come to your senses and are convicted that wanting to murder someone is not pleasing to God, what do you do about your vow? You repent of the vow. You repent of the intent to murder. You change your mind. And that’s what repenting is; repent literally means to stop what you’re doing and go in the opposite direction. You change your mind and your direction!

Did you get that? Repenting is something we all have to do when we come to God and ask Jesus to save us from our sins. We repent of what we’ve done - literally we stop what we’ve done and turn completely away from it. That’s repenting.

I doubt that these men starved themselves to death when they were foiled in their attempt to murder Paul. But I don’t know if they ever repented from wanting to murder him or even repented from making a vow before God.

It’s an event which dramatically underlines how very important it is to be careful of our words and what we promise to others before God. God’s watching and listening. He knows whether “him talk lot, but him not so hot.” What we say matters and it says a lot to others about who we are.

Hope
having a hope in God . . . that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. Acts 24:15

In what do you hope?

When I was a kid at the start of each school year, I’d hope that I’d do well in that grade. I hoped that I would make friends. I remembering hoping that I’d get a good part in the school play in fourth grade, and then hoping I wouldn’t mess up my lines or my solo the night of the play. When I got older, and we were moving to Iowa, I hoped I wouldn’t hate it too much. I hoped I’d make friends. I remember hoping, about this time, that God would find the perfect person for me to marry. I was thirteen.

Paul expressed a hope to Felix, recorded in Acts 24:15. Paul said that he had “a hope in God . . . that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.” But this hope is different from most of my childhood hopes. I wished for things. I hoped they might come true. If push came to shove, I believed that I’d do well in school, that I’d make friends, that I’d do well in the play. But my hope was more of an expressed desire. It was wishful thinking, kind of like “I hope we have pizza tonight for supper.” It wasn’t the kind of hope Paul had. Paul’s hope was a belief so deep, a conviction so strong, that it changed the way he lived his life. Through faith in Jesus Christ, Paul’s hope was assurance. He knew that Jesus Christ will be coming back. He knew that everyone will give an account of his words and deeds. He knew that there will be a judgment day. Paul also believed that he himself would be saved from destruction through faith in Jesus the Messiah, His death and resurrection.

This kind of hope, this deep belief, this blessed assurance, is based on a couple of things:

This is God’s plan. This is not just what you’d like to see happen. This is not your plan, or Paul’s plan, for the future. This is the perfect plan of God.
The “thing” actually happening doesn’t depend on you (or Paul). It depends on God the Father and Jesus Christ. Since They are sovereign, since we’re talking about God, we know They will do it. They will do exactly what They’ve planned.
The resurrection of God also depends on God’s perfect character. Since God doesn’t lie, He can’t lie, you can absolutely depend on the promises of God. Jesus’ return and the resurrection depends completely on God doing what He says He will. You can absolutely depend upon God!

When I was a kid, I hoped certain things would happen. But an interesting thing happened as each year passed: I learned that I had very little power to make the things I hoped for actually happen. Oh, I could be friendly to others - and hope to have friends. I could do my schoolwork and pay attention in class - and hope to do well in school. I could practice my lines for the school play - and hope I’d remember them under pressure. But the things I really hoped for, the ones I really wanted to happen, I had to trust that God would make those things happen. That meant I had to have a relationship with Him. I needed to ask for what I wanted and then wait for His timing.

You remember the other thing I told you I hoped for, starting when I was about 13: the perfect person to marry? Praise God He answered that prayer. He fulfilled that hope. But it wasn’t right away. In fact, it was 13 additional years before that hope was realized and I married Ron. But I lived my life believing that God was going to show me who was the perfect person for me. I believed God would do it. But I had to wait for God to do it in His timing.

Believing that there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust is based on our hope in God, that it’s His plan, that He will accomplish it because He’s righteous and good. And believing in that resurrection, really believing in it, should change your life, how you live, what you do, what you say, where you go.

Direction From God
Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, Acts 26:19

If you’d just read Acts 9, you might be wondering, “What vision?” Acts 9 tells of Paul acquiring authority from the Jewish leaders to travel to Damascus to continue persecuting the Christians there. It tells of the bright light, Paul falling to the ground and hearing, “Why are you persecuting me?” Acts 9 tells of Paul (then Saul) being struck blind and being led to Damascus. But it’s in Acts 26, when Paul is before King Agrippa, telling of his conversion, that we get the rest of the story. Paul says,

“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

What a commission Paul received directly from God!!! Wouldn’t you like to know, just as clearly, what God wants you to do? All we have are verses like:

Romans 12:10 - Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Philippians 2:3 - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Philippians 1:27 - Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Colossians 1:10 - . . . Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Colossians 3:12-15 - Put on . . . compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and . . . forgiving each other; . . . And above all these put on love, . . . And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, . .. And be thankful.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 - . . . aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

2 Corinthians 10:5 - We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

You know, maybe God hasn’t felt that a specific heavenly vision was necessary for each of us. We have been given direction, and a lot of it! I know I certainly don’t feel like I’ve done all of these things! “But!” you might say, “I don’t know exactly what this is supposed to look like in my life.” I don’t think Paul’s future was completely laid out before him when he was on the road to Damascus either. But Paul knew Who is in charge . . . and he had the leading of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, so does each Christian who commits his way to the Lord.

Almost Persuaded
And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” Acts 26: 28

How powerful the words of Paul were!! King Agrippa, the great-grandson of Herod the Great, seems to have felt the pull towards Christianity. And Luke, in recording the event, has captured the attention of so many other people as well.

