O. Addison Gethers e-mail address [email protected] [email protected]
twitter URL http//:twitter.com/OAddisonGethers Messenger contact window live/msn messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS rs ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 11:05 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Saturday November 14 > Day 318 > > Acts 19 > 1-2 Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his > way down through the > mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The > first thing he said was, "Did > you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your > mind only, or did you also > embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?" > "We've never even heard of that-a Holy Spirit? God within us?" > > 3"How were you baptized, then?" asked Paul. > > "In John's baptism." > > 4"That explains it," said Paul. "John preached a baptism of radical > life-change so that people > would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be > Jesus. If you've been > baptized in John's baptism, you're ready now for the real thing, for > Jesus." > > 5-7And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the > name of the Master Jesus. > Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From > that moment on, they were > praising God in tongues and talking about God's actions. Altogether there > were about twelve people > there that day. > > 8-10Paul then went straight to the meeting place. He had the run of the > place for three months, > doing his best to make the things of the kingdom of God real and > convincing to them. But then > resistance began to form as some of them began spreading evil rumors > through the congregation about > the Christian way of life. So Paul left, taking the disciples with him, > and set up shop in the > school of Tyrannus, holding class there daily. He did this for two years, > giving everyone in the > province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, ample opportunity to hear the > Message of the Master. > > Witches Came out of the Woodwork > 11-12God did powerful things through Paul, things quite out of the > ordinary. The word got around > and people started taking pieces of clothing-handkerchiefs and scarves and > the like-that had touched > Paul's skin and then touching the sick with them. The touch did it-they > were healed and whole. > 13-16Some itinerant Jewish exorcists who happened to be in town at the > time tried their hand at > what they assumed to be Paul's "game." They pronounced the name of the > Master Jesus over victims of > evil spirits, saying, "I command you by the Jesus preached by Paul!" The > seven sons of a certain > Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were trying to do this on a man when the evil > spirit talked back: "I > know Jesus and I've heard of Paul, but who are you?" Then the possessed > man went berserk-jumped the > exorcists, beat them up, and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, > they got away as best they > could. > > 17-20It was soon news all over Ephesus among both Jews and Greeks. The > realization spread that God > was in and behind this. Curiosity about Paul developed into reverence for > the Master Jesus. Many of > those who thus believed came out of the closet and made a clean break with > their secret sorceries. > All kinds of witches and warlocks came out of the woodwork with their > books of spells and > incantations and made a huge bonfire of them. Someone estimated their > worth at fifty thousand silver > coins. In such ways it became evident that the Word of the Master was now > sovereign and prevailed in > Ephesus. > > The Goddess Artemis > 21-22After all this had come to a head, Paul decided it was time to move > on to Macedonia and Achaia > provinces, and from there to Jerusalem. "Then," he said, "I'm off to Rome. > I've got to see Rome!" He > sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, on to Macedonia and then > stayed for a while and > wrapped things up in Asia. > 23-26But before he got away, a huge ruckus occurred over what was now > being referred to as "the > Way." A certain silversmith, Demetrius, conducted a brisk trade in the > manufacture of shrines to the > goddess Artemis, employing a number of artisans in his business. He > rounded up his workers and > others similarly employed and said, "Men, you well know that we have a > good thing going here-and > you've seen how Paul has barged in and discredited what we're doing by > telling people that there's > no such thing as a god made with hands. A lot of people are going along > with him, not only here in > Ephesus but all through Asia province. > > 27"Not only is our little business in danger of falling apart, but the > temple of our famous goddess > Artemis will certainly end up a pile of rubble as her glorious reputation > fades to nothing. And this > is no mere local matter-the whole world worships our Artemis!" > > 28-31That set them off in a frenzy. They ran into the street yelling, > "Great Artemis of the > Ephesians! Great Artemis of the Ephesians!" They put the whole city in an > uproar, stampeding into > the stadium, and grabbing two of Paul's associates on the way, the > Macedonians Gaius and > Aristarchus. Paul wanted to go in, too, but the disciples wouldn't let > him. Prominent religious > leaders in the city who had become friendly to Paul concurred: "By no > means go near that mob!" > > 32-34Some were yelling one thing, some another. Most of them had no idea > what was going on or why > they were there. As the Jews pushed Alexander to the front to try to gain > control, different > factions clamored to get him on their side. But he brushed them off and > quieted the mob with an > impressive sweep of his arms. But the moment he opened his mouth and they > knew he was a Jew, they > shouted him down: "Great Artemis of the Ephesians! Great Artemis of the > Ephesians!"