Unhindered

 

Theme:  Unhindered

 

un·hin·dered:  adjective: unhindered - not hindered or obstructed

 

Read:  Numbers 9:15-23 and Acts 28

 

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer

 

S:  At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out; they kept the Lord’s charge, according to the command of the Lord through Moses.  Numbers 9:23

 

O:  We end our study of Acts today (sadly).  I have so enjoyed reading and studying the life and ministry of Paul, but as our passage in Numbers says, sometimes we camp and sometimes we move on.  Tomorrow we will be going back into the gospels and studying through the book of Mark.  I feel like I know Paul a little more after our month long study through the book of Acts.  I have so enjoyed getting to know the characters of the book and seeing the story come to life!

 

In today’s reading, Paul and the other passengers found themselves on the Island of Malta where Paul did many great works of healing.  After winter they sailed from Malta to Syracuse, to Rhegium, to Puteoli (what is known as modern day Sicily and Italy) and finally to Rome.

 

 

 

An interesting side note is that Malta today has a day they celebrate Paul’s Shipwreck on February 10^th of each year.  In Malta, it is called 'San Pawl Nawfragu'.  The day is a time for family gatherings and it is observed by religious ceremonies and processions, particularly at the the Church of St. Paul Shipwrecked in Valletta.

 

After Paul arrived in Rome it says he was there two years preaching with openness and unhindered.  Nicole Querido says this, “Isn’t it amazing and so like our God, to take the very thing that from our human perspective would seem to cause the greatest hindrance to Paul’s ministry, turn it around, and cause it to remove all hindrances instead?  Here is Paul, a prisoner for two years, continuing to preach and teach about Jesus without all the difficulties he faced during his time traveling.”  She goes on to say this, “We too are called to an unhindered life, called to be a testimony, a convincing proof that Jesus is alive and powerful.”  As Beth Moore once said, “We don’t have time for bondage;” let’s “do what it takes to be free!” 

 

A:  What hinders you from being an unhindered testimony?  As Nicole Querido states, “Let’s throw off all that hinders and surrender whatever life circumstances we are in right now to our all loving God.  It just may be the perfect place to proclaim the kingdom unhindered and show the all surpassing power of a life lived for God.”

 

P:  Dear Jesus, Thank You for this study on the life of Paul.  Thank you that we have this example of how Paul shared the gospel “unhindered”.  What a beautiful picture of what we are called to be.  LORD, so often we (I) have lived hindered and weighted down with things I should never be carrying.  God I pray that all who are reading this today, including myself, would surrender anything that is hindering our testimony and that we would move past those things and be FREE to share about Your Kingdom through words, but also through the visible example of our lives.  In the Freeing Name of Yeshua our Messiah I pray, Amen & Amen.

Who is your defense attorney?

 

“Slowly, steadily, surely the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.”  Habakkuk 2:2

“Real faith grows between the deadline and the deliverance.” – James Watkins

Read:  Acts 25

 

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer

 

S:  “ … they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive …”  Acts 25:19

 

O:  We are nearing the end of the book of Acts and I hope you have enjoyed reading through the life and ministry of Paul with me.  Yesterday we left Paul in prison after two years of being there and ministering to Felix.  Now Festus arrives. 

 

In history we know that Porcius Festus was procurator of Judea from about AD 59 to 62, succeeding Antonius Felix.  Festus inherited all of the problems of his predecessor in regard to the Roman practice of creating civic privileges for Jews.   The Apostle Paul had his final hearing before Festus. In Acts 25:12, Festus sought to induce Paul to go to Jerusalem for trial; Paul appealed to the Emperor.  The appeal resulted in Paul being sent to Rome for judgment by the Emperor himself although Festus had difficulty in detailing charges against him (Acts 25-26).  (The above was excerpted from Wikipedia.)

 

Festus hears the case and asks Paul to go to Jerusalem, but Paul knows he will not receive a fair trial there so he appeals to Caesar, but before Festus can send him to Rome he has to have charges to write up to send Paul with (vs. 27).  So King Agrippa arrives and Festus shares this problem with Agrippa and Agrippa asks to hear the case as well.  So today we leave Paul standing in front of King Agrippa in the auditorium …  

 

“Here was a noble assembly brought together to hear the truths of the gospel, though they only meant to gratify their curiosity by attending to the defense of a prisoner. Many, even now, attend at the places of hearing the word of God with "great pomp," and too often with no better motive than curiosity. And though ministers do not now stand as prisoners to make a defense for their lives, yet numbers affect to sit in judgment upon them, desirous to make them offenders for a word, rather than to learn from them the truth and will of God, for the salvation of their souls.” – Matthew Henry

 

A:  To keep learning the truth and the will of God and to be patient and wait on Him even when the road seems long and seems to be going no where.

