Acts 17:1-15
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.
15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
I was at a party and a young person I've known for two decades greeted me with this question: "Why would anyone want to be a Christian? The twelve disciples all died young. People got killed for a long time and it sounds like the opposite of goodness."
"And what was God thinking? It's not very appealing?"
Apart from Ahhhh Antioch, what would be appealing? Only Jesus Christ!
Another question people routinely have is this:
"How did we ever get the Catholic Church since only about 12 people attended His crucifixion?"
"Why didn't God take better care of the Disciples?"
Well it's this - God is God of Love. God of Encouragement.
"Yes, I feel God would be God of Love and Encouragement, but how can you read all this and find that? It seems a bummer sort of story?"
Well it's a little like the movie, The Green Mile. When God caused unusual things to happen, people felt uncomfortable.
Right, they killed John Coffey for making people well and doing the impossible.
That's right, and in the movie John was just dead. But in Rome in the 16 years after Jesus died incredible things kept happening in the Name of Jesus.
Well they can't prove all that.
Well, the Scriptures say the world turned upside down and people traveled to hear Jesus and John the Baptist way off in the wilderness. People traveled 3 days into the wilderness and were so pleased to hear and see what they saw, they forgot to pack food.
Oh, right Jesus fed the multitudes. Wasn't that a boy and they all had food in their pockets?
That's a question people have been asking for 2,000 years, yet we are still saying the people went to Jesus in the thousands to find out and kept coming back, and couldn't wait to hear Him even in the Temple itself. So we have to assume something very important was continuing to happen.
You are saying Jesus taught from the Temple?
Yes all the time. Even after the guard was sent to get Him one time.
Why?
The People knew Jesus was doing something they had waited to see for 2,000 years in the Messiah.
What makes you say that Rome started carrying on about Jesus in 16 years?
Nero blamed Christians for Rome.
That was 16 years?
Yes and we can find records of the on and off persecution for 300 years.
Oh right, but no one thought that Constantine really committed to Jesus!
Well, there was a miracle Constantine used in the sky like Hezekiah and it turned the Battle after his prayer. He did the uncomfortable thing to get the Roman gods knocked over and the Temples pushed far back. Constantine called for Christine support on his death bed and sent his favorite person, his mother, far away to broaden the faith. Can we judge Constantine seriously after all this time?
Oh, that Hezekiah and the time dial thing is so bogus!
Hezekiah was the most prosperous king other than David and Solomon. His reign is easily found in Archaeology. He was not a puppet state for Assyria and that is as big a miracle as Hezekiah and the sun dial.
Maybe that Sun dial story was an analogy for not being a puppet king?
We take in on faith these things did inexplicably happen.
It's interesting to me that Jesus chose to stay out of the Temple so much, when we have the Crusades and things like that from organized Religion.
Jesus did that surely, but He planned His Church. We find the Miracles of Jesus created the difficulties.
Have you seen miracles?
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I suppose, one of the most interesting things to me in discussing Scripture, people are so willing to want to find out the Bible is "Real". And when you discuss a miracle, it can cause 'total bolt.'
We had a very charming, loving, adorable, really just a "Shining" Soul young boy in Youth Group. Part of our lives for many years. His parents actually attended an Atheist Church. It was all ok to learn about the Bible. They rolled with what was brought their way. One day we were discussing the 60 year study on the bones of St. Peter 80 feet under the Vatican alter. He was totally astonished and asked probably twenty minutes of questions. At the end of it, he opted out of Bible Study for the rest of his young years because that pointed at the 'oral histories of cultural times' as being - - - real.
(I have a feeling if we all pray about this together and take a second, this warm and caring, beautiful young man will come back to our Cultural History this is Jesus Christ, Son of God, God of Love and return permanently - as in forever.) (Father God, thank You for this dear soul. What a young man, You have blessed in so many wonderful ways. How wonderful to see him when we see each other.
