August 19, 2020, Acts cont...., Proverbsa

 Acts 18 cont.. 19 started...  

Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos

Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken. They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. 

He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined, But as he left, he promised, I will come back if it is God's will, Then he set sail for Ephesus. 

God's will:

God has a plan and it is often times unknown to us. We cannot predict the future but God can reveal his plan (future plans for us) we cannot say what will happen or not unless God reveals it unto us. 

When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. 

Strengthening the disciples:

Sometimes we need strengthening. It is also people and things that seek to weakened us. Sometimes it is those close to us, even though they mean no harm intentionally they can lack the ability to be supportive; it makes me think about Jesus was in the garden, he asked the disciples to pray with him, He needed strength and it is a normal thing. We are human and sometimes we are very strong and other times a little weak, sometimes a little preaching or teaching pick us back up, it strengthens us; it is true that a good person trains so that in the weak moments they draw strength from God and leaders such as Paul but how good it is to have the support of your brothers and sisters and some of us know what it means to only have God...David in the Cave again.

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a  learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Apollos, the Jew

• A learned man
• but he had only been baptized with water. 
• he had great knowledge of the scriptures

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

I love how they encouraged him, they strengthen him, he did not have the Holy Spirit but they allowed him the space and time to settle; he understood mentally not through the spirit, but he also had been baptized through the way of John. He was still a believer. The Lesson I learn here is; everyone may not be like you or me. We are all in God's hands and we should never discourage people from the faith. We are always building up and strengthening. He was not strong like the others but they let him teach and good for him; it says he took on opponents and proved that Jesus was the Messiah.

The Baptism of John is not enough

It is called the baptism of repentance 

( a man repents) 

(water baptism)

(it is nick named a washing, or bath)

Acts 19

Paul in Ephesus

While Apollos  was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples  and asked them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

Most people think they do; and they say yes, but it may not be true. You can believe and not have the Holy Spirit and it is nothing to be ashamed of. Its better to be honest instead of trying to be a giant and unable to walk in power. No one should harass you about that; God knows where you are. It is not a reason to reject a believer. It is not okay to act like that if you say, you have the holy spirit. Paul simply points them in the right direction. He does not embarrass them or bother them, as if God has favored him over them but he helps them get to the right place. People helping people. 

They answered, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.

So Paul asked, then what baptism did you receive? 

John's baptism, they replied.

Paul, said, John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus. On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refuse to believe and publicly maligned the way.

There are people who refuse to believe and it is like pulling teeth, signs and wonders do not work, they ignore the truth, and maligned everything people work for. It is there refusal to believe that drives their behavior.

So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. 

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out."

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, Jesus I know, Paul I know about, but who are you?

That is strange, but I noticed, they said the one Paul preaches about, it seems like they fail to believe themselves. 

Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 

When this became know to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.

A number who practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas, in this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. 

After all this happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. After I have been there, he said, I must visit Rome also. He sent two of his helpers, timothy and Erastus to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer. 

Paul hands stayed busy. He also has great actions; the acts of the apostles..shows they had wisdom.

1. Handling the gift of God
2. Handling people
3. discerning their individual needs
4. I love Apollo's story; he was a learned man, very smart and eventually he will be even better when he gets the gift of God. 

Proverbs 7

Warning against the Adulterous Woman

My son, keep my words

and store up my commandments with in.

Keep my commandments and you will live;

guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

Bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

Say to wisdom, you are my sister, 

and to insight, you are my relative.

They will keep you from the adulterous woman, 

from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

Is it just me; but how many times since we began proverbs; does the passage tells men to stay away from the adulterous woman. It is hard to over look it. If something repeats itself its serious. For some reason the writer, Solomon knows that a man is in danger when it comes to this type of woman. It is not nagging it is a warning. I guess if you ignore it you just don't care. 

Listen up youth,  

Listen men, 

Wisdom says, leave them women alone.

Find one worthy lady,

get to know her 

marry her

bless her and live long life...

At the window of my house

I looked down through the lattice.

I saw among the simple, 

I noticed among the your men, 

a youth who had no sense.

He was going down the street near her corner,

walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, 

as the day was fading, 

as the dark of the night set in.

As you read its almost like a scary movie this simple man goes into her house. Wisdom is clearly saying that she is an adulterous type of woman.

Simple means: He is not giving it much thought

Then out came a woman to meet him, 

dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

She is unruly and defiant.

her feet never stay at home; 

now in the street, now in the squares, 

at every corner she lurks.

She took hold of him, and kissed him

and with a brazen face she said:

Today I fulfilled my vows, 

and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.

So I came to meet you; 

I looked for you and have found you!

I have covered my bed 

with colored linens from Egypt.

I have perfumed my bed

with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

Come let's drink deeply of love till morning;

let's enjoy ourselves with love!

My husband is not at home;

She is flirting, She is enticing, I bet she is beautiful but she has a husband, in the passage we all think that this is a single woman, no, this is a woman who has a husband. She has the gift of sweet words. Sadly what about her poor husband. She wants this simple young man.

He has gone on a long journey.

He took his purse filled with money

and will not be home till full moon.

With persuasive words she led him astray; 

she seduced him with smooth talk. 

All at once he followed her

like an ox going to slaughter;

Even though she seduces him he will pay the cost; he knows she is married. He knows he should not have went to her house and now he is going to be slaughtered. Life will never be same for him. 

Like a deer steeping into a noose

till an arrow pierces his liver,

like a bird darting into a snare, 

little knowing it will cost him his life.

Now then, my sons listen to me;

pay attention to what i say, 

Do not let your heart turn to her ways

or stray unto her paths.

Many are the victims she has brought down;

this woman has had MANY men. That is sad, it seems like the men pay for it and she goes about business looking for another victim. She has a husband so she is simply a bad woman. A nasty thing to do to her husband and all these men enjoying her body and her poor husband is clueless. She should go down to death; and I think a decent woman would find this sicking but obviously its a free good time but in the end death comes to her victims. Wisdom calls these men victims.

her slain are a mighty throng.

her house is a highway to the grave.

leading down to the chambers of death. 

Have a great day!