Monthly Archives: May 2026

ACTS THE SEQUEL…RESOLUTE AND UNWAVERING – 52

Bible Study, ,

“After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia. We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo. We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home.”

‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Criss- crossing sea and land, Paul and his companions reached Tyre, a harbour city in Syria. There was already a group of believers there, so Paul’s group disembarked and joined them while the ship’s cargo was being unloaded. Paul was always ready to use every opportunity to spend time with the believers while they waited to rejoin the ship. 

Have you noticed how the same warning came to Paul…time and again…from each group of believers he met on his way.  “Don’t go to Jerusalem!” they prophesied.  It almost seems as though the Holy Spirit was giving Paul two conflicting messages. Wes this confusion or a test?

Why did Paul disregard the warning? Was he just being stubborn…or skeptical? Should he have changed his plan, gone to Antioch instead…where he would be safe and with friends? Why Jerusalem where his life would be  in danger? Why was he so resolute about going to Jerusalem, of all places? Surely, by this time, the whole world knew that he had preached to and was closely connected to the despised Gentiles. The Jews said he was a sell-out…a traitor.. to be exterminated like a bug. 

Paul had already made clear to the church in  Ephesus that he was well aware of what he was doing. Knowing that his life was at risk, he was passing the baton on to them to continue where he left off. 

“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.”

‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

…he had told them…

It is clear that the Spirit was not warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem but rather preparing him for what lay ahead. He was not to be taken by surprise when things turned nasty. He was to go with the flow, knowing that the  Lord was in charge…and that He had a plan. 

The believers in Tyre also warned Paul of impending trouble which he also received but brushed aside, moving resolutely on towards Jerusalem. 

Paul had a different perspective about his life. He held his own life lightly. He would remain on earth as long as His Lord decreed. If he still had work to do, he was safe in the Lord’s hands. If it was time for him to leave, he would not resist the manner of his departure. So, whatever lay ahead in Jerusalem held no terror for him. 

Paul had no idea what awaited him in that city. He only knew that he was on track with the Holy Spirit and that the way ahead was not pretty. What a way to face life…carefree in the care of God! 

We can draw an important lesson from Paul’s example…especially in view of the fact that he was aware of the danger he was facing. By comparison, how relatively easy and trouble-free our lives are. No matter what our circumstances…Jesus said, “Do not worry…” and Paul himself said, “Do not be anxious…” even from his prison cell in Philippi. 

How can we face the uncertainties of life with the same resolute courage as Paul’s even though we don’t know what the future holds for us? God has given us a safeguard against discouragement and despair, a boundary within which we can freely move without fear. 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fortified with this promise, there is nothing we face that can destroy us because we have God’s infallible word. When we trace Paul’s story from this point on, the “all things” worked out exactly what, if not how, he wanted. His desire was to reach Rome, the hub of the Roman Empire…and he did…at the government’s expense!

If Paul’s story can teach us one overriding lesson, it’s this…as always…God can be trusted because He is faithful!

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…MESSAGE TO THE EPHESIANS – 51

Bible Study, ,

“Paul 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.

“From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When 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. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You 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. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭16‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A defence and a commission! Did Paul have a premonition that this would be the last time he would have the opportunity to build the truth into the elders of the church in Ephesus? He spoke with great earnestness, assuring them of his integrity, thoroughness, and honesty as he had gone about preaching the message of the kingdom in the city of Ephesus. 

He had suffered at the hands of many enemies in the course of his travels. His had been a life of deprivation and hardship, hard work and tears, victories and disappointments but…he had never given up. He had dared to trust that those who followed him would be as faithful to the Lord Jesus as he had been. 

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As painful and difficult as his life has been, for him it had been worthwhile despite what he had endured for the sake of the gospel. He had held one goal in his mind as he traversed the Roman Empire…to be faithful to the Lord to finish his task. 

Now he knew that his journey was coming to an end. 

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me… “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬-‭23‬, ‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul was resolute. He had no intention of dodging what the Holy Spirit was preparing him for in the near future. Prison… hardship…more suffering. He had known from the beginning that this was part of his calling. He was to stand before kings…men who had the power of life and death over him in their hands. He had experienced the full weight of hell’s fury against those who were loyal to Jesus. He had been stoned to death…hated and pursued from city to city…misunderstood…misrepresented…maligned…and caught up in the perils of travel. 

But, despite all, Paul had kept his goal in mind. His life was not his to pick and choose his fortunes. 

