PT-2 "The Storm" (Acts 27:13-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/26/2018 11:37 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  PT-2 “The Storm”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 27:13-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “13 When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore. 14 But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo; 15 and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along. 16 Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda; we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. 17 After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. 18 The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo; 19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned.

             21 When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, "Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. 22 “Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, 24  saying, ’Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 “Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26 “But we must run aground on a certain island."”

 

            We begin by looking at verse 18 where we see that the crew took more provisions to keep the ship from sinking as they got rid of the cargo, and then in verse 19 we see that they threw the ships tackle overboard with their own hands.  John MacArthur points out that the word “we” is used in throwing the ships tackle overboard showing that Paul and the others helped out. 

 

            Verse twenty tells us that they had lost all hope of being rescued or getting to land, and so it was a depressing journey from this point on.

 

            I mentioned at the beginning of our comments on chapter 27 about the leadership that Paul had and he showed it beginning at verse 21 through verse 26.  We see that Paul stood up and talked to those on board that an angel from the Lord came and spoke to him telling him that God had given all on board to Paul; however the ship would be destroyed when it came upon an island and the rocks would tear it to pieces.  In verse 22 we see that Paul tells them to keep up their courage.  Paul was encouraging them to be courageous and when this was said to these people from Paul it was like he was pouring courage into them.  Paul was good at this as this was part of what a good leader does. 

 

            Now the stage was set for the dramatic conclusion of this ill-fated voyage and we will see the fulfillment of God’s promises that were made to Paul from the voice of the angel that God sent to Paul.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is nice to have someone encourage you when trouble surround you, someone like Paul would be a good choice, or reading something from the Word of God and then that brings encouragement to you.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I am thankful that the Lord has encouraged me to get this SD done even though it has happened very late in the day.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Ezra and Nehemiah.”

 

Today’s Bible question:  “Why could not the Israelites drink of the waters of Marah?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/26/2018 11:58 PM

PT-1 The Storm" (Acts 27:13-26)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/25/2018 9:05 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                          Focus:  The Storm

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 27:13-26

 

            Message of the verses:  “13 When a moderate south wind came up, supposing that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along Crete, close inshore. 14 But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo; 15 and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along. 16 Running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. 17 After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship; and fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be driven along. 18 The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo; 19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 Since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned. 21When they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, "Men, you ought to have followed my advice and not to have set sail from Crete and incurred this damage and loss. 22 “Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, 24  saying, ’Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 “Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26 “But we must run aground on a certain island."”

 

            Paul had told the leaders of the ship in a meeting that they should not have left from where they were, and yet because of the centurion wanting to get the grain on to Rome they would not listen to Paul and so when a moderate south wind came up it was decided to leave thinking they would have clear passage to get to Rome.  Such was not the case as a great storm came up and trouble was brewing for them. 

 

            The storm was called “Euraquilo” and John MacArthur writes that this word is “a hybrid word from the Greek word euros; ‘east wind,’ and the Latin word aquilo; ‘north wind.’  This powerful, dangerous windstorm was dreaded by all who sailed the Mediterranean.  When the ship was caught in it, and could not face into the wind, the sailors had no choice but to give way to it, and let themselves be driven along.  Out of control, the ship was just being pushed by the wind.”

 

            We next read that the ship came under the shelter of an island called Clauda, and this gave the men of the ship time to get things ready for what lies ahead as they were able to get the “ships boat” on board.  This was like a life boat that was towed along in good weather and then put on the ship when a storm came up.  It was probably filled with water and so it took a lot of effort to get it on board.  Luke says that “we” helped getting it on board, which probably refers to all on board including the passengers.  Once on board the sailors tied it down with some cables to make sure that it would stay put and not move about.  Next we read “fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor, and so let themselves be driven along.”  MacArthur explains “The Syrtis was the dreaded graveyard of ships off the North African coast.  Although the Syrtis was still far away, the sailors did not know how far, nor how far the storm might blow the ship.  Lowering the sea anchor would act as a drag and help prevent the ship from drifting that far south.  Alternatively, the phrase translated ‘let down the sea anchor’ may be translated ‘lowered the gear.’  In that case, the reference would be to lowering the mainsail, which otherwise would be torn to shreds by the violent wind.  However the phrase is translated, the sailors obviously did both—it would have been self-defeating to put out an anchor with the mainsail still rigged.”