You are God of Love. All things belong to You. Favor this friend with Your Grace and Love always. Amen._
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Discussing Scripture is good. It's wonderful. We love to think of God as flowing water pouring where life and people need Him. Creating Nourishment. But we have hearts and hands and prayer we can move in His direction. Our heart should lead our mouths to say, "I'm so sorry. I will pray for you." And people will sometimes surprise you by asking for prayer right then and there.
I think for most of us to be asked to pray is fairly shocking. But just like the question and answer section at the party, we do best to keep the conversation - prayer - pretty basic.
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Being a Christian is good. Most of the USA is Christian. We never hammer our opinions on people. People will come to you and ask at the most unusual times. Like standing in line. And memories are made forever. Someone I really admire had to go to the restroom at a Pharmacy. She said she never did that. Ever. And a young woman was sobbing in the restroom. Abraham met angels. Angels are messengers of God. This young woman wanted to talk to someone her mother's age. She opened right up and said she had told no one. But here were the job problems, the money problems, the aging parent problems, the divorce problem, the child problem, the dating problem and her dad was dying. These two women had a fifteen or twenty minute talk and at the end, my friend asked her to pray for her. They prayed together and the young woman said she was a Christian, and being prayed for was the best thing happening to her for months. When she finished, she said she had felt life would never have Joy again and after all that - she felt Life would Bloom Again. The Power of Prayer. Jesus Christ is God of Love, God of encouragement.
The Encouragement we receive when we hear about The Body of Christ putting one foot in front of the other in every day life.
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A few years ago, a doctor was telling me in her faith walk, what disappointed her the most was the failure of her minister and the support of the Church. We are all going to hear about the disagreements so readily available in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
Usually this disappointment flows out like a flood. This particular story was a saved marriage by the intervention of the Pastor and then when finances died and sin and crime came in - the Minister didn't make sure the gates of Hell didn't rattle. Why didn't he - why didn't the Pastor save them? This Church is part of the extended places my husband travels even today and we know some of the staff at this Church about 35 minutes from where we go to Church. This is a Good Church.
She was good and angry at 'their failure'. I suggested since this was a personal relationship, when the anger could calm down, she write a very respectful letter to him to ask him about his opinions since this is a fairly big and very active Church with many, many things to do and people to nurture.
This is exactly why Jesus was found in the Wilderness. We have all known people who entirely gave up their faith to see, like Ghandi, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
1 Corinthians 3:6
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
The Point of our faith is not a Pastor. Mankind doesn't save us. The point of Community is not ever going to be perfect. We do not worship a Building, a Church, an altar, a Pastor, a Liturgy, the way the music has to sound.
We are seeking Nourishment of Jesus Christ.
In cancer or illness, the whole world couldn't make it all better. We seek Jesus to walk with us in all times.
In divorce, the friends change, the house and the people change. Life changes. Bitterness fall away, Jesus will be there. Just like His Mother - we are never left or forsaken.
In job loss, no one can carry the worry. Only Jesus. We are nurtured in Jesus Christ to find the Fruit of the Spirit to stay Nurtured.
Life, even in the best of times, is like the Stock Market. The phone rings and we are offered a new criticism - cut to the core. We are celebrated with friends and Life is rosy and warm. And we forgot to follow up on something and someone is so angry. Someone took offense at something and it's all out of proportion. Life is a series of changes. We adapt as life changes. We rejoice in our own good fortune and someone else felt upset. Life is about being Centered on Jesus to not be washed with the tide up and down.
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Miracle in our Days.
We can find something Great in all circumstances if we look. People change Churches all the time according to the Pew Report. This is the up-building of the Faith in Jesus we see strengthened. The Churches reading the Bible and giving us all The Good News, not just the politically and culturally correct - truly Nurture us. We leave our Sermons and worship knowing God has touched us where we will live forever - in our soul. The Nourishment is going to go down deep into our soul and we are going to live and move and dwell with God. Jesus walking with us.
