PT-2 "Recognizing God Is" (Acts 17:22-23)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/16/2018 9:38 AM

My Worship Time                                                                       Focus:  PT-2 Recognizing God Is

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 17:22-23

            Message of the verses:  “22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ’TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”

            As we ended our last SD we quoted botanist Alan Radcliffe Smith as he spoke about the Lady’s Slipper Orchid.  In today’s SD as we begin I want to begin by talking about the fact that a plan requires a planner.  This story goes back a few years but worth telling.  I went to a men’s Bible study a few years back to hear a man named Bill Glass, who used to play professional football.  He played for the Detroit Lions and then the Cleveland Browns where he retired from.  The year that I heard him speak he was in town to be honored by the Browns so I had the opportunity to hear him speak.  Bill’s plan for his life was to become the next Billy Graham, as he wanted to become an evangelist.  God changed his plan as after much persuading he went to a prison to talk to the inmates about Christ.  He did not want to do this, but after going that first time he knew that is what God wanted him to do.  God prepared his heart so that he could begin the Bill Glass prison ministry.  Bill was a friend of a friend of mine and so I got to meet him after he spoke and actually shake hands with him.  When I did that my hand just disappeared into his gigantic hand.  As he spoke to us he mentioned that he was wearing a Rolex watch, a gift from some organization.  He said that the reason that this watch worked so well was because it had an intelligent designer, and then he carried over that point to God and the universe stating that God was the One who not only designed the universe, but He created it also, including the Lady Slipper Orchid.  We look at things like computers, cars, buildings, etc., and we don’t have a problem stating that someone has designed them, but when some people look at the world they think it all happened by some cosmic accident called evolution.  I have mentioned how much that I hate evolution as it to me, is only a means of denying that God is the creator of the universe, and when you take Him out of that roll you can say that you are not accountable to anyone.  Satan is behind evolution without a doubt to me, as he tries to get people, even Christians to forget about the clear teaching that is found in the first two chapters of Genesis, and if he can do that it casts a doubt on the rest of Scripture.

            John MacArthur writes:

“Since the evidence for God’s existence is so overwhelming, the question arises as to why there are atheists.  The Bible teaches that the reason is not intellectual and rational but moral and spiritual.  David wrote in Psalm 14:1, ‘The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’  That the foolishness in view is moral, not intellectual, is clear from the rest of the verse:  ‘They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.’  Atheism’s rejection of God’s appeals to people who wish to avoid judgment for their sinful lifestyle.  Romans 1:18-23 makes clear that the matter of rejecting God is willful and due to the love of sin:

‘18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.’”

            This is what Paul walked into while at Athens, confusion that was caused by conflicting philosophies and idolatry.  So Paul spoke forcefully the truth to them about the One True God, so that they could know Him.  “What therefore you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you,” and that is what we will be looking at as we continue through this 17^th chapter of Acts, looking next at “Recognizing Who God Is” in our next SD.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Knowing that God created the universe, and knowing that He is in control of it all, including me, I can only give thanks, even though my part of the universe is some things in it that if I had my choice would not be there, but knowing that God will use them to cause all things to work together for my good and for His glory.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord!

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Goat’s hair” (Exodus 26:7).

Today’s Bible question:  “What nationality was the man who helped the man who fell among thieves?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/16/2018 10:19 AM

PT-1 "Recognizing That God Is" (Acts 17:22-23)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/15/2018 11:06 AM

My Worship Time                                                             Focus:  PT-1 “Recognizing That God Is

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 17:22-23

            Message of the verses:  “22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ’TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”

            I want to begin this SD by looking at the first verse in the Bible, Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  Notice from this very first verse that there is no argument for the existence of God the text simply says “In the beginning God,” and so as we look at this text God is there at the beginning of His creation, and always has been there and always will be there.  This verse is a great problem for those who believe in evolution, for evolution cannot say how things began, yet the Bible simply says “In the beginning God.”

            Paul admits to the people of Athens that they are very religious for he could see “gods” in the form of idols all around the city.  And I suppose that these men who worshiped these idols may have thought that perhaps they may have missed one and so the made an altar “To An Unknown God.”  Paul took this opportunity to show these men who this unknown God was as he begins his preaching to them.