 

            We will continue looking at this portion of Scripture in our next SD.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Cornelius” (Acts 10:1-2).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “Which tow Old Testament books tell the history of the Jews after their return from the captivity in Babylon?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/25/2018 9:30 AM

 

 

           

The Stay (Acts 27:9-12)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/24/2018 9:32 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                                 Focus:  The Stay

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference:  Acts 27:9-12

 

            Message of the verses:  “9  When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them, 10  and said to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." 11 But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. 12 Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.”

 

            I will quote from John MacArthur’s commentary so that we can understand what Luke is saying when he talks about the time period that they were in by saying “since even the fast was already over.”  “The ship was delayed for a considerable time in Fair Havens, apparently waiting for a change in the winds.  To continue the voyage was now dangerous, since it was late in the sailing season.  Luke notes that ‘even the fast’ (the Day of Atonement) ‘was already over.’  For ancient sailing vessels, travel was problematic and dangerous from mid-September to mid-November.  All sailing in the open sea ceased from mid-November until at least February.  Inasmuch as the Day of Atonement fell in late September or early October, Paul’s ship was already well into the danger period.”

 

            It looks like there was a meeting about what they should do, and it seems that Paul was also involved in this meeting, perhaps because Paul was a seasoned traveler and could give his impute on what should be done.  “Paul began to admonish them, 10 and said to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives."”  We read in 2 Corinthians 11:25 the following:  “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.”  In this section of 2 Corinthians Paul was giving a testimony of what had happened to him while on his missionary journeys serving the Lord, and in that verse we see that he had been in three shipwrecks and was not wanting to add another, although if he wrote 2 Corinthians after this event then this coming shipwreck would already been written about.  Not real sure when 2 Corinthians was written, probably late 55 or early 56.

 

            It was regretfully that “the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship, than by what was being said by Paul.”  We have mentioned that this ship was owned by the imperial grain fleet, which makes it property of Rome it was the centurion and not the pilot or the captain who would make the final decision.  Perhaps the centurion was making that decision because there was need to have the grain delivered.  We will see that this was a bad decision as the grain would end up in the sea.

 

            Now we want to talk about why Fair Havens was not suitable for wintering.  “Since the harbor at Fair Havens was exposed to winds from half the compass points (though small islands did provide some shelter), it was a less desirable place to spend the winter.  Because the harbor at Phoenix (about forty miles away) faced southwest and northwest, it provided much better shelter from the winter storms.”  (John MacArthur)

 

            If the decision was made for comfort, comfort would not be what they were facing as we will see in our next SD when we talk about “The Storm.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  There are times when believers think that Pastors have a better opportunity to get prayers answered than regular believers.  Perhaps this is true if the Pastor has lived a life closer to the Lord than the believer who is asking the Pastor to pray for them.  However I believe that believers who are walking with the Lord can receive answers from the Lord.  In the case of what we are looking at today Paul, along with Luke and the other believer were the best people to give advice to the captain and the centurion. 

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I trust the Lord to give me His direction on the purchase of a different car as we are in the market for a different car.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “The upper room” (Luke 22:12).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “Who was described as ‘A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house’?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/24/2018 10:03 AM

 

 

 

PT-2 "The Start" (Acts 27:1-8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/24/2018 12:11 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                     Focus:  PT-2 “The Start”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                         Reference:  Acts 27:1-8

           

            Message of the verses:  “1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, we put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. 4 From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary. 5 When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 7 When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; 8 and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.”

