Acts 17:1-15

 Agitators vs Acceptance

Paul proclaims Christ Jesus, and many greeks accept Him, even the prominent, not being attached to their position, but coming instead under the Lordship of Christ. The Jews however are not said to be opposed to Christ for 'reasons' other than Jealousy. Clinging to power, clinging to tradition. Their bitterness toward Paul is because he's stealing their 'converts'.  Jesus said that these people tithe their herbs, and forget their parents, that they put burdens on the greeks that they cannot bear, and go far across the world to make a convert and make him twice as much a son of hell as they are. They interfere and agitate the ministry of Paul, and want to destroy its effectiveness by using a mob of angry people.

But grace and the knowledge of God comes to those who are truly seeking Him. In any place and time, God seeks such worshippers and reveals himself to them, like the samaritan woman at the well. 

This is where Timothy starts a more practical side to his traineeship. He is left there with Silas, and has the opportunity to continue to teach these greeks and the Berean Jews the truth. He's the perfect candidate for this. His humility, his mixed heritage, the things he has seen God do in his life till now.

Lord Jesus make us open hearted like the Berean jews and the Greeks that Paul and Timothy brought the truth to. Help us to seek the Lord while he may be found, to forsake wickedness. Help us identify and forgive agitators and to pray for them. 

Acts 16:16-40

 The slave, the state and salvation

You're just asking for trouble being followed around with announcements of unwanted attention. Perhaps not all publicity is good publicity. Under demonic influence this poor girl, a fortune telling slave, cannot help but declare the kingdom of God. 

Realising that the jig is up, the scheme has been foiled, and the mainstream media of demonic doom is uncovered with the authority of Christ Jesus, the only option left is force. Just as it is in our day. The economic fortunes of those who would suppress the truth of Christ are under threat. The conspirators are given cause to attack His messengers. 

But then something beautiful happens. As the bruises start to show, as the body starts to ache from the awkward position in the stocks, as the joints start to swell in pain, they sing. The testimony comes to those in prison. The inspiration of Paul Furlong, put in prison in melbourne for holding church services during the plandemic, these guys are a real blessing.

The rule of law does occasionally still hold sway and favour the innocent. And for shame, occasionally it reveals the injustice of people in power, using it for their own ends.  Our citizenship here may hold some protection, as it did for Paul, but our citizenship in heaven needs to be our primary card to carry, to answer our accusers, to represent his Kingdom and its light and law and grace and truth in this dark world.

Acts 16:1-15

 Touring, Teaching and Training

Imagine being Timothy, the young man, taken along with Paul, instructing the churches. Imagine him soaking up the teaching, thinking it through, and then getting to the next town, taking a turn at instructing, and improving his communication and understanding at each opportunity.  It would be an exciting opportunity to follow along, and be trained in this way. 

I can feel the excitement of hearing from Paul that they had been instructed by Christ to travel to Macedonia. I don't know if Timothy had traveled much before, but it does seem like its turning out to be an amazing adventure in a natural sense, going to so many different places. But also, as a divinely directed adventure it is the more amazing. Jesus instruction to them directly to do one thing or not another, and to have their journey providentially weaved through circumstances He had orchestrated is a real confidence builder for Timothy. 

Paul may have had smaller trip in mind to go down to Asia to Ephesus, but is given the command to go across to Macedonia to extend his journey.  The people of Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea receive the Word of God, and Pauls letters to them later become the blessing to us. 

When Timothy observes Pauls pattern of looking for people like Lydia at places of prayer, and seeing that he finds someone prepared of heart to receive the good news, it must have encouraged him in preparation for his own ministry, as it ought to encourage us to do the same. 

Lord Jesus grant me real following grace to follow you through to unfamiliar difficult and distant places if required and to be prepared of heart to see you do amazing things through your providential care and intervention.

Acts 15:1-21

 You cannot be saved. All the external and ceremonial activities of jewish law do not provide salvation. All the traditions of men in any religion do not afford salvation. What can a man give in exchange for his soul? 

The fervency of debate and dissension among the disciples as they wrestled through this, being witnesses of the Glory of Christ, gives weight to the importance and difficulty of dealing with this. In all generations since, the same challenge has been on the church and individuals of tradition, that we are somehow made worthy by what we do. It is our natural expression of self. It is the response of Cain to God requiring of him something different than he thought best to provide as an offering. 

The heart of the pharisee in me wants to press on others the kinds of traditions that i think are getting me in the door. But my witness or expectation in a natural sense does not give light to God's way of dealing with us. 

God who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit.  The testimony of the gentiles is not external. It is the witness of the Holy Spirit.  Their faith is no different to the faith of the Jews who trust the risen Jesus Christ. We are saved just as they are through the grace of the Lord Jesus.

The wonder of the assembly as they silently listened to the amazing things God was doing through signs and wonders have been thrilling.

The calling of the gentiles, opening the promise of eternal life, Jesus who loves me, calling me to repent, to be purified from sin, to be brought into loving fellowship, to have eternal security. I should be grateful. I should dwell on it often. I should rejoice in how he loves me.  You can be saved. By the Grace of the Lord Jesus. You are known, you can be rescued through faith in him.  You may have to have a challenging debate internally to unravel the reliance on your works.  You're not good enough. But He is perfectly Good. You're not holy, He is.  Whatever you're banking on, it better be the bank of Heaven, for all our traditions, observances, are filthy rags, but Jesus is the one we can call on to set us free into His Love, to give us an eternal inheritance, to fill us with joy. Jesus saves.

Nothing in my hands I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress,

Helpless, look to Thee for grace:

Foul, I to the fountain fly,

Wash me, Savior, or I die.

