Note for 20250804

Acts

Eighteen

Part 18 - Acts 18 - Not Forceful

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The House of Bread · Note for 20250804 - Acts - Part 18 - Acts 18 - Not Forceful

Acts 18:1-28 KJV

[1] After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; [2] and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them. [3] And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. [4] And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. [5] And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. [6] And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. [7] And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. [8] And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. [9] Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: [10] for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city. [11] And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. [12] And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, [13] saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. [14] And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: [15] but if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. [16] And he drave them from the judgment seat. [17] Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. [18] And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. [19] And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. [20] When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; [21] but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. [22] And when he had landed at Cæsarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. [23] And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples. [24] And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. [25] This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. [26] And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. [27] And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: [28] for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

https://bible.com/bible/1/act.18.1-28.KJV

Acts 18:6 KJV

[6] And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

https://bible.com/bible/1/act.18.6.KJV

I don't know when it became a practice by Christians to exercise some forceful messages. The Gospel is not something you bring in by war, it was never a matter of a forceful conversion and yet our history books are filled with it. But, I can relate to Paul's shaking of the clothes he was wearing as an expression.

On the Sunday that has just passed, I was guided not to do a note for the day because my mind was somewhat compromised by a personal matter. Not everything in life is for public broadcast, though we ourselves might have to deal with it. Here in our reading, Paul is moved to speak to the gentiles in that area rather than those in the synagogue.

Friends, I have known for years that a day would come when I will no longer be reaching out as I am now. I know there is a period coming where I will be silent. Fearfully, more and more so I can see those conditions setting into everyday life. There is a storm brewing in the underbelly of mankind. People are studying the migration of animals, but I am a watcher of the migration of spirits. How a prominent person stops wearing a cross around their neck, how the language starts adopting lies for cover up and how nations move against one another. It is all some form of craft. I have seen how a man says a thing on one coast, and a nation suffers for his utterance on the other side of the world. So I know, a time for silence will also come, especially from time to time and depending where you are. In some places you can shout from the rooftops, others evangelize in secret places and pass notes discretely.

This brings me to the main subject of the message of today. We are to speak the message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to all people. The message of Salvation in Jesus Christ is an invitation who presents the hearers with a choice to make. It is not an arrest. His sheep knows His voice and will follow Him. But, some have gone into snake pits, expecting to convert everyone. Jesus said that the way is narrow to the straight gate and few it be that goes upon it. People get to choose what they want to believe. Sadly, yes, even those that we have somehow befriended or members of our families. Everyone can choose, the Gospel is not a forceful instruction, but an invitation to the peace of Christ.

Not everyone is ready to hear you, just because you are speaking. Some will listen for a time before learning to trust to hear you. We sometimes forget how brutal this life here in the world can become, of whom many of us have testimonies of that in our conversations. We may have forgotten how fearful one can be in hopelessness. Our faith must be effective for the sake of Salvation and forgiveness. Most of all we must remember that it is by an Act of GOD that we were saved and forgiven, and that we must forgive as we were forgiven.

The Gospel is not forceful, but a gracious gift from GOD in long suffering. Patience should be in our "toolset." However, there is a time and place for shaking dust off the feet, but let that be done by the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures.

Selah, Shalom

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Verse of The Day

From the YouVersion Bible App

Matthew 4:4 KJV

[4] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.4.4.KJV

Quick Note:

This was spoken by Jesus when He resisted the devil. Christ did it by the Word of GOD. Jesus also said that we must resist the devil and he shall flee from us. Might it be that we resist the devil by the Word of GOD too? Then, where do we get counter to the Word of GOD most often, is it not in us too? So we face in us, that which stands against the Word of GOD too, in fact, Christ said to first remove the beam from our eyes, before attempting to remove the splinter from our brother's eye.

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