SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/4/2018 6:47 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Courage”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts
17:1-2a, 10
Message of the verses: “1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them,… 10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.”
We begin today’s SD by looking at Romans 9:1-3, and then
10:1 to show the kind of burning desire that Paul had to see his fellow Jewish
“family” saved. “1 I am telling the
truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy
Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I
could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of
my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 10: 1 Brethren, my heart’s
desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” I suppose that this gives us a pretty good
idea as to why Paul would always go into the synagogue when he first got to a
town where the Lord was leading him to witness.
Now matter Jews of Gentiles, Paul never lost his passion for the souls
of people, including his own people in the flesh.
As we look back at Paul’s first missionary journey we can remember that Paul got into a lot of trouble because of his love for the Jewish people as they not only would not listen to his plea for them to become believers, but after they did not want to be saved they would go out and try and stop Paul from witnessing to the Gentiles. This had to be heart breaking for Paul because of his love for the Jewish people. I mentioned in an earlier SD that it was reported by our Pastor who led a group of believers to Israel that this same kind of thing is still going on in Israel, as it is hard for believers who are Jewish to even get work in Israel at this time. In our study of Revelation we found out that this will all change because of the awful judgments that will come upon not only Israel, but the whole world, and then it will happen as Paul writes to the Romans that “all Israel will be saved.”
Now when Paul gets to Thessalonica we see that nothing
has changed as according to verse ten Paul has to leave there and then go to
Berea at night for fear of the Jews.
Berea was located some fifty miles away from Thessalonica, and was a
much less important city than Thessalonica.
John MacArthur writes that the Roman writer Cicero described Berea as
“off the beaten track.” When he got
there Paul immediately went into the synagogue to preach to the Jews as
according to 1 Corinthians 9:16 we read “For if I preach the gospel, I have
nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not
preach the gospel.” John MacArthur
writes that “such courage is the result of several spiritual virtues.
“First, courage is built on faith—trusting God. David also knew the importance of that
truth. Often troubled and pursued by his
enemies, he nevertheless repeatedly proclaimed his absolute trust in God. In Psalm 27 he said:
‘The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? 2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident (1-3).’”
We will look at the next
spiritual virtue in our next SD.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “The parable of the prodigal
son” (Luke 15:22-24).
Today’s Bible
question: “Who said ‘Give therefore thy
servant an understanding heart to judge thy people?”
Answer in our next SD.
5/4/2018 7:10 AM
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