            People who deny that God exist cannot know Him as Hebrews 11:6 states “he who comes to God must believe that He is.”  They at least had that going for them.

            As we read God’s Word, the Bible we can see different passages that reveal powerful and convincing evidence for God’s existence.  Here is one from Psalm 19:1 “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”  Romans 1:19 says “because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.” 

            John MacArthur writes “The law of cause and effect argues for God’s existence.  Common sense dictates that every effect must have a cause.  Yet there cannot be an endless chain of such causes.  Therefore, there must be an uncaused first cause.  Theologians refer to that line of reasoning as the cosmological argument.  (For an exposition of this form of cosmological argument, see Norman L. Geisler and Winfried Corduan, Philosophy of Religion [Grand Rapids:  Baker, 1988], 175ff.)  An alternate form of the cosmological argument runs as follows:  Everything that begins to exist has a cause.  The universe began to exist.  Therefore the universe must have a cause.  (For a defense of this form of cosmological argument, see William Lane Craig, Apologetics [Chicago:  Moody, 1984], 73ff.; Francis J. Beckwith, “Philosophy and Belief of God:  The resurgence of Theism in Philosophical Circles,” The Master’s Seminary Journal 2 [Spring 1991]: 72ff.)”

            As we look at Hebrews 3:4 “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God,” we see that the Bible acknowledges the principle of cause and effect.  A house does require an efficient cause; as it would be absurd to put a pile of building material, say in the path of a Tornado or a hurricane and then expect the storm to make the building material into a house, or how about having the unabridged dictionary be made in a print shop explosion.  These things cannot happen, for God has put order in the universe, and this certainly is not order.

            John MacArthur writes the following to show that nature also displays remarkable evidence of design:  “From the baffling complexity of the cell, to the miraculous transformation of caterpillars into butterflies, to the precise engineering of the earth to support life, examples of design are everywhere.  Botanist Alan Radcliffe Smith cites one:

‘The Lady’s Slipper Orchid is an example of a 2-stamen orchid.  As the common name implies, the lip is very distinctive, being shaped like a shoe or slipper.  The inside of the lip is very smooth and this, together with the inrolled edges, prevents the easy departure of an insect visitor by the same way in which it came.  Instead, it is forced by the shape of the lip and the nature of the surface to move towards the back, or point of attachment, where there are two small exits.  In order to gain these exits, the insect must first pass beneath a stigma and then brush past one or other of the two stamens, which deposits pollen onto it, after which it is free to fly off.  If it then goes to another slipper, it will pollinate it with the pollen gained from the previous one; the second slipper will not be on the same plant as only one flower is open on a given plant at any time, and thus cross-fertilization is very efficiently effected…The complexity of interaction between plant and insect is truly staggering and, for those who will see, it clearly bears the hallmark of the all-wise creator.’”

            We will continue to look at this section, God willing, in our next SD.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful that there is order in the universe, and that order comes from an all knowing all wise God.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will give wisdom to different members of our family to show us which road to take to bring glory to God as He leads us through some trying situations.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Agur and King Lemuel.”  (I have heard that King Lemuel could be Solomon.)

Today’s Bible question:  “Curtains in the portable tabernacle were made of what material?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/15/2018 11:51 AM 

PT-3 "Intro to Acts 17:16-34)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/14/2018 9:29 AM

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  PT-3 “Intro to Acts 17:16-34”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                     Reference:  Acts 17:16-34

            Message of the verses:  “16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"-because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? 20 “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean." 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

    22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ’TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24  "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25  nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26  and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27  that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28  for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ’For we also are His children.’ 29 “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30  "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31  because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

    32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this." 33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”

            As we look at this introduction to this section I wanted to let my readers know that we will actually be going over verses 16-21 in this introduction and then pick up the first main point beginning with verse twenty-two.

            One of the things that I have thought about when I looked at this passage before was how Paul felt when he was looking over the city, how terrible he felt because of all of the idolatry that he saw, all of those people who worshiped them, unless they would hear about Jesus Christ and except His forgiveness that they would end up in hell, and then one more thing which comes at the end of this section telling how few people had actually accepted Christ while Paul was there.  Both of these things seem to go together, both of these things are very sad indeed.