-on and on and > on, for over two hours. > > 35-37Finally, the town clerk got the mob quieted down and said, "Fellow > citizens, is there anyone > anywhere who doesn't know that our dear city Ephesus is protector of > glorious Artemis and her sacred > stone image that fell straight out of heaven? Since this is beyond > contradiction, you had better get > hold of yourselves. This is conduct unworthy of Artemis. These men you've > dragged in here have done > nothing to harm either our temple or our goddess. > > 38-41"So if Demetrius and his guild of artisans have a complaint, they can > take it to court and > make all the accusations they want. If anything else is bothering you, > bring it to the regularly > scheduled town meeting and let it be settled there. There is no excuse for > what's happened today. > We're putting our city in serious danger. Rome, remember, does not look > kindly on rioters." With > that, he sent them home. > > Acts 20 > Macedonia and Greece > 1-2 With things back to normal, Paul called the disciples together and > encouraged them to keep up > the good work in Ephesus. Then, saying his good-byes, he left for > Macedonia. Traveling through the > country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant > encouragement, lifting their > spirits and charging them with fresh hope. > 2-4Then he came to Greece and stayed on for three months. Just as he was > about to sail for Syria, > the Jews cooked up a plot against him. So he went the other way, by land > back through Macedonia, and > gave them the slip. His companions for the journey were Sopater, son of > Pyrrhus, from Berea; > Aristarchus and Secundus, both Thessalonians; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; > and the two from western > Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. > > 5-6They went on ahead and waited for us in Troas. Meanwhile, we stayed in > Philippi for Passover > Week, and then set sail. Within five days we were again in Troas and > stayed a week. > > 7-9We met on Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master's Supper. Paul > addressed the congregation. > Our plan was to leave first thing in the morning, but Paul talked on, way > past midnight. We were > meeting in a well-lighted upper room. A young man named Eutychus was > sitting in an open window. As > Paul went on and on, Eutychus fell sound asleep and toppled out the > third-story window. When they > picked him up, he was dead. > > 10-12Paul went down, stretched himself on him, and hugged him hard. "No > more crying," he said. > "There's life in him yet." Then Paul got up and served the Master's > Supper. And went on telling > stories of the faith until dawn! On that note, they left-Paul going one > way, the congregation > another, leading the boy off alive, and full of life themselves. > > 13-16In the meantime, the rest of us had gone on ahead to the ship and > sailed for Assos, where we > planned to pick up Paul. Paul wanted to walk there, and so had made these > arrangements earlier. > Things went according to plan: We met him in Assos, took him on board, and > sailed to Mitylene. The > next day we put in opposite Chios, Samos a day later, and then Miletus. > Paul had decided to bypass > Ephesus so that he wouldn't be held up in Asia province. He was in a hurry > to get to Jerusalem in > time for the Feast of Pentecost, if at all possible. > > On to Jerusalem > 17-21From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the leaders of the congregation. > When they arrived, he > said, "You know that from day one of my arrival in Asia I was with you > totally-laying my life on the > line, serving the Master no matter what, putting up with no end of > scheming by Jews who wanted to do > me in. I didn't skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement > that could have made a > difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public and I taught you in > your homes, urging Jews > and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally > radical trust in our Master > Jesus. > 22-24"But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go > to Jerusalem. I'm > completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know > that it won't be any > picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that > there are hard times and > imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to > finish what God started: > the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about > this incredibly > extravagant generosity of God. > > 25-27"And so this is good-bye. You're not going to see me again, nor I > you, you whom I have gone > among for so long proclaiming the news of God's inaugurated kingdom. I've > done my best for you, > given you my all, held back nothing of God's will for you. > > 28"Now it's up to you. Be on your toes-both for yourselves and your > congregation of sheep. The Holy > Spirit has put you in charge of these people-God's people they are-to > guard and protect them. God > himself thought they were worth dying for. > > 29-31"I know that as soon as I'm gone, vicious wolves are going to show up > and rip into this flock, > men from your very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into > following them instead of > Jesus. So stay awake and keep up your guard. Remember those three years I > kept at it with you, never > letting up, pouring my heart out with you, one after another. > > 32"Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word > can make you into what he > wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this > community of holy friends. > > 33-35"I've never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or > fashion. With these bare hands I > took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In > everything I've done, I have > demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and > not exploit them. You'll > not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, > 'You're far happier giving > than getting.'" > > 36-38Then Paul went down on his knees, all of them kneeling with him, and > prayed. And then a river > of tears. Much clinging to Paul, not wanting to let him go. They knew they > would never see him > again-he had told them quite plainly. The pain cut deep. Then, bravely, > they walked him down to the > ship. > > Acts 21 > Tyre and Caesarea > 1-4 And so, with the tearful good-byes behind us, we were on our way. We > made a straight run to > Cos, the next day reached Rhodes, and then Patara. There we found a ship > going direct to Phoenicia, > got on board, and set sail. Cyprus came into view on our left, but was > soon out of sight as we kept > on course for Syria, and eventually docked in the port of Tyre. While the > cargo was being unloaded, > we looked up the local disciples and stayed with them seven days. Their > message to Paul, from > insight given by the Spirit, was "Don't go to Jerusalem." > 5-6When our time was up, they escorted us out of the city to the docks. > Everyone came