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬, ‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And so…he passed his commission on to faithful leaders…

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 

“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.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The church of the Lord Jesus, even under the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, was vulnerable to infiltration and deception. Satan’s hostility and  opposition were relentless. He had his representatives…unscrupulous people…who would slither in like serpents to confuse and distract. 

Paul’s confidence that his work was not on vain leant on one conviction alone…Jesus and His word. Paul’s work was conducted in a divine partnership… God and himself together. So, he could confidently leave it to the Holy Spirit to carry on…to entrust to others what he had initiated. 

What was his counsel to these Ephesian elders?

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood…So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears…

“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…In 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.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬, ‭31‬-‭32‬, ‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Interspersed with repeated warnings, Paul urged these leaders to…

“Be on your guard…keep watch!”

…never forget the danger of deception. “It’s a jungle out there!” They had a charge to guard God’s flock against an enemy that never gave up. 

How important a warning for church leaders today! The war is intensifying as the end draws near. Jesus IS coming soon. 

“Be shepherds of God’s flock.”

God’s flock! God’s people were vulnerable, like sheep, needing constant supervision, protection, oversight…! These elders were tasked with their care. They were accountable to the Chief Shepherd for their faithfulness to their commission. 

“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…”

The safeguard of God’s people….  ”the word of His grace…” the boundary fence around their hearts that would protect and secure them in the safety of His promises. 

And a final note…

“In 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.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Give…give…give! Serving others is the hallmark of the church. 

With prayer as the final bulwark, Paul left them…a bitter sweet farewell marking his departure…knowing that they would not see each other again in this life but…what about the next? An unspoken but unbreakable bond has been forged that guaranteed an eternal reunion. 

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…ASLEEP IN CHURCH – 50

Bible Study, ,

“On 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. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated 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. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭7‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Well, that was an unexpected interlude! Paul, as usual, made use of every opportunity to teach the believers, to encourage them and strengthen their faith. It didn’t matter to him whether it was day or night.

The church at Troas had gathered in an upstairs room for a meeting in the evening, not knowing that this special time with Paul would be an all-night event and would include a heart-stopping miracle in the mix. 

On and on went Paul’s teaching session, hour after hour until midnight. Some were so intrigued by his words that they listened with eager intent. One young man, sitting on a windowsill, probably mesmerised by the flickering lamps, grew so drowsy as Paul droned on that he nodded off and fell fast asleep. Unfortunately for him, his perch on the window sill offered no comfort or protection. He not only dropped off to sleep…he also dropped off his seat in the window and fell…three storeys down to be exact…onto the hard ground below. 

Pandemonium broke out. The people rushed downstairs, led by Paul. He threw himself on the lifeless body of Eutychus, calling on the name of the Lord. Then the miracle happened! Eutychus opened his eyes. He spoke. “What happened? Where am I?” He looked around, dazed and puzzled. 

The people cheered. They laughed and cried. They celebrated and rejoiced. They went back upstairs, more convinced than ever that Jesus was alive and real among them. They feasted together and listened to Paul again until daylight. Paul continued where he had left off. No one wanted to go home. 

What a night it had been! Never would the people of Troas forget this night when Jesus came in power to save the life of a young man who had fallen asleep in church!

This was such an amazing story that Luke just had to include it in his narrative about the church. 

To be continued

ACTS THE SEQUEL…ON TO TROAS – 49

Bible Study, ,

“When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece …But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

One almost begins to feel weary at the thought of Paul’s travels under such difficult circumstances. After all, it took days and weeks for him to travel the distances we can travel in a few hours. If we study the map of Paul’s journeys, we see that this leg took him from Ephesus to Troas in Asia Minor…with many stops on the way. 

“From the city of Ephesus to the port city of Troas was a journey, on foot, of 349km (about 217 miles). In the spring this would have taken about 12 days of hard walking. From Troas, a boat across the Thracian Sea to Neapolis in Macedonia would have only taken 2.5 days to go the 347km (~216 miles) over water.” 

However, this was only a short stop on his way to Jerusalem, thousands of miles away. 

It is obvious, if we trace his travels on the map, that Paul no longer had a fixed address…no permanent home…no family awaiting him…no comfortable bed or familiar food…no friends or neighbours to welcome him home.  His was a life of permanent  travel…on the road…depending on friends and acquaintances for food and a bed. What a way to live! Why did he live this way?

