Acts 20
Through Macedonia and Greece
1When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. 2He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas
7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" 11Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders
13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 20You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
25"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.[a] Be shepherds of the church of God,[b] which he bought with his own blood. 29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
36When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:
Psalm 119:41-48
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41 May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
42 then I will answer the one who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame,
47 for I delight in your commands
because I love them.
48 I lift up my hands to [a] your commands, which I love,
and I meditate on your decrees.
May 28, 2008
Are We Listening?
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READ: Psalm 119:41-48
Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22
A fascinating film made in 1950, The Next Voice You Hear, tells a story of a family with a typical amount of trials and tensions. Then, one night, the voice of God speaks on the radio. But not just their radio—God’s voice is heard throughout the world on every radio, saying the same thing at the same time.
At first people react with disbelief, then fear. After several days of hearing “The Voice,” however, people’s attitudes, actions, and priorities begin to change. The impact of what God is saying directly affects how they live their lives.
I have heard people say, “If only God would talk to me! If He would just tell me what to do, I would do it.” The simple fact is that God has already spoken to us through His Word, the Bible. Do we listen to Him as He speaks?
The psalmist desired to obey God’s Word “continually, forever and ever” (119:44). And James warned about ignoring it when he said, “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).
How would you respond if God began to speak to you on your radio? We can be thankful that God does speak to us—not on the radio but in the Scriptures. May we be wise enough to listen and obey.
— Bill Crowder
Instill within my heart, dear Lord,
A deep desire to know Your Word;
I want to learn to hear Your voice
So that Your will becomes my choice. —D. De Haan
In God’s works we see His hand; in His Word we hear His heart.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 28, 2008
Unquestion Revelation
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READ:
In that day you will ask Me nothing —John 16:23
When is "that day"? It is when the ascended Lord makes you one with the Father. "In that day" you will be one with the Father just as Jesus is, and He said, "In that day you will ask Me nothing." Until the resurrection life of Jesus is fully exhibited in you, you have questions about many things. Then after a while you find that all your questions are gone— you don’t seem to have any left to ask. You have come to the point of total reliance on the resurrection life of Jesus, which brings you into complete oneness with the purpose of God. Are you living that life now? If not, why aren’t you?
"In that day" there may be any number of things still hidden to your understanding, but they will not come between your heart and God. "In that day you will ask Me nothing"— you will not need to ask, because you will be certain that God will reveal things in accordance with His will. The faith and peace of John 14:1 has become the real attitude of your heart, and there are no more questions to be asked. If anything is a mystery to you and is coming between you and God, never look for the explanation in your mind, but look for it in your spirit, your true inner nature— that is where the problem is. Once your inner spiritual nature is willing to submit to the life of Jesus, your understanding will be perfectly clear, and you will come to the place where there is no distance between the Father and you, His child, because the Lord has made you one. "In that day you will ask Me nothing."
"A Word With You" by Ron Hutchcraft
Show and Tell
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Well, I guess most of us began our training for public speaking back in kindergarten or first grade. Remember when your teacher had you do that "show and tell" thing? You had to bring some object to school and tell about it or what it represented. I can remember this scramble around our house many mornings. Our children would remember, of course, with one foot out the door, "Oh man, I've got show and tell today!" So we'd race around the house trying to find something that they could show. You see, the teacher wasn't interested in a student just showing up with some story that day, you had to have something concrete. No "tell" was good enough to make it without being backed up by a "show."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Show and Tell."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 5:16. Listen to Jesus, "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." We're supposed to attract people to Jesus. How do we do that? He says with your good deeds. You lead with deeds, not with words. It'll change their attitude toward your Lord. Peter said in I Peter 2:12, "Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us." He's talking about a total change of heart toward God because of your good deeds.
Now, in a way, the lost people around us are like those teachers on "show and tell" day. Don't just come with something to tell, show me what it looks like; show me how it works! In fact, this is what will stimulate conversation about Jesus. Peter again, in I Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have." In this case the "show" is a positive, hope-filled, optimistic outlook on life. It will make people say, "Why are you like this?" Now, you do have to "tell." If kids just brought some unusual object to "show and tell" everyone might find it interesting, but they'd have no idea what it was. Words are necessary. They could watch you for the next twenty years, but they're not going to say, "Man, you know, Joe was such a nice guy, I'll bet Jesus died on the cross for my sins!" They're not going to figure that out! You have to tell them that. But you also have to show, or no one will be interested in what you have to tell.
It seems like believers tend to overdo one or the other, doesn't it? Some just "show" Jesus by the way they live and they never "tell." Or others witness real aggressively, they "tell" all the time, but they aren't winning the right to be heard by specializing on good deeds in the lives around them. You say, "Like what?" Being there at the hospital, at the wedding, at the funeral home, remembering the special occasions in their lives like birthdays and making those things really special. Or asking the second question. Everybody says "How are you doing?" Why don't you ask the second one, "Are you really?" It's the second question that shows somebody cares.
Maybe it's just making each person feel very important when they're with you. Here's an important question: What difference could I ask Jesus to make in me that these people would notice? What kind of difference would mean something to your family, your co-workers, your teammates? And here's the second question: "How could I show love to these people in a way that would mean something to them?" Most people won't be interested in all the religious things you do, or you believe, or you preach, but they can't ignore someone whose changed life and strong love is living proof of a living Savior.
We learned when we were very young that they have to go together, "show and tell." If you never tell them, they'll never know what Jesus did for them. If you never show them, they'll not listen when you tell. Lead with deeds. They will open the door, and then, bring Jesus in through that open door.