 

P:  Dear Jesus, Thank You for examples like Paul who stood up for what he believed in even if that meant staying in prison or appealing to a higher court.  You gave Paul confidence and wisdom and You LORD were Paul’s defense attorney.  There was no other person standing with or defending Paul, but we know You were and are in charge of all things and Your justice will be done.  Thank You LORD for wisdom and truth!  Thank You for being present to walk beside us and even when we are tired and weary of the journey You Lord continue to travel beside us and You lead and guide us.  Thank You!  In Jesus Name, Amen & Amen.

 

Matthew Henry points out the God can make even our enemies do us right!

 

For additional encouragement on waiting on God’s timing see http://www.jameswatkins.com/articles-2/hopeful/neverlate/

Let your LOVE shine

                                 

Read:  Leviticus Leviticus 27:30 and Acts 23

 

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer

 

S:  But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”  Acts 23:11

 

O:  In addition to this study I have been reading I John.  Today I was reading in chapter 2 and it talks there about loving each other and not blocking the Light of Christ from one another.  As I read the account of Paul in Acts 23 it occurs to me how these religious leaders were so full of arguments with one another.  How could anyone find God in all of their arguments?  They were blinded and as I John says and they were blocking the Light of Christ.  The Sadducees were arguing against the Pharisees and vice versa … the Pharisees were against the Samaritans and the rest of the Gentile world … Paul knew of their factions and he used that to his advantage and what I find almost humorous is that the barracks or prison were the safer place for him to be than in the council of his brothers!!  (see verse 10) 

 

The next thing I see in this passage is that in verse 11 the Lord tells Paul that everything is going to work out!  It’s going to be okay!  He gives Paul some blessed assurance!  But across town 40+ men were plotting Paul’s murder.  But GOD!  God uses Paul’s nephew and puts him in the right place at the right time to overhear the plot against Paul’s life.  His nephew takes the news to Paul to warn him and is cleared to see the captain who listens to his warning and prepares armies to get Paul out of town in accordance with God's will.

 

Paul is taken to Caesarea where he is locked up in King Herod’s quarters and that is where we leave him today ...

 

A:  1) To remember that the world is watching how we “use our religion”.  Are we using it to further our prejudices and hold on tightly to tradition or are we sharing Christ and loving one another?  2)  Remember as we have seen before that God’s got a plan and whether it looks like it or not from our perspective He has it all under control!

 

P:  Lord, I thank you that I can have courage that while things look a little messy that You are in control and You are working things out to further Your kingdom.  Help me to love like Christ and not to allow “religion” to be more important than loving others.  I pray today to LOVE WELL and SHINE BRIGHTLY for Your Name’s sake.  Through Christ I pray.  Amen & Amen.

Pray First!

Read Psalms 24 and Acts 21

 

“Integrity and uprightness will be more likely to preserve us than insincere compliances.”

~ Matthew Henry

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application - Prayer

 

S:  “We could not persuade him to stay away from Jerusalem. So we stopped begging him and said, ‘We pray that what the Lord wants will be done.’”  Acts 21:14

 

O:  Psalms 24 tell us that EVERYTHING belongs to the LORD.  Have you ever tried to persuade someone to do or not do something they felt compelled to do?  You present the logical arguments.  You may even throw in a dose of guilt or plead to their affections, but nothing you say can dissuade them.  You give one final try and you resort to begging.  Here Paul has his heart set on Jerusalem and no amount of persuasive arguments or demonstrations (see verse 10-11) will dissuade Paul.  The people even resorted to begging him, but what was their final answer?  Their final answer should have been their first response, “We pray that what the LORD wants will be done.”  God can do more with one prayer that we bring to Him than we can in arguing and begging and carrying on with someone to try to change their minds.  A friend once said to me, “When will my first response be the right response?”  I often wonder that for myself when after a situation or conversation has finished and I realized my first response was NOT the right response!  I want my first response to be to PRAY FIRST!