            It was because of Paul’s saddened emotions that he decided to do something about these people who were worshiping idols so he “was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.”  As we have been studying Acts we have seen and written about Paul’s pattern of going to the Jews first and then going to the Gentiles after that, as in most cases the Jews had not been interested in the coming of their Messiah.  This was very difficult on Paul as seen when he wrote to the Romans:  “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, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”

            After following his normal plan of ministry, or we could say evangelism we see that he went “in the market place” something that Athens was very famous for, and while there he was dialoguing “every day with those who happened to be present.”

            I suppose that you could say that not only was Paul effected by those in Athens, but he also made an impact on those whom he engaged in debate with as they were “some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.”  John MacArthur adds that “they along with the Cynics, represented the three most popular contemporary schools of philosophy.”

            We will now look at a few quotes to help understand who these different groups are.  “Central to Epicurean philosophy was the teaching that pleasure and avoidance of pain is the chief end of man.  They were materialistic, who while not denying the existence of the gods, believed they did not intervene in the affairs of men.  They taught that, at death, the body and soul (both composed of atoms) disintegrate; there is no afterlife.”

            Next a quote from “The Stoic Philosophers, on the other hand, saw self-mastery as the greatest virtue.  They believed self-mastery comes from being indifferent to both pleasure and pain, reaching the place where one feels nothing.   In contrast to the practical atheism of the Epicureans, the Stoics were pantheists.

            “The extremes of Stoicism and Epicureanism sum up the futility of man’s existence apart from God.  F. F. Bruce writes:

‘Stoicism and Epicureanism represent alternative attempts in pre-Christian paganism to come to terms with life, especially in times of uncertainty and hardship, and post-Christian paganism down to our own day has not been able to devise anything appreciably better.’

            “Although they differed radically in their philosophic beliefs, both Stoics and Epicureans were united in their contempt for Paul’s teaching.  Some of them were saying derisively, ‘What would this idle babbler wish to say.’  Spermologos (idle babbler) literally means ‘seed picker.’  The Word

Evoked images of a bird pecking indiscriminately at seeds in a barnyard.  It referred to a dilettante, someone who picked up scraps of ideas here and there and passed them off as profundity with no depth of understanding at all. (John B. Polhill, The New American Commentary:  Acts).’

“Others, misunderstanding completely Paul’s message, thought him ‘to be a proclaimer of strange deities—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.’  They may have thought Paul used the term anastasis (‘resurrection’) as the proper name of a goddess.”

            As we read on we find that Paul had created enough of a stir that according to verse 19 “they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?”  The “Areopagus” according to John MacArthur was a court, so name for the hill on which it had once met.” 

            We see the reason that they wanted him to come in verses 20-21 “20 “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean." 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)”

            Now as we usually do we quote the last paragraph of John MacArthur’s introductory comments to see where we will be heading as we continue to look at the remain verses in this rather long section:  “The theme of Paul’s message to the assembly was how to know the unknown God.  That involves three steps:  recognizing that God is, recognizing who He is, recognizing who He is, and recognizing what He has said.”  We will begin the first part of “recognizing that God is” in our next SD.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Understanding what these false teachers believe and taught is good to know because there are many who desire to teach similar things today, and because of what Paul said to them we know what we can say to those who believe similar things today.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  When a bank teller is trained they are not trained to know what counterfeit bills look like, they are trained to know everything to know about real money so that they can spot counterfeit bills.  Same is true in Christianity, that is know the truth and then when false doctrine come along you will know that it is false.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Lot” (Luke 17:29).

Today’s Bible question:  “What two men are considered to have written the last two chapters of Proverbs?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/14/2018 10:55 AM

 

           

PT-2 "Intro to Acts 17:16-24"

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/13/2018 9:30 PM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-2 Intro to Acts 17:16-34

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 17:16-34

            Message of the verses:  “16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"-because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? 20 “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean." 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

    22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ’TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24  "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25  nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26  and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27  that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28  for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ’For we also are His children.’ 29 “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30  "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31  because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

    “32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this." 33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”

            We learned from our last section in Acts that Paul had been kicked out of both Thessalonica and Berea, and he had fled to Athens, waiting on the arrival of Silas and also Timothy.  While Paul was waiting he walked around the city and was very upset with what he saw, for Athens was a very pagan city, and so it was Paul’s desire to tell some of the people of Athens the good news of the gospel.  It was during Paul’s day that Corinth had actually replaced Athens as the most important political and commercial center in Greece.  However Athens had not lost it cultural significance and was still the philosophical center of the ancient world.  Is it no wonder that Paul was disturbed at what he saw in Athens as every public building was dedicated to a god, and statues of gods filled the city as seen in Acts 17:16, and 23.