 

            We pick up our thoughts in today’s SD from verse three where we see that Julius treated Paul in a good way so that he could go and see his friends who were willing to help minister to Paul in probably some tangible ways.  We must keep in mind a couple of things and the first was that Paul was an important prisoner, and also that he was a Roman citizen. 

 

            Next we see in verse four that they left Sidon and Luke mentions that the winds were contrary, and this should have been a sign to those who were heading this voyage that things were going to get worse.  This ship was traveling between Cyprus and the main land in order to try and keep the ship safe. 

 

            After that the ship continued to sail across the northeastern Mediterranean, as they sailed “along the cost of Cilicia and Pamphylia.”  Paul was familiar with this section as he was from Cilicia and he traveled extensively in those areas on his missionary journeys.  MacArthur adds “Helped by local offshore winds and a west-flowing current, the ship worked its way west along the southern shore of Asia Minor, making port ‘at Myra in Lycia’ and disembarking.”

 

            Myra was a very important port for the Roman ships as they brought wheat from Egypt to take to Rome.  After arriving there the centurion needed to find a ship that was going to Rome and finding one, and Alexandrian grain ship they sailed slowly for a good many days on it as once again the winds were causing trouble.  We can see from verses seven and eight “When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; 8 and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.”  Weary from fighting the weather, the travelers entered the bay.  This would be a foreboding sign of what was to come for them as they continued towards Rome.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “David” (1 Samuel 18:29).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “What was the place called where Jesus observed the Passover with His disciples?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/24/2018 12:30 AM

 

PT-1 "The Start" (Acts 27:1-8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/22/2018 1:27 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                     Focus:  PT-1 “The Start”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                         Reference:  Acts 27:1-8

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, we put out to sea accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. 4 From there we put out to sea and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were contrary. 5 When we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 7 When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; 8  and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

 

            I mentioned before that Luke went with Paul, as they were good friends, and Luke writes in a wonderful way about this sea voyage.  As we read through this entire sea voyage we will come to appreciate the way that Luke writes about it even though the voyage become a threat to their very lives on different occasions of the voyage.   By the way this is the first time that Luke has joined the narrative since Acts 21:18, which was a while ago.  Luke may have been living near Caesarea nearby to where Paul was in prison in order to make sure he stayed in good physical condition.  So if this was true, which we think it was, then Luke was on hand to go with Paul as he sailed to Rome along with “Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica.”  John MacArthur writes “Aristarchus first appeared in Acts when he was seized by the angry rioters at Ephesus (19:29).  He accompanied the apostle on his journey to Jerusalem with the offering from the Gentile churches (20:4).  He later ministered to Paul during the apostle’s imprisonment at Rome (Col. 4:10).  According to tradition, Aristarchus, like Paul, suffered martyrdom under Nero.  That he and Luke were willing to accompany Paul on a hazardous, uncomfortable voyage shows their love for the apostle, and his ministry.  In addition, some have speculated that they may have identified themselves as Paul’s slaves so that they could accompany him (cf. Sir William M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen.”

 

            We see that this journey began as Paul and some other prisoners who were bound for Rome from Caesarea were placed in the custody of a “centurion of the Augustan cohort name Julius.”  In MacArthur’s commentary he mentions that there is evidence of an Augustan cohort which was stationed in Palestine during the reign of Agrippa.  We have read about other centurions in the Word of God in Matthew 8:5ff., 27:54; Acts 10:1ff., and it seems that these men were representing the Emperor, and were men of integrity,  and in this case was escorting some important prisoners, such as Paul.

 

            “And embarking in an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia (2a).”  Adramyttian is the home port, and was located on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near Troas, and from there they would have little trouble finding a passage to Italy, near Rome.  They put out to sea, making port the next day at Sidon, seventy miles to the North.

 

            We will continue looking at this voyage as we go along with Luke, and Paul along with the man from Thessalonica in our next SD.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Shall he live.”