Based on this Biblical account, Phillip P. Bliss (well-known author/hymn-writer) wrote the words and music to this song, “Almost Persuaded,” published in 1871.

“Almost persuaded” now to believe;
“Almost persuaded” Christ to receive;
  Seems now some soul to say,
  “Go, Spirit, go Thy way,
  Some more convenient day
    on Thee I’ll call.”

“Almost persuaded,” come, come today;
“Almost persuaded,” turn not away;
  Jesus invites you here,
  Angels are ling’ring near,
  Prayers rise from hearts so dear;
    O wand’rer, come!

Oh, be persuaded! Christ never fails--
Oh, be persuaded! His blood avails--
  Can save from every sin,
  Cleanse you without, within--
  Will you not let Him in?
    Open the door!

“Almost persuaded,” harvest is past!
“Almost persuaded,” doom comes at last;
  “Almost” cannot avail;
  “Almost” is but to fail!
  Sad, sad that bitter wail--
    “Almost—but lost!”

Be now persuaded, oh, sinner, hear!
Be now persuaded, Jesus is near;
  His voice is pleading still,
  Turn now with heart and will,
  Peace will your spirit fill--
    Oh, turn today!

In 1937, Billy Graham, attending a church service, heard “Just As I Am,” followed by “Almost Persuaded.” It was this second hymn which motivated him to give his life in service to Jesus Christ.

We know that people don’t just choose to believe in God. Jesus said (John 6:44), “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” But Paul also wrote in Romans 10:13-15, “ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ ”

We never know how our words and deeds will impact the people around us. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 11:1, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” What you do matters. There are actions and consequences to those actions. Isaiah 55:11 records it this way: “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Our job is not to decide who needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Peter outlines our job this way, “ . . . but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect . . .” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV).

Who knows who might be drawn by the Father through the words that He gives us to speak.

Take Heart
Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. Acts 27:22

Don’t you hate it when someone says, “I told you so”? I’m sure there’s at least one person in your life who likes to say that to you at every opportunity. It’s frustrating because I feel like saying back, “You got lucky. You didn’t know it was going to happen that way.” I’m afraid there were way too many things that I did as a kid, that I shouldn’t have attempted, just because my older brother said, “You better not do that. This bad thing will happen if you do.” I always wanted to prove him wrong. And I always hated when he said, “I told you so” when I failed.

I think about that feeling and then I read the whole story of Paul being taken, as a prisoner, to Rome. He didn’t have the freedom to not get on the ship. All he could do was tell the captain it was inadvisable, that he thought they’d likely lose the cargo, the ship, and their lives if they kept going. You see, it was wintertime and a very bad time to be sailing. Horrific storms blow over the Mediterranean. If the wind’s blowing against you, you can’t make any progress. Paul knew this. He could see what the weather trends had been. But the captain and owner of the ship disagreed with Paul, so they tried to continue traveling to Rome. It didn’t go well. A strong storm hit the ship. They started throwing everything overboard that they could to lighten the ship so it wouldn’t be swamped with water. Luke records that they lost all hope of being saved. So Paul stands up and says, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss.” I wonder how many of them heard, “I told you so”?

But then Paul said, “Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.”

“Take heart” is one of those wonderful encouraging phrases. It’s the official notification that the speaker is going to tell you something good in the midst of the terrible things going on. In Paul’s case, it meant that after 14 days of being driven ahead of the storm, they were going to have to beach the ship, to run it aground. In doing so, they hit a reef and broke the ship to pieces. They’d already thrown all the cargo overboard. But thankfully, not one of the 276 persons on board ship lost his life.

It was a terrible scene. They’d just been in the midst of a storm that lasted at least two weeks. They hadn’t been eating because it was so scary. They’d thrown all of the cargo overboard. The ship lay in pieces around them. . . . And yet, they all still had their lives.

It reminds me of news reports of the aftermath of a tornado. The houses lay in piles of matchsticks, a hodge podge of ruined belongings and lumber. You can’t even tell what neighborhood you’re in. And yet, the people have escaped with their lives.

Or the news reporter is standing outside a house that has burned to the ground. All the worldly possessions and family heirlooms are now just a pile of charred waste. And yet, everyone got out safely. They have escaped with their lives.

All of the things, the ship and its cargo, the houses and their furnishings, are materials things. They can mostly be replaced. But the real tragedy in a shipwreck, a tornado, or house fire is when someone dies. You can’t bring that person back. So Paul was absolutely correct: even though they were going to lose the ship and the cargo, even though they were shipwrecked on Malta, they were still alive. There was definitely reason for being encouraged, for “taking heart.”

There’s another place where the phrase “take heart” occurs. John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” There’s so much hope in that verse!! Yes, you are going to experience hard things. It’s part of living in this world. But we find peace when we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. And no matter how bad it gets, Jesus reminds us that He’s already won. He’s sovereign. We know how the story will end. If you belong to Jesus, you have a place prepared for you in His kingdom that will never end, a place where there will be no more crying or suffering or pain or death anymore. What an incredible hope that is!!!

It seems like an overwhelming number of people are experiencing their own personal shipwreck right now. There’s lots of trouble in the world. You may have suffered a great loss, but you have this assurance, this blessed hope, to hold onto - if you know the Messiah, our Lord: He has overcome the world. So take heart.