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The Churches of Jesus providing God's Greatness are Rising Like Peter from the Water. A wonderful Miracle in our Day. I love to hear our Sermons. I have been Fed. I know Jesus again. Our Nation is building the Churches telling us all of the Bible. All of His Word. We Live On Every Word of God.
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Salvation is a Gift of God.
My Grandmother Anita taught for Bible Study for 40 years. She prayed for the son the Sheriff brought to her door one day. Her son's first adoption ended up in beatings and burns. My Grandmother was Jimmy's Second Adoption brought on by the Sheriff bringing her a 3 year old badly beaten toddler. And Jimmy hated, hated, hated Christians and especially "women Christians." Jimmy could clear a room mimicking the Church of my Grandmother, Great Aunt and First Cousin. For 50 years. Jimmy looked like Gollum, of the Hobbit, when he went into this spasm. Grandmother had fed people during the Great Depression. Grandmother Anita was quite wonderful. Jimmy's opinions were on Jimmy. Not something people voluntarily sat in the room to listen to. And one day, at the end of his 70's Jimmy listened to Christian TV. He listened to Joel Olsteen and read Rick Warren. Jimmy completely changed. He quit rattling about Christians. He was not perfect. But he quit hating "women Christians." Jimmy read the Bible with an 80 IQ and he understood the Bible. Jimmy began to tell people he had never had peace, but Jesus brought him peace.
Salvation is a Gift of God.
A Canadian Nurse had always hated Bible Thumpers and the uppity downlookers called Christians. She would sometimes listen to Christian Radio to mock it. Especially pleased to find United States Southern Accents. In her mid 60s, she traveled in rural snowing, isolated country roads to get to work. One night, she knew her old car was going to fail and she understood she might freeze to death before anyone drove by the next day. She'd had recent work done on her car and she knew the new part was failing, the car was displaying the old patterns.
Suddenly she felt as if Light was in the car. She 'understood' at the next closed little convenience store, a young man would be loitering. With the car part she needed. She knew she would be able to see this young man in one of the few street lamps she would see on the entire rural road.
And this happened. The young man was smoking a cigarette. She explained what car part was needed. Funny, the young man had bought the wrong car part last week and had one of those. He put the car part on in a few minutes. She offered to pay him, but he said the coincidence was too great to accept the money. Finally, she asked him if he was an angel. He laughed and pulled out his driver's license. No angel, just bona fide regular human being. He hadn't been to Church lately. But he believed that since her faith in Jesus was new that evening, he would return to Church.
The Christian Radio used to be mocked by her, and now is part of her life continually. Constantly in the Word of God. And asking to work in a Lodge for tourists where a nurse finds out about their Faith in Jesus God the Lord.
Salvation is a Gift of God.
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The Bible is Joy.
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The Bible is Joy.
Abba, Father God,
I thank You for the comfort Edward has provided. I have had Tinnitus and pray that ceases, heals in Jesus, and stops and makes lovely silence. I thank You for prayers from the saints.
My oldest son has Graduate School opportunity and I am praying for the Lord Jesus to make the most of this. Thank You for what he has experienced for going on 3 years.
We pray for the opportunity to treat others as we wish to be treated, especially discussing faith. To give goodness, believing what does the Lord require of us but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? We hope to define ourselves by treating the least of us as we would treat Jesus.
Bless this Nation. Help us to see life with more humor. And call us all to work together in Jesus Christ to provide a place where the goodness of God has room to improve lives and warm hearts to make life meaningful.
I lift up the prayers for the people I love. For the people You have given me and their concerns they have shared. Thank You we have the Power to approach You in Jesus and see what You will bring. Thank God for the Strength You Provide where we are just people. And honored by Your Love and Your interest and Care.
Thank You this season I'm more able to see and appreciate Blessings. Forgive me when I have not.
Help us all to be able to be Blessings to those especially who have blessed us.
In Jesus the Lord. We pray Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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