 

Today’s Bible question:  “Who said, ‘Is the young man Absalom safe’?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/22/2018 1:58 PM

 

           

Intro to Acts 27

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/21/2018 10:46 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                       Focus:  Intro to Acts 27

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                       Reference:  Acts 27:1-44

 

            Message of the verses:  In today’s SD we will talk about Acts 27, the entire chapter as we give a short introduction to this auctioned filled chapter in which we will see Paul, along with Luke get on a boat and travel to Italy.  I suppose I mentioned it before but while attending Moody Founders Week many years ago I heard a preacher state that Luke really knows how to describe a good sea voyage.  We will get into that as we make our way through the chapter, but in John MacArthur’s commentary on this chapter he brings up leadership in his introductory portion.  We have been accustomed to quote at least the last paragraph of his introductory comments in order to understand the direction we will be going, and will do that today also.

 

            Leadership can be described in many ways depending on whether or not the leadership is good or poor.  I want to quote from Mark’s gospel, chapter ten and verses forty-two to forty-five to get Jesus’ perspective on good leadership.  In these verses we actually see the key verse for the entire gospel of Mark:  “42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’”  First of all I want to give a bit of a background for these verses.  Jesus was heading up to Jerusalem to be killed, and He certainly knew this for that is why He came to earth.  On the way up to Jerusalem he took His disciples aside and told them that this would happen, and we next see James and John asking for some special favors from Him when He comes into His kingdom.  Jesus then breaks out in to the narrative of these verses, (42-45), and in them we see some evidence of what a good leader is.  Jesus first of all talks about bad leadership, that which the Gentiles do as they lord it over their subjects.  He then goes on to talk about good leadership as he states the ones who wish to become great among you shall be your servant, and then talks about those who seek to be great will become slaves of all.  In verse forty-five we see the key verse in Mark’s gospel where Jesus talks about His mission while on planet earth.  On His first visit to planet earth Jesus came to serve and not to be served, and in His serving He certainly demonstrated great leadership, in that He served by giving His life for His flock. 

 

            In his commentary John MacArthur writes about poor leadership, those who are afraid to make any decision because they are afraid to make a mistake, and those who are like the leaders of oppressed countries like North Korea or China.  People like Hitler or Stalin are examples of poor leadership.  What we will see in chapter 27 is a prisoner, the apostle Paul become a leader and not because he was seeking it out but because it was necessary to stand up and led. 

 

            One more thing I want to talk about and that is Winston Churchill who it is said became the greatest leader of the 20^th century as he became Prime Minster the very day that Hitler was invading France.  Churchill was said to be bi-polar and yet God used him to lead England, with the help of the United States to defeat Germany. 

            A good leader leads and a good leader does not know everything but has good people around him to help him, and yet he is the one to make the final decision.  Like Paul, Churchill was a good leader. 

 

            MacArthur writes “Among other emphases manifest through this unique chapter, it is helpful to note the issue of the greatness of Paul’s leadership.  The story of his emerging leadership during a storm-filled journey across the Mediterranean Sea, and the resulting shipwreck, unfolds in four stages:  the start, the stay, the storm, and the shipwreck.”  Lord willing we will began with the start in our next SD.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  While watching a political show yesterday there was a man, a black man who was a guest on the show.  He was in trouble for saying that the greatest problem in the black community of Detroit was that the men were not standing up to their Biblical role as husbands and fathers and he was totally correct.  If men everywhere would stand up and do their job as a husband and a father the world would be a better place to live in. 

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  With the help of the Lord I desire to be a good Christian, husband, father, and grand-father.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “That Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:11).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “Complete John 11:25 ‘Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet…’?”  (KJV)

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/21/2018 11:21 AM

The Consequences of Paul's Testimony (Acts 26:24-32)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/20/2018 8:50 AM

 

My Worship Time                                               Focus:  The Consequences of Paul’s Testimony

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 26:24-32

 

            Message of the verses:  “24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." 25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. 26 “For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. 27 “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian." 29 And Paul said, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." 30 The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, 31 and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment." 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."”