 

A:  Pray first!  Pray for God’s will to be done and leave it in His hands to handle.

 

P:  Dear Lord, How many times do I plead and try to persuade others when I could do more good to bring those things to You in prayer.  God I pray this morning that what You want will be done!  God, I trust in You!  You will protect, You will provide, You are the One who owns everything and I leave everything in Your hand.  It does not mean things will necessarily go “my way”, but it does mean that it will be ok!  I pray that my first response will be to pray first!  Through Christ and no merit of my own I bring these prayers to Your Holy Throne.  In Jesus’ Mighty Name and to the King of Glory I pray.  Amen & Amen.

 

He [Paul] has taught us by example, as well as by rule, to pray always, to pray without ceasing. Their last farewell was sweetened with prayer. ~ Matthew Henry

Sharing the Wonderful Grace of God

 

Read Leviticus 22:31-33 and Acts 20

 

“Tumults or opposition may constrain a Christian to remove from his station or alter his purpose, but his work and his pleasure will be the same, wherever he goes.”
~ Matthew Henry

 

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application - Prayer

 

S:  “I want to finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do—to tell people the Good News about God’s grace … I never stopped reminding each one of you how you should live, counseling you day and night and crying over you …”  Acts 20:24, 31 Easy to Read Version

 

O:  The people loved Paul.  He mentored them and taught them in the Word (verses 1-2).  He would go about the churches encouraging them and often staying for months at a time to teach and instruct them (verses 3, 7).  The Spirit of the LORD spoke to Paul and helped him to discern when it was time to move to the next church or place (verse 22).  But no matter where he went the Gospel and the Good News of God’s Kingdom was his primary task (verse 25).  The hardest part perhaps for Paul was when he had to move on.  These were his spiritual children and it was with great sadness that he would have to leave them and go on to the next church or task at hand.  When he left them he would leave them in God’s care and with the hope that God’s grace would strengthen them (verses 32-35), but it was never easy (verses 36-38).

 

A:  To do the work that the LORD gives me and to continue to share the Good News of God’s grace. 

 

P:  Father God, thank You that You direct our steps through the Holy Spirit within us.  I pray that those reading and studying Your Word today would hear You speaking to them.  Encourage them about how special they are to You LORD according to Leviticus 22:31-33.  You call them out to be a special people, a treasure to You.  Help us each to finish the work(s) that You give us to do.  In Christ Jesus I pray.  Amen & Amen.

 

“It is good for friends, when they part, to part with prayer.

Those who exhort and pray for one another,

may have many weeping seasons and painful separations,

but they will meet before the throne of God, to part no more.”

 

~ Matthew Henry

The Whole Truth and nothing but the Truth

 

Read Leviticus 19:1-4; Psalms 13; and Acts 19

 

“Those who have long been without joy, begin to be without hope.   Nothing is more killing to a soul than the want of God's favor; nothing more reviving than the return of it. If we bring our cares and grief to the throne of grace, and leave them there, we may go away like Hannah; for joy and peace come by believing.  In this way believers pour out their prayers, renouncing all hopes but in the mercy of God.  And sometimes suddenly, at others gradually, they will find their burdens removed, and their comforts restored.”

-         Matthew Henry’s concise commentary on Psalms 13

 

 

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application - Prayer

S:  Psalm 13:5-6 I trust in your faithful love, Lord. I will be happy when you save me.  Then I will sing to the Lord because He was so good to me.  (Easy to Read Version)

 

O:  It is God who makes us holy and happy.   By following His ways we find love, joy and peace, and so much more.  When we walk apart from Him however there is no peace, and there is no joy.  Even the love for others falls away from us.  God reminds us in Leviticus that his commandments (His Word) are binding upon us – not to be legalistic, but because in following them we find life.  They are for our good. 

 

Paul tells us in Acts that in Christ, the Living Word, is where our joy and peace reside.  In Acts we learn of a group called the “Ephesus Dozen”.  They had not learned all of the gospel at the time when they met Paul.  They told Paul they only knew of John the Baptist and his baptism. 

