Devotionary

Latest Episodes:

Ep 452 – Acts 26:2-18 Mar 13, 2018

Show notes

The resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Paul, this was not a topic that came up one time a year, at Easter. It was the heart and soul of his entire ministry. Without the resurrection, he had no ministry. There was no good news. His whole salvation story was based upon his own personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus. So, when he shared the good news regarding Jesus, it included news of Jesus' death and resurrection. As far as Paul saw it, one meant nothing without the other. If Jesus had died, but had not been raised back to life, He was nothing more than a martyr, not a Messiah. He was a rabbi who taught some powerful moral lessons and lived an exemplary life, but nothing more. And yet, Paul was convinced that Jesus was alive because he had met Him on the road to Damascus. He had spoken with Jesus. And he had received his commission from the lips of Jesus. So, when Paul got the opportunity to speak before Festus and Agrippa, guess what he talked about? That's right, the resurrection. In Acts 26:2-18, Luke records the testimony Paul shared with these two powerful men. He told his conversion story and how he had met the resurrected Jesus. And he let them know that God had raised Jesus back to life in order that men might turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. Jesus died so that men might live. Jesus lived so that men might never die. And Paul wanted Festus and Agrippa to believe so that they might be saved.

Ep 451 – Acts 25:13=26:1 Mar 12, 2018

Show notes

Have you ever had the experience of being tongue-tied or at a loss as to what to say? Perhaps you found yourself in the position of having to defend your faith or share your testimony, and the words just wouldn't come out. It's not an uncommon experience and, for most of us, it's one we particularly dread. In today's episode, we're going to look at Luke's description of a potential stress-inducing encounter between Paul and King Agrippa. Having been accused and arrested for committing crimes against the state and violating the Mosaic law, Paul has been in Roman custody for more than two years. Now, he is going to get the opportunity to present his case before King Agrippa. Yet again, Paul will find himself standing before a powerful representative of the Roman government who had the power to set him free or sentence him to death. These kinds of opportunities are rare for most of us. We don't usually find ourselves standing before dignitaries and powerful people. But what if we did? How would we respond? Would we seize the moment and use it as a platform to share the good news regarding Jesus Christ? For Paul, his encounter with Agrippa would prove to be a no-brainer. He didn't even have to think about it. He knew going in what he was going to say and what he was hoping to do. Paul was never at a loss for words, because he always had the gospel on his mind.

Ep 450 – Acts 25:1-12 Mar 11, 2018

Show notes

We can't see into the future. We have no way of determining the outcome of our present circumstances. And neither did Paul. He had been in Caesarea under the protective custody of the Romans for two solid years, waiting for someone to make a decision regarding his guilt or innocence. But the months came and went and, eventually, so did the Roman governor. Felix was replaced by Festus. But as we will see in Acts 25:1-12, not much else changed for Paul. The Jews were still around and their hated of Paul had not diminished with time. Paul would find himself facing yet another hearing, having to listen to the same old false accusations again. And, once again, he would defend himself, declaring his innocence. But this time, Paul would take matters to a whole new level, demanding that he be allowed to appear before Caesar in Rome. This was his right as a Roman citizen. He knew he would never receive a fair trial in Jerusalem, and his only hope of having this situation resolved was by making the long and arduous journey to Rome. It was something he had always wanted to do. And while making the trip as a prisoner of Rome was not his preferred method of seeing his dream come true, Paul knew that God was in control. He was fully content to trust God with the outcome. All of the events described by Luke in these verses provide additional proof that God was orchestrating the affairs of Paul's life. There was a far grander plan taking place behind the scenes, to which even Paul was unaware. But he could sense the sovereign hand of God on his life.