 

            There are a couple of things from this section of Scripture that I enjoy reading when I come to this section and one of them is what the first highlighted section “Your great learning is driving you mad,” and the second one is “except for these chains,” and I suppose there is a third on which comes at the end of verse 32 which speaks of Paul could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.  The first highlighted section speaks of an interruption from Agrippa as I’m sure that Agrippa knew that Paul was a very intelligent person, but how could an intelligent person actually believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead?  That is one of the keys to the book of Acts as the preaching in this book speaks almost always of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, which is the key to the gospel, for if Jesus had not risen from the dead then there would be no gospel and as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”  The truth is that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead and all who have their hope in Christ are certainly not to be pitied.

 

            Paul is not the only person in Scripture that has been accused of being insane as our Lord was also accused of being insane.  David tried to act insane when he feared for his life while in the enemies’ city.  Paul, Jesus, nor David were insane as we well know.

 

            Paul comes back to say “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. 26 “For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.”  It was common knowledge that Jesus Christ rose from the dead in Judah, thus Agrippa knew about these things even though he may not want to admit to knowing them.

 

            Paul continues his witness to Agrippa “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." Paul’s question implied that if he did, he would have to concede that Jesus was the Messiah.  MacArthur adds “Agrippa was stuck in a quandary.  Admitting his belief in the prophets was tantamount to acknowledging Jesus as Messiah.  That would make him look foolish before his Roman friends and outrage his Jewish subjects.  Yet a Jewish king could hardly disavow the revered prophets of his people.  Consequently, he avoided the question, mockingly replying instead ‘to Paul, ‘In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.’”  It seems that this phrase is better suited as a question.

 

            Paul answers the question with a gracious and dignified answer “I would to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”  This is typical of Paul’s giving out the gospel, knowing that it is the Holy Spirit who has to give an effectual call, and Paul was not concerned so much for the timing, but that those who heard him would one day be saved.

 

            Now we come to the last highlighted phrase in which after Paul’s gives his testimony and witness to those in attendance and then leaves the room we see Agrippa and Festus saying that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar then he could have been set free for he did nothing wrong, and yet both Felix and Festus knew this but because they wanted to keep in the good graces of the Jews they chose not to set him free.  And yet I have to say that even though they were wrong, and to be sure they were wrong, it was in God’s plan that Paul go to Rome.  They perhaps will be judged for this at the great white throne judgment if none of them every accepted the forgiveness offered through Jesus Christ.

 

            John MacArthur quotes and expert on Roman law A. N. Shervin-White who writes:

 

“When Agrippa remarked:  ‘this man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar,’ this does not mean that in strict law the governor could not pronounce an acquittal after the act of appeal.  It is not a question of law, but of the relations between the emperor and his subordinates, and of the element of non-constitutional power which the Romans called suctoritias, ‘prestige,’ on which the supremacy of the Princeps so largely depended.  No sensible man with of promotion would dream of short-circuiting the appeal to Caesar unless he had specific authority to do so.”

 

            Paul could take courage in the message given to him in Acts 23:11 “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, co you must witness at Rome.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is good to know that God is in charge of all things including the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ who although was perfectly innocent, yet it was in the plan of God that He suffer and die because God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die in my place, and not only mine, but all who will accept this truth and exchange their sin for Christ’s righteousness so that one day they will be with Him in glory.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to draw near to the Lord and trust Him to get me through situations where my IBS can give me trouble.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Fourteen” (Genesis 41:1-4).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “What shall every tongue confess?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/20/2018 9:47 AM  

           

The Culmination of Paul's Testimony (Acts 26:19-23)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/19/2018 1:36 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                    Focus:  The Culmination of Paul’s Testimony

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 26:19-23

 

            Message of the verses:  “19 "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. 21 “For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. 22 "So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."”