            Paul was not one to set around as Luke notes “while Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was beholding the city full of idols.”  Paul was not viewing the city like a tourist would for he saw Athens as a city full of lost men and women, doomed to a Christless eternity.

            John MacArthur writes “Provoked does not bring out the full force of paroxuno, which means ‘to become angry, or infuriated.’  Luke used the corresponding noun to describe the ‘sharp disagreement’ between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:39).  Paul hated idolatry because it robbed God of His glory (cf. Rom. 1:23).  Nineteenth-century missionary Henry Martyn expressed what Paul must have felt.  He wrote concerning a discussion he had with a Muslim:

‘Mirza Seid Ali told me of a distich (couplet) made by his friend in honour of a victory over the Russians.  The sentiment was that Prince Abbas Mirza had killed so many Christians that Christ from the fourth heaven took hold of Mahomet’s [Muhammad’s] skirt to entreat him to desist.  I was cut to the soul at this blasphemy.  Mirza Seid Ali perceived that I was considerably disordered and asked what it was that was so offensive?  I told him that ‘I could not endure existence if Jesus was not glorified; it would be hell to me, if He were to be always thus dishonored.’  He was astonished and again asked ‘Why?’  ‘If any one pluck out your eyes,’ I replied, ‘there is no saying why you feel pain;--it is feeling.  It is because I am one with Christ that I am thus dreadfully wounded.’”

            We will try and finish this introduction in our next SD.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Canaan” (Genesis 12:6-7).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who had gone out of Sodom the day it rained fire and brimstone?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/13/2018 9:54 PM

           

PT-1 "Intro to Acts 17:16-34"

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/12/2018 8:23 AM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-1 Intro to Acts 17:16-34

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 17:16-34

            Message of the verses:  “16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. 18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"-because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? 20 “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean." 21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)

    22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ’TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24  "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25  nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ’For we also are His children.’ 29 “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

    32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear you again concerning this." 33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.”

            I will begin this SD the same way that John MacArthur begins the 10^th chapter of his second commentary on the book of Acts which covers chapters 13-28 of the book of Acts.  He entitles this 10^th chapter “Getting to Know the Unknown God,” and as we go through the verses that go along with this section of Acts we will perhaps see that people today certainly need to hear the words that are in this wonderful sermon that Paul preaches to a group of idol worshipers from the city of Athens.  MacArthur begins his commentary on this section by quoting a couple of paragraphs from Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s morning message that he preached on January 7, 1855:

“It has been said by someone that ‘the proper study of mankind is man.’  I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God’s elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead.  The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father…..

“Would you lose your sorrows?  Would you drown your cares?  Then go plunge yourself in the Godhead’s deepest sea; be lost in his immensity, and you shall come forth as from as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated.  I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of grief and sorrow; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead.” 

            MacArthur further comments on this sermon:  “Although spoken well over a century ago, Spurgeon’s words speak forcefully to today’s church.  In this age of liberalism, neoorthodoxy, pragmatism, psychology, emotionalism, experientialism, and man-centered theology, the church desperately needs a proper perspective God.”  I will have to admit that MacArthur’s words that he has written here are what I was trying to say, but he says them more eloquently. 

            The message that Christ gives through His gospel (good news) is what the world needs most of all.  The things that mankind does to give him temporary pleasure is as stated only temporary and actually does not satisfy the soul.  The good news of Christ gives a person what is needed and that is a relationship with the triune God, something that was lost when Adam sinned in the garden, and something that mankind can never, ever get back on their own.