Ep 449 – Acts 24:22-27 Mar 10, 2018

Show notes

What do you talk about if you get the opportunity to sit down with one of the most powerful men in the land? And what if that person held the power of life or death over you. What topics do you bring up in that case? For most of us, it would seem normal and natural to avoid anything controversial or potentially offensive. We would keep the banter light and the conversation as non-inflammatory as possible. But in Acts 24:22-27, Luke records Paul's ongoing appointments with King Agrippa and his wife, Drusilla. And what he had to say to them is a bit of a surprise. The king had the power to set Paul free or put him to death, but Paul didn't let that stop him from discussing some highly delicate and difficult topics with him. Paul knew that Agrippa, just like any other human being on the planet, needed to hear what he had to say. And Paul discussed three essential topics that apply to every individual, regardless of their status or station in life: Sin, righteousness and judgment. Sin is a universal problem that impacts every single man and woman. And whether we want to admit it or not, there is a standard of righteousness, given to us by God, that dictates and determines our sinfulness. But most importantly, there is a judgment, a divine judgment, coming for all, including Agrippa and Drusilla. We can justify our actions, excuse our sins as nothing more than mistakes, and rationalize that we operate by a different set of standards, but in the end, it is God who will judge us according to His holy standards and mete out the just punishment we deserve.

Ep 448 – Acts 24:2-21 Mar 09, 2018

Show notes

The Jewish leadership hated Paul and they weren't exactly fond of what they called The Way either. They were determined to rid their world of any and all traces of Jesus and his followers. And at this point in Luke's story, we find Paul bearing the full brunt of the Sanhedrin's hatred for him. They fully believed they had him on the ropes. He had been shipped off to Caesarea where he would stand before the Roman governor, facing a litany of trumped up charges, that the Sanhedrin hoped would result in his death. And while the prosecuting attorney had what he believed to be a strong case against Paul, the real focus of the ire of the Jewish religious leaders had to do with Paul's claim that Jesus was the resurrected Messiah of Israel. This was more than they could handle. They had seen Jesus crucified and any talk that he had been raised back to life and was orchestrating a movement was nonsense to them. Much to their chagrin, the rabbi from Nazareth who had caused them so much grief when he was alive, was causing them more trouble than ever. And for Paul, the real issue surrounding his arrest and trial had to do with one thing and one thing only: His claim that Jesus was alive. And that claim was based on his firm belief that Jesus had been raised back to life by God. Jesus, the dead rabbi from Nazareth, was the very much alive Messiah and Son of God. And while the Jews were convinced that "The Way" was the wrong way, Paul knew it was the only way.

Ep 447 – Acts 23:25-24:1 Mar 08, 2018

Show notes

It was Jesus who referred to Paul as, "my chosen instrument." He had called and commissioned Paul to take the message of the gospel to the Gentiles and to kings. And Paul had proven to be a faithful servant, carrying out that calling with fearless determination. He had been beaten, flogged, rejected, run out of town, and even stoned, but he never gave up. He refused to back down. And now, Luke begins to chronicle Paul's divinely appointed journey to Rome. The Roman tribune in Jerusalem had no idea what to do with Paul. He could find no reason to keep Paul, let alone punish him. So, he determined to send Paul to Caesarea, where the Roman governor, Felix, could assess the situation and make a judgment. As we have stressed repeatedly, these encounters were divine appointments, orchestrated by God and in fulfillment of the words of Jesus. Paul had been chosen by Jesus to accomplish great things for the kingdom, and that was going to include standing before some of the most powerful men in the Roman empire. And there was nothing that was going to stand in the way of God's will being accomplished. Paul had divine protection. That didn't exempt him from difficulty, because Jesus had clearly predicted that Paul's life would be marked by suffering. But it meant that his life and ministry were under divine protection until God decided Paul's work on earth was done.

Ep 446 – Acts 23:12-27 Mar 07, 2018

Show notes

aul was a dead man. At least, as far as the Jewish religious leadership were concerned. They believed it was just a matter of time before they convinced the Roman authorities to condemn Paul as a dangerous threat to the well-being of the empire. They had gone out of their way to portray Paul as a radical and revolutionary who stirring up trouble among the Jews and causing riots that could boil over and threaten the peace of Jerusalem. And then were another 40 Jews who had made a pact with one another not to eat or drink until they had assassinated Paul. It seems as if everyone was out to get him. But nobody could touch him without the express permission of God. Paul had made a habit of walking away from difficult situations, including his own stoning. He was like the Energizer Bunny of the 1st-Century. He just kept going and going and going. And Paul was going to survive this latest dilemma, because God was not done with him yet. He had unfinished plans for Paul, that included a trip to Caesarea and then on to Rome. And there was nothing the Sanhedrin or a zealous group of vigilantes were going to do to stop the sovereign plan of God. The amazing thing is how Paul was able to display such peace in the midst of all the turmoil swirling around him. He was hated and despised but didn't let him it get to him. He seemed to have more enemies than friends, but he never felt alone or forgotten. He was content that he was living within the will of God and protected by the power of God. He lived his life believing the words of the author of Hebrews: "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?"