 

            In today’s SD we come to the end of Paul’s testimony, and I believe that he would have kept going but as we will see in our next SD the king stopped him, for reasons that perhaps could have been because he was uncomfortable with the truth that Paul was telling him.

 

            We begin looking at verse 19 which tells us that Paul “did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision.”  When it comes to salvation and also ministry they come from a direct call from the Lord.  I remember listening to a sermon by John MacArthur telling how he was not willing to accept the call to ministry that came from the Holy Spirit.  He got into an automobile accident where he was thrown out of the car and slid on his backside for around 100 yards, and while he was sliding down the road he remembers telling the Lord that he would accept the call to go into ministry, and as they say the rest is history.  Obedience accompanies true salvation as seen in Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”  Let us also look at 1 Peter 1:14 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance.”

 

            In expressing his obedience in his call to ministry Paul was “declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”  Now as we look at this previous sentence we see that it was the sentence that summarizes Paul’s ministry, which began in Damascus which is seen in Acts 9:20-22, and then spread to Jerusalem found in Acts 9:26-29, and this influenced Judea, and then finally it extended “even to the Gentiles,” something we have been studying for the last few months.  Paul tells what he was preaching, something that did not change “even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.”  The word in the Greek that is translated as repentance means a changing of the mind.  John MacArthur writes “Paul’s use of epistrepho (turn), which frequently describes sinners turning to God (Luke 1:16-17; Acts 9:35; 11:21; 14:15; 15:19; 2 Cor. 3:16; 1 Thess. 1:9; 1 Pet. 2:25), reinforces that meaning.  Those who truly ‘repent and turn to God’ will perform ‘deeds appropriate to repentance’ (Matt. 3:8; 7:16, 20; James 2:18).”

 

            21 “For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.”  Paul is saying that the preaching of the gospel is why the Jews seized him while in the temple and wanted to put him to death.  That was what set all these things in motion and ended up where they were when Paul was speaking to Agrippa and the others presence there.  While Paul was being beaten while in the temple we read that he “obtained help from God,” something we all need, especially in times when we are in trouble like what Paul was.

 

            Paul then tells his audience that “I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."”  One thing I want to explain from the use of the word “first” (protos) which means first in preeminence, and not chronology.

 

            John MacArthur concludes this section by writing “Paul’s testimony may be summarized as follows.  He was a devout, zealous Jew—even to the extreme of persecuting Christians, whom he believed perverted Judaism.  Jesus Christ, whose appearance to Paul proves His resurrection, sovereignly changed his life and called him both to salvation and to the ministry.  Paul thereafter preached the gospel of grace to the Gentiles, thus placing them on a spiritual par with the Jews.  Because of that, some jealous Jews tried to kill him, and that is why he stood before Agrippa that day.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful for the effectual call to salvation that was given to me by the Holy Spirit, and I am thankful for a call to study and share what I study as I read the Bible, and also to teach in or Sunday school class.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to give us wisdom on what to do when our lease is done on our car in 12 days.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question “Job.”

 

Today’s Bible question:  “How many cattle did Pharaoh dream about?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/19/2018 2:11 PM

             

 

             

PT-4 "The Commencement of Paul's Testimony" (Acts 26:1-18)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/18/2018 10:28 AM

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  PT-4 “The Commencement of Paul’s Testimony”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 26:1-18

 

            Message of the verses:  I hope to finish this part from Acts 26 today as we have returned from our vacation and I have all of the things I need to work on my SD’s a little bit easier.  In our last SD we were talking about what Paul’s intentions were all along and that was to witness to King Agrippa and also all who were in the room where he was speaking.  We have spoken of the fact that Paul is giving his testimony to Agrippa on what had happened to him when the Lord Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus at the time when the Lord saved him.  The Lord was talking to Paul as he tells him “get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you (verse 16).”  I think that we have also mentioned that this was not the only time when Paul gives his testimony in the book of Acts.  Jesus goes on to tell Paul “17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you.”  Jesus is telling Paul that things will not be easy, and as we have read through the last part of the book of Acts we see that Paul had a really tough time as he faithfully gave out the gospel.  Tough times, yes, but it was worthwhile as Paul began many churches and saw many people come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. 