 

John the Baptist’s ministry was one of preparation for people to receive Christ (Mark 1:2). It was only part of the story.  He preached repentance of sins, yes, and, as people repented, they showed their change of heart by an outward cleansing and baptism. But beyond repentance we must have Christ. John himself understood the limitations of his ministry: “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).  Apollos that we looked at yesterday and the “Ephesus Dozen,” in today’s passage stopped with John’s baptism and they only had half the story. They needed more than repentance; they needed faith in Christ which they did accept once Paul enlightened them. **

 

It is hard to imagine in our day and age that people of that time did not have the full story, like so many of us do, but there were no TVs or radios or social media.  There weren’t 5 billion Bibles floating around in Paul’s day like we have now.  News traveled very slowly from town to town by people like Paul who brought the good news of the gospel with them.  This is why Paul’s journeys and the spread of the gospel were so important.

 

Paul and the other apostles who were bringing the gospel to the Gentile world were fighting against Greek mythology and Greek gods.  It was not just about accepting “Jesus”; it was about renouncing gods like Artemis and all the “big business” that went along with the worship of these pagan gods that Paul was up against.

 

We too fight against our culture today.  I just went through this with one of my children.  Will we compromise or hold fast to what we believe in according to what we have been taught in the Bible?  It is not an easy decision!  And it is not just within our worldly culture either; we may even find these difficult decisions in our Christian circles as well.  But in the end of days it will not be our Christian friends we stand before, but God.  What I have learned is that we must not compromise!  If we do there is repentance, yes, but we also lose out on the joy of knowing we followed Him with our whole hearts.

 

A:  To know the fullness of Christ, his resurrection and His power and the Holy Spirit in my life so that I can live the best and fullest life that He has for me.

 

P:  Dear Jesus, I feel like we live in a time that has an incredible amount of light shown to us about Your Word and Your ways and yet I know there is still a great variance among Believers in how we live out Your Word.  Paul and the other apostles tried to be unified on a lot of the teachings that were being spread throughout the world in those days.  I pray LORD that we as Believers would seek Your Word for absolute truth and that You would bring us into unity.  Convict us when we go astray and I pray You would bring us back into alignment with the Way, the Truth and the Life that is found in Jesus, Yeshua our Messiah.  In Christ’s name I pray.  Amen & Amen.

 

** http://www.gotquestions.org/receive-Spirit-Acts-19.html  You can read more about this here.

Ancora Imparo

(This necklace can be purchased from: 

www.etsy.com/shop/EmilinaBallerina )

 

Read Acts 18

 

Ancora Imparo - I am still learning ...

 

 

 

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application - Prayer

S:  Acts 18:23 After staying there some time, he left and went from place to place in an orderly journey through the territory of Galatia and Phrygia, establishing the disciples and imparting new strength to them.  24 Meanwhile, there was a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, who came to Ephesus. He was a cultured and eloquent man, well versed and mighty in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and burning with spiritual zeal, he spoke and taught diligently and accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he was acquainted only with the baptism of John.  26 He began to speak freely (fearlessly and boldly) in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him with them and expounded to him the way of God more definitely and accurately.

O:  Which one of us could not use some “new strength”?   Paul and subsequently Aquila and Priscilla were going about and making the churches more firm in their teaching.  They were giving people more instruction.  Being in college currently and studying Old and New Testament survey and Christian doctrine has been an interesting experience.  I have been raised in church all my life and have done a fair amount of studying over my 40+ years, but about 15 years ago I came to the conclusion that the more I know, the less I find out I know!  Now that I am in college I am finding there is even more I don’t know!  I am like Michelangelo, I too am still learning!

 

 

A: To continue to grow in the knowledge of the LORD!

 

 

P:  Dear Jesus, thank You for times of new strengthening and for affirming in us Your Word.  Thank you that You instruct us in various ways and through various people.  Let us have the zeal that Apollos had to share the gospel and when we need further instruction I pray that You would bring godly people along side of us to help and instruct and strengthen and encourage us.  Thank You for making Your ways known to us.  Through Christ Jesus I pray, Amen & Amen.

 

 

Making the Unknown, Known

 

Read Acts 17

 

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application - Prayer

 

S:  TO THE GOD NOBODY KNOWS. I’m here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you’re dealing with. “The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near.  The unknown is now known, and he’s calling for a radical life-change.  Acts 17:22-30 The Message

O:  The Athenians were worshipping a lot of gods.  They had made a lot of shrines and one shrine was to the “unknown God”.  Paul sees all of the idols and gets pretty upset, but when he saw the shrine to the “unknown God” he decided to make known to them who this God was.  He shares with them that He is the Creator of all things, He is to be sought after, that He is not far away, but that He is near and He wants to change our lives.

