KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, November 29, 2018
Chapters: Acts 18-19
Message: A Renewed Mind
Hello My Friend,
I use to live down the street from this church that must have changed names and denominations every six months, the last I saw it it was now a contemporary church. Do you know what contemporary means? “I am not going to preach what the Bible says because I don’t want to offend anyone, I am going to preach feel good messages that appeal to their worldly egos so I can get their money.” Here is another question, who are Christians to conform to, Christ or the world? Here is the big hint, (Christ)ian. Christians are not do gooders who pride themselves on their good deeds and religious fulfillment’s, they are, in fact, saved, born again souls of Jesus Christ, those whom have received Him as their Saviour. There is a reason why we as Christians are to go out into the world, yet be separate, set apart from them, and that is to bring Christ to get them so that they can be transformed into Christians themselves. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2.
I was eating lunch with my new boss and found myself praying for my food in my head rather than bowing in front of him because he just kept talking and felt it would be rude to interrupt him. I did tell him that I believe my job was a God send because I prayed for it and got the call that day. As faithful Christians, sometimes we can feel like we are all alone in this world, even among other professing Christians, it seems no one talks about Jesus or when they do even preaches the Gospel anymore. As Paul walks through Corinth he is discouraged because no one would listen to him, it was then in a dream that Jesus spoke to him.
“And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. 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. 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. 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. Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.” – Acts 18:4-10.
“but speak, and hold not thy peace:” You, it is okay to talk about Jesus wherever you go. There is only so much we can do to reach others for Christ, and not everyone will respond with salvation. It is not for us to deal with them, God will, we did our part, we told them about Jesus, and God takes care of the rest. And while it may seem like we are all alone, we are not, and there are still more souls that want to be saved, otherwise, Jesus would be here already. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” – II Peter 3:9-10.
Part of the reason we are sent out into the world is to help those who do want to be Christians to know and understand exactly what that means. Paul met a Jewish couple named Priscilla and Aquila, they converted and traveled with him in his ministry, in their travels the met another Jew named Apollos, he was knowledgeable in the Scriptures, but only as far as John the baptist was concerned.
“And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 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. 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. 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: For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.” – Acts 18:24-28.
“and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.” The people who want God in their lives are no different today than they were during Aquila and Priscilla’s time, or even before Christ came here, but reject Christ because they do not want to give up the world, and they will struggle until the day they get saved or die, and then it will be too late. Then there are those who not only choose Christ, they embrace Him, and turn away from the world. The only way this can happen is if we submit to Him and grow by hearing the Word of God and doing it. We have to make sure that those who think they are saved understand what it is and that they are actually saved, it does no good to get baptized with water if you are not saved. We learn this very important message when Paul asked some believers if they received the Holy Spirit yet.
“He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” – Acts 19:2-6,10.
“We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” The reason these people did not receive the Holy Spirit yet was because they thought if they got baptized, through repentance, they would be saved, but they missed something, even John said that he only baptized with water, but Jesus would baptize them with the Spirit of God. We cannot and will not receive the Spirit of God is us unless we personally know Jesus Christ as our Saviour. “I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” – Mark 1:8.
One thing I have learned is that the closer your relationship with God the more souls you are going to bring to Christ, and you can be sure that if you are bringing souls to Christ the devil is going to try to stop you. A Jew of Ephesus, Alexander became a prominent part of a riot that began in a theater as Paul preached and people started receiving Christ. The Jews used Alexander to plead their cause before a mob of people defending their worshiping of a goddess, all started by a man name Demetrius who made a living off of making idols of her.
“And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.” – Acts 19:33-38.
“ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.” The officer, to avoid any more problems urges Paul to be quiet and speak no more to offend them. This is the very reason churches succumb to “contemporizing” their services to keep the mob from causing an uproar. The crazy thing, the unbelieving Jews were angry, because the Gospel preached to the Gentiles. How strange it is, that people would grudge others the privileges they will not themselves accept? We should never be afraid to approach someone with the Gospel, regardless of their race or religion, God is God of all and saves all who believe in His Son will receive eternal life. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” – I Corinthians 12:12-14.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” – Acts 19:4-5.
Today’s Prayer: God, When I gave my heart to You, I made the willful choice to no longer conform to the trends and philosophies of this world, but transform into the likeness of Your Son and I apply Your truths in this sick world through. We are put to the test daily in deciding what is truth and what is error. Sharpen our minds and grant us the courage we need to readily know truth from error and give us the boldness to speak it with intimidation, fear, or offense. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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