 

            John MacArthur writes “As an apostle, Paul was called to proclaim the good news of salvation from judgment through the work of Jesus Christ.  That life-giving message would first open people’s eyes.  Jesus characterized unbelievers as blind, led by blind leaders (Matt. 15:14), of whom 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.’  The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to open the eyes of the spiritually blind, Jesus taught, by [convicting] ‘the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.’ (John 16:8-11)

 

            “Genuine conviction will result in transformation of life, as those convicted ‘turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God.’  The Bible teaches that unbelievers live in spiritual darkness.  Paul describes them as ‘being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. (Eph. 4:18-19).”

 

            Let us look at verse eighteen of Acts 26 “18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’” This verse is also spoken by our Lord as he spoke to Paul on the road to Damascus, and in this verse we see the words light and darkness.  The Bible often uses these terms to talk about salvation as people who are in the light are saved, and those in the darkness are lost.  While on our vacation we kind of took a detour from the way we wanted to come home to a different way because of hurricane Florence and as we were traveling this different route I asked my wife if she wanted to go and see Mammoth Cave, which is in Kentucky.  The cave system is somewhere around 700 miles plus and it is actually a national park.  My wife had been there when she was very small and then again later when we were coming home from another vacation, but I had never been in the cave before.  We got tickets to see a portion of the cave where we had to ride on a bus from the visitor center to the entrance of the cave and we along with a bus load of people walked into the cave.  After getting to the portion of the cave that was our destination the lady ranger said that she was going to turn the lights out and wanted us to put our hand in front of our eyes after the light was out to see if we could see our hand.  We of course we could not see our hand because it was the kind of darkness that you could actually feel.  I had a light in my pocket and if I would have decided to turn it on then every person in that portion of the cave could have seen the light.  Light always overcomes darkness and even a small light in that cave would have been enough light for every person to see their hand in front of their eyes.  Jesus Christ is the light of the world and He can overcome and has overcome all darkness if people will be willing to look at Him and be saved.

 

            Another interesting thing that happened was that this young lady who was leading the tour went on to tell us what she had been taught and that was that this cave was over a million years old to which I blustered out “that’s a bunch of garbage,” to which my wife grabbed a hold of my arm to keep me quiet.  I said it before I could stop myself, and I said it because it was true.  The people in front of us began to laugh.  It was a couple of days later we went to see “The Ark Encounter” which is a full size replicate of Noah’s Ark, also found in Kentucky.  The ark is one and a half football fields long and at the one end is ten stories long and is the largest wooden structure found on earth.  The next day we went to the Creation Museum a few miles away and in that you take a tour of what is called the seven “C’s” which I don’t remember what they all were.  The first one was creation and I believe the last one was Christ.  At any rate there was a “C” which spoke of when God flooded the earth totally in what is called Noah’s flood.  It was during this time, some 4300 years ago that the earth was changed to what it is today, and it was during this time when Mammoth Cave was formed because of the flood waters.  Many other things happened at this time as the earth was tropical before the flood, and now only a small portion of it is tropical.  People lived longer before the flood because of the water vapor being above the earth which kept out harmful rays.  The point of all of this is that once you are in the light, once you have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord you begin to understand things that you never would understand while in the darkness and Paul was spreading the light of the glorious gospel in that room where he was witnessing to King Herod Agrippa and others who were there.

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Elisha” (2 Kings 2:15).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “Which book of the Bible tells about a man who was covered with boils?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

9/18/2018 11:15 AM