A Good Companion For An Agitator

I'm reading Acts this morning. It is very encouraging. I decided to read the portion of acts that includes Silas. He is first mentioned here...

"Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers," - Acts 15:22 ESV

He travels with Paul on and off through Acts 18 and is last mentioned in Acts chapter 18 verse 5.

Paul can easily be described as an agitator. Trouble seems to go with him. Silas however seemed to be a good person for Paul to have around.

"And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words." - Acts 15:32 ESV

There were times that Paul had to leave a place because he had worn out his welcome but he could leave Silas there to edify, stabilize and continue the work.

"But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed." - Acts 17:13-15 ESV

Acts is such an interesting book. You can use it to build time lines and strategies. You can see patterns and then employ the methods you see to an outreach. Those are all valid uses of the book but this morning I am refreshed by the hearts of men who are going forward by faith. These men are very different from one another. They argue. They go to prison together. Some forge forward and others are left behind for a season. They are a team. Being on a team is awesome.

Paul eventually ends up in prison. I wonder what happened to Silas after Acts chapter 18. The scriptures don't mention him so we can't know for sure.

I pray that God raises up leaders for today that aren't afraid to shake things up. This morning I am also praying for men like Silas. Edifiers who will sing in the prison cells. Men who will stay in a place when the leader who shook things up must move on to the next destination.

The book of Acts has 28 chapters but in a way it is still being written. Men are still sent like Silas was sent. Men still teach. People go to prison and sing hymns.

The scripture gives us all we need. It is complete but history is still being written and different types of men and women are used by God. Silas was who he was. He made choices and we have choices to make. It's convicting to think about isn't it?

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Useful People

This morning I'm reading Acts chapter 11 over and over again. God is sending unlikely people to different groups and it is putting a social strain on the culture of the Church.

"So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 'You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.' But Peter began and explained it to them in order:" - Acts 11:2-4 ESV

"Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch." - Acts 11:19-22 ESV

"So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians." - Acts 11:25-26 ESV

Peter was sent to non-Jews. Groups were evangelizing the Hellenists (Greeks). Barnabas went to look for Saul and they taught this strange mixture of people for a calendar year.

In Acts chapter 11 verse 24 it calls Barnabas a 'good' man. The Greek word used there is Agathos (Strong's G18) and it is not talking about moral goodness. This word speaks of usefulness.

"So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul." - Acts 11:29-30 ESV

Barnabas was willing to go and rejoiced at the grace of God given to people. He encouraged people. He was willing to be the one to go to those in need or carry money back to the elders in Jerusalem. None of these tasks were beneath him.

I sit here thinking of the 'good' men I know. They go. They carry. They get. They approve and edify. They aren't morally perfect. They are spiritually useful because they don't let their flaws stop them from going and doing the next thing whatever that is.

Grace makes us glad and we become useful people who repent (that word really just means to turn to God) and do the next thing.

God give us a vision of grace so that we can live in flexibility to do the next thing... to change gears if we must or keep at it if that is what is called for. Make us useful without striving. Thank You God.

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A Missionary Mindset

'And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.' - 1 John 5:20-21 ESV

Reading Acts 16 & 17 this morning again and again in a meditative way. Letting the events wash over me and seeing reactions and responses to the Gospel and learning from them. (I will put the text of the two chapters at the end of this post. )

The Gospel is a simple message but it has such a profound affect on society and individuals. It exposes mindsets and turns things that are upside down right side up making a mess at first but redeeming lives.

As I read these passages there is desire that my heart and mind would be aligned with the mindset presented by these missionaries. I don't want to live in a sophisticated version of Christianity. Faith is simple. The message is simple. God leads sending us and sometimes preventing us in interesting ways.

We are in the one who Is true. We keep ourselves from idols by living in the simplicity of a momentum with God. In each new situation there are some that react and some that respond.

Without striving I want my mind and heart to be awakened to what is possible. That means different things to different people and even different things in different seasons of a person's life.

Let the accounts of Biblical history wash over us just as the doctrines in the epistles do and transform us into people who walk by faith.

                                                            ~ o ~

"Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.'

And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well,

she urged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.'

And she prevailed upon us. As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, 'These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.'

And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.'

And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, 'These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.'

The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, 'Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.'

And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'

And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.'

And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, 'Let those men go.' And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, 'The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.'

But Paul said to them, 'They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.'

The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.'

And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.

And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, 'These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.'

And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.

Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, 'What does this babbler wish to say?'

Others said, 'He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities' - because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.

And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, 'May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.'

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: 'Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, ''For we are indeed his offspring.' Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.'

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, 'We will hear you again about this.' So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.' - Acts 16 & 17 ESV

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