            I have often said in my Spiritual Diaries and also in my Sunday school class that the very best thing that a new believer can do, and this by the way is a lifelong process, and that is to get to know the God who saved you.  The study of God’s attributes from the Scriptures is the best way to learn who God is, but before this can happen a person has to realize that they were born a sinner, and are in need of salvation that can only come from confessing your sin to the Lord and then to believe with all your heart that God has provided salvation for you through sending His Son to planet earth to take your place on the cross (and while hanging on the cross God took out His holy wrath on Him for those three darkened hours) and accept what Christ did for you and you will go from darkness to light.  You will become a new creature in Christ and will be assured of heaven where you will live with Christ forever.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I desire to continue to study who God is by a continued study of His attributes as I see them in my study of His Word.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that as I study for my Sunday school class that God will put onto my heart the things that He wants me to bring out in our study of the fifth seal judgment from the 6^th chapter of Revelation.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Jesus” (Matthew 22:21).

Today’s Bible question:  “What was the land later known as Palestine called during the time of Abraham?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/12/2018 8:59 AM

"Conflict" (Acts 17:5-9, 13-15)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/11/2018 8:56 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                                  Focus:  Conflict

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Acts 17:5-9, 13-15

            Message of the verses:  “5 But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here also; 7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus." 8 They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them….13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.”

            This is the fourth sub-point that we have been looking at in this section of the 17^th chapter of Acts.  We have been combining these two stories into one because they are very similar, in fact a lot of this last part of Acts has similar stories as Paul and his team go into a town to proclaim the gospel, going to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles because the Jews really want nothing to do with the gospel.  After a while persecution will break out on Paul and his team and so they have to leave town.  In many cases Paul will write to the churches that the Lord has begun through Paul and that is where we get many of the letters in the book of Acts, with the exception of Romans, and Colossians as Paul had not visited those two cities when he wrote to them.  At any rate as we look at our fourth sub-point in this section of Acts we will see that this last point is the result of the first three.  Those who seriously proclaim the right message and then win converts will face conflict.  I saw a little of this a little over ten years ago when I had led many people in one family to the Lord, and yet the men in the family wanted nothing to do with the gospel and so they caused a bit of trouble.  Eventually one of the men did come to the Lord.  

            We see that the unbelieving Jews at Thessalonica were actually enraged by the success of the gospel as they “loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).  As the Jews were jealous of the success of the Gospel they came upon the house of Jason because they thought Paul and Silas were there but in fact they were not there and so they had a chance to flee to Berea. 

            John MacArthur writes “Paul, Silas, and Timothy were not there, and the mob had to content itself with dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities.  Luke’s description is accurate; he uses the term politachs for the officials—the exact term that occurs for the local magistrates in inscriptions uncovered in Macedonia.  Nothing is known of Jason, except that he was probably Jewish, since Jason was a name often taken by Diaspora Jews.”

            As we look at the two charges against the believers, one being that these men who have upset the world have come here and Jason has welcomed them.  The other is a charge similar to what happened at the trial of Jesus when the Jews told Pilate “we have no king but Caesar.”  These men were saying that the missionaries were saying that there is another King, Jesus instead of Caesar.  Well we know that there is only one King and that King is Jesus and this will be shown to the world in the 1000 year kingdom after the return of Christ from heaven as seen in Revelation 19.

            We see that in the end Jason and the others gave the authorities a pledge and then they released them.  This probably was kind of like a bond and if any more trouble came from the missionaries then the bond would be forfeited.  Because of this Paul and his team left the city.  MacArthur writes “The anguish that expulsion caused Paul is reflected in his comments in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18.”  “17 But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while-in person, not in spirit-were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. 18 For we wanted to come to you I, Paul, more than once-and yet Satan hindered us.”

            Now as we look at the remaining verses for this SD we see that after Paul and his team go onto Berea that eventually the Jews from Thessalonica come and cause trouble there in Berea for them and then Paul is forced to leave and go to Athens where we will be looking at Paul’s short ministry there in our next several Spiritual Diaries.  This is something that I am looking forward to as the sermon that is recorded from Athens is very powerful and I have seen many excerpts from it in different studies that I have done, or from messages that I have heard. 

            I will finish with a quote from John MacArthur who then will quote G. Campbell Morgan.