Paul had a calling and a commission…to take the good news of Jesus to the Gentile world. He was not called to a life of home, family, and a nine-to-five job like most of us live. Jesus said, “Go!” and Paul went. He had his eye on a reward far greater than a comfortable life on earth. 

Paul became a recipient of a far greater promise…

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In a sense, Paul did have a home, in fact, hundreds of homes scattered across the Roman world, and a far bigger and more loving family than his own blood family…hundreds of believers who owed their new life to his faithful ministry to them at great cost. He claimed family ties far deeper and stronger than a natural family.

He wrote to his Corinthian family…

“I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We cannot all live this way. Some are called to go and others to stay. Some are called to endure hardship and others to enjoy comfort. Will the reward be greater for those who have little in this life…endure hardship, persecution, and suffering? 

The answer is not in “what” but “how” we experience what God gives us in life. He creates our circumstances…but He requires our response. 

“‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’”…

‭‭Acts‬ ‭17‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We can become bitter in difficult circumstances. We can complain and rebel. We can become complaisant in a cushy life, forgetting others and enjoying our own comfort. 

Paul’s solution is simple but not easy…

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did you get that?

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…”

Paul tells us, in the most trying times of his life…

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ NIV

Praise…gladness…thanksgiving…gratitude…in, not for the very things that caused him pain! Why did he rejoice?

“…so that Christ’s power may rest on me.…For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Paul chose to turn his attention away from himself to Jesus, to the one who provided the strength to overcome. 

So Paul could be homeless, travel many miles on foot… suffer cold, hunger, weariness…even shipwreck, imprisonment, and face death…grateful and faithful because he knew that a great reward awaited him. 

This life, for Paul, was not the reward but the preparation. 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

His attitude was…

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Dear readers, the issue is this. Whether our lives are easy or difficult…cushy or uncomfortable…God rewards faithfulness…what we do with the calling and the resources He has given us. 

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV

Our circumstances are a trust. What we do in them will determine our reward. 

To be continued 

ACTS THE SEQUEL…RIOTING AND CONFUSION – 48

Bible Study, ,

Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen did what they did best. 

“When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭19‬:‭28‬-‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Well, that did it! Once again, there was a violent clash between light and darkness. Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen had lit the fuse with their rage about their loss of income, and their so-called “concern” for their goddess’ stolen glory… and the powder keg of anti-Jewish sentiment exploded. 

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it! This kind of reaction is not new. There are devotees of false religions today who react in exactly the same way. One such religion deliberately advocates this kind of violent behaviour. Hate the Jews! Kill the Jews! Exterminate all who refuse to believe their religious teaching. Kill everyone who converts to Jesus. Take over the world by force! Chant the name of their god as though this will somehow get his response and earn his approval

These radical anti-Jewish activists in Ephesus set up such a commotion that the entire city was in an uproar. 

“The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.”

How mindless and foolish people can be! Like sheep, they simply follow the crowd without thinking about their behaviour or its consequences. Kill! Destroy! Ruin! The mindset from hell itself! 

Paul’s reaction was to talk to the crowd but his compatriots knew that this would not work. Reasoning with them was useless when the mob was stirred up by the total loss of reason. 

“Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.”

There was at least one man with authority…who managed to speak sense into this mob of madness. 

“The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: “Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭19‬:‭35‬-‭41‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The city clerk cashed in on the reasonable way to handle the situation….

First, the people of the city should understand that Artemis was well able to defend herself…she was from heaven after all. The people of the city were only custodians of her temple. All their rioting and noise was not necessary. She, supposedly, could look after herself. 

“Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.”

Second, the ones they were accusing had done nothing wrong. 

“You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.”

Third, there was a legitimate way to deal with grievances. 

“If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges.”

Fourth, this whole commotion can backfire. You can be charged with rioting…

“As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.”

Reason and good sense prevailed. 

This story is a study in the way to handle and not to handle conflict. We can take a lesson out of the city clerk’s wisdom. 

This brings me to a vital life lesson. As children of God, we all wrestle with the demands of the flesh…our old nature that still intrudes into our actions and reactions. We can either give in and act sinfully or we can respond through the power of God’s grace. 

Grace says,” Don’t retaliate!”

Paul’s counsel is…

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone…Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭17‬, ‭19‬, ‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Retaliation only throws gasoline on the fire.  

Jesus shows us how to respond to injustices. …

“But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If we choose to let offences go without retaliating, as Jesus did when He faced the worst of injustice,  grace will triumph over evil. 

To be continued