Rock of Ages - Augustus Toplady

Psalm 119:11

Your Word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you O Lord, teach me your statutes.


Not only is the young man kept pure keeping his way by the map of the Word, and internally his attitude of heart is seeking the presence of God for preservation, but to further establish himself  in righteousness, he treasures God's word in his heart.  Not in a box, not in a book, but in his heart. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.

For preservation from sin, comes from having the word not just in our mind or our memory but as our favourite most cherished possession. We are stewards of the mystery of Christ being revealed. We are called to obedience, for a sincere love, and we are given this treasure in jars of clay, that the all surpassing power may be from God himself.

God is to be treasured and sought for my life. In his presence is pleasure forever more. Gods word is to be sought and treasured more than title, things or experiences.  God give e the love and passion to treasure your word in my heart, to keep it safe and keep my understanding, keep my willing obedience to follow it, treasure it because it is beautiful, because it is wisdom, because it is yet plain but has depth unfathomable, because it is sharp and because it is powerful.

The time is coming when no man will say to his neighbour "Know the Lord" for they will all know me from the least to the greatest. I want to be taught by God himself, to know him. To have the master class. Who wouldn't. Every violinist wants to spend time with the masters to emulate them and if they have a good teacher, will take on every piece of advice.

But we can be taught by God. We cry to him to show us His way. But we are willful and wayward and don't want . a teacher in our natural state.

If i do not acknowledge how blessed is the Lord, I will not want to be taught by him. A small view of God leads to a small view of his revelation.

But we must recognise the immensity of his blessedness. That God is Glorious and worthy of all praise. Worthy of adoration because of his character and power and being. Do i wan to know mere  about him? Is it because he is magnificent in Wisdom, grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Is it because he has shown wretched me fathomless riches? Why should another man teach me for the Holy Spirit can reveal truth to me personally.

Psalm 119:9-10

How can a young man keep his way pure
By guarding it according to your Word
With all my heart I have sought you
Do not let me wander from your commandments.

Young men will chose a way and are influenced in it by many things. But keeping it pure is usually not the highest priority. In fact the way of most young men is really intended to go try every way pure or not regardless of consequence. When you start your journey off course, even a little, it takes that much longer to get back on track after a while. But the psalmist wants to know about a pure way, an uncorrupted way, an untainted way, a way of substance.

Where does the desire of purity come from? "The one who has this hope purifies himself as He is pure"

Purity of my way can only come by measuring, mapping and defining my way by Gods word. Only then will it be kept in the right way. Keeping something pure requires attention to it s situations, surroundings, and its future. The word of God can show me about situations that I ought to be in to stay pure, that i should avoid to be pure,  and to show me what influences are beneficial for purity and those which are not. If my way is in accord with his Word, it will stay pure. Even if i am young  even if temptations and trials come.

What power should i need to keep my way pure according to His word? ~ Hebrews says having my eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of my faith,  That i call on the indwelling spirit that envies intensely for the Glory of God in me and I be sensitive to Him and not willfully grieving Him.

That i depend on all the means of grace that the Word of God offers, To not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing.  That i pray without ceasing. That i let the Word of God dwell in me richly. Oh that i would have done this as a young man. Oh that i could learn to do it with my own sons.

The pure heart of (i can't read my writing) seeks God in and of it's entirety.  It is undivided, not seeking other things. A new heart has been given and it's sole desire is seeking God, and our Lord has promised. Those who seek shall find and echos the prophet that calls us to seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. In seeking, his prayer is not to wander. Lord we are prone to wander, For though our hearts be undivided, our strength is sometimes low and our resolve is weak and we stumble. Wandering can be an unthinking unintentional thing. And it seems sometimes we don't mean to wander but our hearts are drawn away and enticed. Wandering can be a small beginning, to going totally off the path and in my heart and mind small changes in thinking get multiplied the further i get along, and if I am not always making course corrections. I will soon find myself wandering far away.
But the restraint comes from the past, and from the growing conviction of whole hearted searching over time to get back on course. The psalmists plea recognises that it is the Lords keeping that makes it possible, and echose Jesus teaching on prayer "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil."

Psalm 119:5-6

Oh that my ways may be established to keep your statutes
Then is shall not be ashamed when I look upon all your commandments.

After examining the way of the blameless and the correspondence of it to the Word of God and the happy state of them that follow in it the psalmist turns to examine his own heart.

Prayer recognises the immanence of God. If God be near, I can ask him, If God sees all, I will be ashamed and would rather hide like our first parents both did in order not to be revealed before Him.
The psalmist deep desire is Holiness. That his way be established. That it matches the statutes or standing rules that go vern a people fit for represnting Him. Looking on Gods commands is a soul searching activity if we let the Word 'read us'. It comes to divide our thoughts and intentions like a sharp blade. It hurts when it has to cut out sin, and shame, and the things we would cling to that might hinder our way.

When adam heard the presence of the Lord in the cool of the day, it was supposed to be a precious time of fellowship but he is confronted instead with shame as adam recognises that he has fallen shourt of the loving obedience that he used to have.

The psalmist wants not only to do what is right, but to be established in it. To be fixed, firm, strong, unmoved, well put together, and have the right foundation, to lay the roadway with certainty, truth and direction. He wants a path way that is well trod down. How might his way be established? But by observing, walking, seeking, doing, acknowledging God's word. By prayer and the retaining power of the Holy Spirit to transform our convictions of our whole heart. Striving after the presence of God is what establishes our way. His immanence through the Word and prayer is able to make us unashamed at his appearing. Unashamed before his commands. 1 john 1 28. Dear children continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unsahamed at his coming.