Ep 445 – Acts 23:1-11 Mar 06, 2018

Show notes

Nobody likes it when their plans fail or their preconceived ideas of how things should turn out, turn out for the worse. But when living in the will of God, it's not always possible to know when that turn for the worse is exactly what God had in mind. In studying the life of the apostle Paul, we are provided with a vicarious look into the up and down nature of his calling. Paul was living in obedience to the commission given to him by Christ, and yet he regularly suffered everything from rejection and ridicule to both verbal and physical abuse. If you measure his success based on the external circumstances surrounding his life, it would be easy to conclude that, at times, he was out of God's will. Why else would God allow him to be beaten, flogged, arrested, and even stoned and left for dead? But one of the things we learn from Luke's chronology of those early decades of the church, is that God's ways are not our ways. His methodology doesn't always make sense to us, but it gives us no right to question His means or His motives. In Acts 23:1-11, Luke continues his description of Paul's less-than-friendly encounter with the Jewish religious leaders. He has been placed before them by the Roman tribune in hopes that some kind of resolution might be arrived at, pertaining to Paul's guilt or innocence. But things didn't go well. Along with a slap in the face, Paul found himself in the midst of another no-holds-barred blow-up, this time between the members of the Jewish religious council. And every single bit of it was according to the sovereign will of God. The members of the Sanhedrin were at each other's throats. The Roman tribune was at a loss as to what to do. And Paul was at peace, knowing that God was in control.

Ep 444 – Acts 22:22-30 Mar 05, 2018

Show notes

As followers of Jesus Christ, we live with a certain sense of duality. We are citizens of heaven, but we find ourselves having to live out our earthly existence in this world. And that can leave us facing a certain degree of conflict and tension, as we attempt to navigate a fallen world while maintaining the integrity of our heavenly citizenship. Paul was well acquainted with this ever-present reality for the believer because he faced it each and every day of his life. And Paul had learned how to straddle these two antithetical worlds with a certain sense of ease. That's not to say it was easy. He faced rejection and ridicule. He was constantly misunderstood and misrepresented. He was hated and despised. And it was not uncommon for him to face both verbal and physical abuse for his beliefs. As we continue to look at Paul's defense before the Jews who had accused him of desecrating the temple, we will see Paul effectively using his dual citizenship as a Jew and a Roman, in order to navigate the difficult circumstance in which he found himself. And the one thing we cannot afford to miss is how God had preordained every aspect of Paul's life. His birth as a Jew had not been a case of blind fate. His Roman citizenship was not just a lucky coincidence. It had all been part of God's divine plan for his life. Paul was a man divinely equipped for the role given to him by God. And in Acts 22:22-3, Luke will provide us with ample proof that Paul, a citizen of heaven, was ready, willing and able to live out his faith in the polarized world of the 1st-Century.

Ep 443 – Acts 22:6-21 Mar 04, 2018

Show notes

By this time in the story of the Book of Acts, we have seen the effectiveness of Paul's ministry, which provides ample proof of the reality of his calling. As we read Paul's testimony found in Acts 22:6-21, he makes it clear that his commission had come from Jesus Christ Himself, and that his entire life since the time of his conversion on the road to Damascus had been the work of God. He was a chosen instrument of God, handpicked even before he was born and given a very specific assignment to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. And Paul had been faithful to that task. Which was the very reason he had been accosted and arrested in the temple courtyard that day in Jerusalem. A contingent of Jews from Asia had come to town and had seen Paul in the Courtyard of the Israelites and accused him of violating Mosaic law by bringing a Gentile into the restricted area, thus desecrating the temple. But Paul had been innocent. In fact, the whole point of his testimony was to assure those in his audience that he had simply been doing the will of God. Yes, he had been sharing the gospel with Gentiles, as he had been commanded but, ever since his conversion, he had never done anything to violate the will of God. He had been appointed by God and had lived his life trying to do exactly what he had been told to do. His days of living outside the will of God were long gone. And the very fact that he was suffering for the sake of the gospel was ample proof that he had been obedient to God's will and his life was a fulfillment of Christ's prediction.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected