SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/8/2018
10:32 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Intro to
Acts 14:1-28
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 14:1-28
Message of the
verses: Now because this
introduction will be so short I will put all 28 verses onto this Spiritual
Diary. As we move into the 14th
chapter of Acts I want to say that John MacArthur entitles his fourth chapter
from his commentary “Qualities of an Effective Servant of Jesus Christ.” Just to remind you that we started our study
of the 13th chapter of Acts on the fifth of February and so it took
us a little over a month to get through it, something that I found very
interesting and informative, and hopefully all who read the Spiritual Diaries
on it did too.
“1 In Iconium they entered
the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large
number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. 2 But the Jews who
disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against
the brethren. 3 Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with
reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting
that signs and wonders be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city
were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 5 And when an attempt was made by both the
Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to the
cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region; 7 and there they continued to preach the
gospel. 8 At Lystra a man was sitting
who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never
walked. 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed
his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, 10 said with a
loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began
to walk. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice,
saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have
come down to us." 12 And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul,
Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple
was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted
to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul
heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out 15
and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the
same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from
these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE
SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM. 16 "In
the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; 17 and yet He did not leave Himself without
witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful
seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." 18 Even saying
these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering
sacrifice to them. 19 But Jews came from
Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and
dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 But while the
disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he
went away with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 After they had preached the gospel to that
city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to
Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to
continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of
God." 23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church,
having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had
believed. 24 They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. 25 When they
had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they
sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for
the work that they had accomplished. 27 When they had arrived and gathered the
church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them
and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent a long
time with the disciples.”
John MacArthur writes:
“Admittedly, this lengthy narrative passage contains no explicit
teaching on God’s requirements for effective service. It does, however present two highly qualified
and effective servants who modeled the qualifications necessary for all who
would proclaim the good news through the Lord Jesus Christ. The many diverse and unique features of this
inspired record of the further extension of the gospel into the Gentile world
can be tied together by focusing on the two constants in the diversity—Paul and
Barnabas. Through the flow of this
narrative, these tow servants of God manifest examples of seven qualities that
make for effective spiritual ministry:
Spirit-giftedness, boldness, humility, persistence, caring, commitment,
and reverence.”
Now as we begin to look at this 14th chapter
of Acts we also see that when we get through with it we will find ourselves
right where we started in chapter 13, and that is Antioch where we saw the Holy
Spirit give the call for ministry to Paul and Barnabas, thus the end of the
first missionary journey.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: As I look at what
we have studied in chapter thirteen and have read over chapter fourteen what I
see is God’s perfect plan being fulfilled as the church of Jesus Christ began
to be spread throughout the Gentile world reaching all those who God chose in
eternity past and after the message of salvation is preached in these cities
the Spirit of God gives and effectual call to those who were called. I have also seen that many people who have
heard the message of the Gospel have said that they do not want anything to do
with it and even worse have persecuted those who have been giving it out.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
I trust the Lord to continue to work in
the life of my father-in-law as he is going through some difficult times
because of his incident from last Sunday when he broke his hip. I believe that God is working in his
heart. I don’t want to be like those who
were praying for Peter’s release and when God got him out of prison did not
believe it. I have prayed for over 44
years and I do believe that God has worked in his heart a lot in these last few
years of his over100 years of being on this earth.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Soul and spirit” (Hebrews
4:12).
Today’s Bible
question: “Who did Jesus say was like
the wise man who built his house upon the rock?”
Answer in our next SD.
3/8/2018 11:01 AM
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