            “Christians who would shake the world as did Paul and his companions must be courageous.  They must proclaim the right message and recognize the importance of enlisting the aid of others.  They must also be prepared to weather the storm of persecution that will surely follow.  In the words of G. Campbell Morgan,

‘The measure of our triumph in work for God is always the measure of our travail.  No propagative (to cause to multiply) work is done save at cost; and every genuine triumph of the Cross brings after it the travail of some new affliction, and some new sorrow.  So we share the travail that makes the Kingdom come.’”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  (1) Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,

We're tempted to complain, to murmur and despair;

But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away,

All tears forever over in God's eternal day.

Refrain

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

 

(2) Sometimes the sky looks dark with not a ray of light,

We're tossed and driven on , no human help in sight;

But there is one in heav'n who knows our deepest care,

Let Jesus solve your problem - just go to Him in pray'r.

Refrain

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

 

(3) Life's day will soon be o'er, all storms forever past,

We'll cross the great divide, to glory, safe at last;

We'll share the joys of heav'n - a harp, a home, a crown,

The tempter will be banished, we'll lay our burden down.

Refrain

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,

Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ;

One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to give me some triumphs in my life each day.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Five” (Luke 9:13-14).

Today’s Bible question:  “Who said, ‘Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s’?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/11/2018 9:54 AM

 

"Converts" (Acts 17:4, 12)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/10/2018 8:35 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                                  Focus:  Converts

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                       Reference:  Acts 17:4, 12

            Message of the verses:  “4  And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women….12  Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.”

            Let me begin with a quote from John MacArthur’s commentary as he begins his thoughts on these two verses:  “Those who would influence the world for Christ must recognize that they cannot do it alone.  Discipling others, who in turn disciple still others (cf. 2 Tim. 2:2), causes exponential growth and magnifies Christianity’s impact on the world.  Such spiritual reproductively was a key element in Paul’s ministry.”  I have heard that as a believer shares his faith, it is like one starving man telling another starving man where he can find bread.  That is what Paul was doing, and that is what those who Paul led to Christ are doing and that is what has been going on since the church age began.

            As we look at these two verses, one representing those in Thessalonica, and one in Berea we see very similar results.  We have spoken about the fact that the Bereans were more diligent than the Thessalonians in that they studied from the Old Testament to see if in fact that Paul was telling them the truth, and they found out that he was indeed telling them the truth.  As a result both in Thessalonica and also in Berea that many were saved and many had the desire to tell others what happened to them.

            We see in Acts 20:4 the following “And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.”  I want you to notice the highlighted portion of this verse telling us a lot about the Thessalonian church in that in a short time these men desired to be following Paul on his missionary trip.  One of the verses that I use in my prayer time comes from 2 Thessalonians 3:1, and this verse tells me much about what happened in Thessalonica after Paul left there:  “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you,” again notice the highlighted portion of this verse as Paul desired for the same thing that happened to the Thessalonians, which was spreading the Word of God, to continue to happen to Paul and his missionary friends.

            Once again as we compare these two baby churches we see that similar things happened in Berea as happened to the Thessalonian church.  “Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.”  John MacArthur notes “The Thessalonians had to be persuaded; the Bereans were ready and believed.  Their hearts were more open to the truth, as evidenced by their eager searching of the Scriptures…The Word of God can persuade the closed and the open; the obstinate and the pliant; because of those who seek the truth, and those who do not.”  I have to say that I was certainly one of those who was not searching for the truth when the Lord saved me, but then again as I look back on when the Lord saved me I have to say that the Spirit of God was working on my heart so when the gospel was presented that I was ready to accept it.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This series of lessons on this section of Acts has been an eye opener to me, and I am thankful that the Lord has caused me to study this wonderful book from His Word.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I have asked the husband of one of my neighbors to allow my wife to go and pray for his dying wife who chose not to come to a Bible study I had at my house about 10 years ago.  My prayer is that the Spirit of God will work on this dying lady so that she would be open to having us come to talk to her.  I will not force my way into their house to talk to them, but my prayer is that the Spirit of God will give her the desire to want my wife to come and pray with her.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “God” (2 Corinthians 5:5).

Today’s Bible question:  “With how many loaves did Jesus feed the five thousand men?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/10/2018 9:05 AM