along-men, > women, children. They made a farewell party of the occasion! We all > kneeled together on the beach > and prayed. Then, after another round of saying good-bye, we climbed on > board the ship while they > drifted back to their homes. > > 7-9A short run from Tyre to Ptolemais completed the voyage. We greeted our > Christian friends there > and stayed with them a day. In the morning we went on to Caesarea and > stayed with Philip the > Evangelist, one of "the Seven." Philip had four virgin daughters who > prophesied. > > 10-11After several days of visiting, a prophet from Judea by the name of > Agabus came down to see > us. He went right up to Paul, took Paul's belt, and, in a dramatic > gesture, tied himself up, hands > and feet. He said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: The Jews in > Jerusalem are going to tie up the > man who owns this belt just like this and hand him over to godless > unbelievers." > > 12-13When we heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to > be stubborn and persist > in going to Jerusalem. But Paul wouldn't budge: "Why all this hysteria? > Why do you insist on making > a scene and making it even harder for me? You're looking at this backward. > The issue in Jerusalem is > not what they do to me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master > Jesus does through my > obedience. Can't you see that?" > > 14We saw that we weren't making even a dent in his resolve, and gave up. > "It's in God's hands now," > we said. "Master, you handle it." > > 15-16It wasn't long before we had our luggage together and were on our way > to Jerusalem. Some of > the disciples from Caesarea went with us and took us to the home of > Mnason, who received us warmly > as his guests. A native of Cyprus, he had been among the earliest > disciples. > > Jerusalem > 17-19In Jerusalem, our friends, glad to see us, received us with open > arms. The first thing next > morning, we took Paul to see James. All the church leaders were there. > After a time of greeting and > small talk, Paul told the story, detail by detail, of what God had done > among the non-Jewish people > through his ministry. They listened with delight and gave God the glory. > 20-21They had a story to tell, too: "And just look at what's been > happening here-thousands upon > thousands of God-fearing Jews have become believers in Jesus! But there's > also a problem because > they are more zealous than ever in observing the laws of Moses. They've > been told that you advise > believing Jews who live surrounded by unbelieving outsiders to go light on > Moses, telling them that > they don't need to circumcise their children or keep up the old > traditions. This isn't sitting at > all well with them. > > 22-24"We're worried about what will happen when they discover you're in > town. There's bound to be > trouble. So here is what we want you to do: There are four men from our > company who have taken a vow > involving ritual purification, but have no money to pay the expenses. Join > these men in their vows > and pay their expenses. Then it will become obvious to everyone that there > is nothing to the rumors > going around about you and that you are in fact scrupulous in your > reverence for the laws of Moses. > > 25"In asking you to do this, we're not going back on our agreement > regarding non-Jews who have > become believers. We continue to hold fast to what we wrote in that > letter, namely, to be careful > not to get involved in activities connected with idols; to avoid serving > food offensive to Jewish > Christians; to guard the morality of sex and marriage." > > 26So Paul did it-took the men, joined them in their vows, and paid their > way. The next day he went > to the Temple to make it official and stay there until the proper > sacrifices had been offered and > completed for each of them. > > Paul Under Arrest > 27-29When the seven days of their purification were nearly up, some Jews > from around Ephesus > spotted him in the Temple. At once they turned the place upside-down. They > grabbed Paul and started > yelling at the top of their lungs, "Help! You Israelites, help! This is > the man who is going all > over the world telling lies against us and our religion and this place. > He's even brought Greeks in > here and defiled this holy place." (What had happened was that they had > seen Paul and Trophimus, the > Ephesian Greek, walking together in the city and had just assumed that he > had also taken him to the > Temple and shown him around.) > 30Soon the whole city was in an uproar, people running from everywhere to > the Temple to get in on > the action. They grabbed Paul, dragged him outside, and locked the Temple > gates so he couldn't get > back in and gain sanctuary. > > 31-32As they were trying to kill him, word came to the captain of the > guard, "A riot! The whole > city's boiling over!" He acted swiftly. His soldiers and centurions ran to > the scene at once. As > soon as the mob saw the captain and his soldiers, they quit beating Paul. > > 33-36The captain came up and put Paul under arrest. He first ordered him > handcuffed, and then asked > who he was and what he had done. All he got from the crowd were shouts, > one yelling this, another > that. It was impossible to tell one word from another in the mob hysteria, > so the captain ordered > Paul taken to the military barracks. But when they got to the Temple > steps, the mob became so > violent that the soldiers had to carry Paul. As they carried him away, the > crowd followed, shouting, > "Kill him! Kill him!" > > 37-38When they got to the barracks and were about to go in, Paul said to > the captain, "Can I say > something to you?" > > He answered, "Oh, I didn't know you spoke Greek. I thought you were the > Egyptian who not long ago > started a riot here, and then hid out in the desert with his four thousand > thugs." > > 39Paul said, "No, I'm a Jew, born in Tarsus. And I'm a citizen still of > that influential city. I > have a simple request: Let me speak to the crowd." > > Paul Tells His Story > 40Standing on the barracks steps, Paul turned and held his arms up. A hush > fell over the crowd as > Paul began to speak. He spoke in Hebrew. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~ > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > Also, follow my tweets on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/Donnie1261 > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/dbilg?hl=.