A:  A lot of the commentaries I read and studied this morning had one thing in common – they all seemed to point to the fact that a lot of people have religion, but not relationship.  We, even today, tend to set up our “shrines” for religious purposes.  One question that came up in my study time was, “do we know who we are worshipping”?   

Do you ever question what it is you believe?  There are times I do.  Sometimes I say something that prompts me to ask myself if I really am acting on the things I say I believe in.

 

Verse 34 says there was a woman who because of Paul's teachings questioned what she was believing in, "But some men were on his side and joined him and believed (became Christians); among them were Dionysius, a judge of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris, and some others with them."

 

Who was this woman Damaris?

She was connected to the Areopagus which was a judicial court or council so she was probably highly educated and well versed in a lot of philosophies and ideas about God, but when Paul spoke she was able to recognize the real truth and was able to believe by faith in what Paul was teaching.

What does Damaris teach us for our own lives today?

1.  Continue to seek after truth your whole life.
2.  What ever your station is in life, truth is more important.
3.  Don't let other people's criticism of the truth keep you from the truth. 

Discussion questions: What truth from Paul's teachings are you clinging to today? Is there anything that God has been teaching you lately that is going to require some courage on your part? Do you ever find yourself around people who do not uphold the truth, but criticize it and if so how do you deal with that criticism?

 

P:  I thank you God that You make Yourself known to us.  You do not have to remain the unknown God to us.  When life's circumstances make me feel like you are far away, I pray I will remember the truth that You truly are near to us.  Thank you for the examples in Your WORD that we can take encouragement from.  In Christ's name we pray.  Amen & Amen.

Two steps forward, one step back

Read Leviticus 10:1-3 and Acts 16

 

“…the Lord alone can open the heart to receive and believe his word.” ~ Matthew Henry

S.O.A.P.

Scripture – Observation – Application - Prayer

 

S:  “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”  Acts 16:31

 

O:  Timothy joins Paul in his missionary journeys.  As a result of the journeys many people including Lydia and the Philippi jailor and his family were brought to salvation, but not without opposition.  The people who began the revolt against Paul and his fellow missionaries were those who were angry at losing their income, but the Bible tells us we do not war against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities that rule this earth.  Paul and his friends were fighting against a very real enemy who wanted to thwart the true teaching of the gospel.  It’s as if Paul would make two steps forward seeing Lydia and her house coming to salvation and being baptized and then make a step back into a beating and jail, but then he would make two more steps forward and the jailor and his family would come to know Christ through that ordeal and then he would make another step back by having to leave that region.  But still the gospel was making headway and even with his one step back they were still experiencing victory in sharing the gospel.

 

When Paul and Silas were "one step back" notice what they did in verse 25, "But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to them ..." Notice, it was in the darkest part of the night and they were "praying and praising" ... It is in praying and praising (even in the darkest moments we face) they were able to move two steps forward again ... something to ponder! The song "I will praise you in the storm" comes to mind ...

 

A:  Sometimes I feel like Paul doing this “two step dance”.  I feel like I make headway and then fall back and make a little headway and then fall back.  I am encouraged by the accounts of Paul because it shows me that even when I seem to be going backwards God is using it to work out his good will and pleasure.

 

P:  Dear Jesus,  Thank you for Your WORD!  Thank you for the examples of the real lives of people like Paul, Timothy and his family dynamics, Lydia and the jailor and all those who we read about today.  LORD, these stories encourage me in my personal walk with You.  They help me to be reminded that even when it seems like I’m going backwards that as long as we continue to stick with You that we are still in “the game”.  We are still fighting the good fight and as long as we are with You then WE ARE on the winning “team”.  God You are the Victorious One!  Strengthen us and encourage us today as we continue to keep our eye on the mark of our high calling in You.  Thank you for calling us and for letting us be a part of something much bigger than sometimes we realize.  In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Yeshua the Messiah I pray.  Amen & Amen.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTION:  Paul was beaten and thrown in prison, but God used that situation for good to bring the jailor and his family to salvation.  What are you willing to go through, endure or suffer in order that one person or one family will come to the saving knowledge of Christ?

 

“…do not sin, for nothing but that can hurt thee [and] the Lord will make [you] more than conquerors in every conflict; instead of being cast down by [your] sufferings, [let them] become comforters [to your] brethren.” ~ Matthew Henry