Acts 22:22

“They listened to him until this word.”

After his arrest, Paul shared Christ with the mob that tried to kill him. They listened intently to him because his message was fascinating and relevant. It seemed they had a true interest, and even an openness to the Gospel. But that all changed once Paul mentioned the Gentiles. That single word caused the hearers to close their ears, harden their hearts, and reject the message of Christ.

Paul was not the only one to experience people coming close to responding to Christ, only to hear something they did not like and to shut down. We read in John 6, Jesus had developed a very large following until He spoke about His suffering and death. When they heard that, we are told they responded,

“This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”  John 6:60

To which John commented;

“From…

Judges 12:4

“Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim…”

 

During the time of the Judges, the nation of Israel was in peril; they had unprotected borders, faced attack from their neighbors, and had constant warfare from within, due to the nations they had failed to drive out of the land. At a time when the people should be joining together to deal with a common enemy, the tribes began to fight all the wrong battles. The enemies of Israel must have been so pleased when they heard that Ephraim and Jephthah had gone to battle against one another, instead of joining forces to deal with the real issues facing the nation. 

 

Sadly, this is not an isolated event. The people of God are under constant temptation to spend their energies fighting all the wrong battles. Certainly there…

Judges 11:30-31
“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, ‘If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.’”

As commander of the armies of Israel, Jephthah is leading his soldiers into a heated battle against the people of Ammon. As the battle approaches, we find Jephthah crying out to God for assistance. It is a good thing to pray, but we find his prayer is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of God. Jephthah thinks he has to barter for the favor of God. “If You will help me I will give you…”

This is a very common misconception. Long before…

Acts 21:31 “. . . all Jerusalem was in an uproar.”

The scene in Acts 21 might best be described as a riot. The people of the city had lost all sense of the Temple worship, and had become a violent mob determined to put Paul to death. Their rage escalated to the point that the Roman soldiers had to almost beat them back, in order to pull Paul out of their clutches. We read, when they reached the stairs (the way of escape) Paul could no longer walk on his own, but had to be carried by the soldiers. It seems that even after the arrival of the soldiers, the crowd was still taking shots at Paul.

We have all seen this kind of rage leading to riots. Some of us remember the Los Angeles riots of the 90′s, others back to the riots of the Civil Rights movement…

Judges 10:14
“Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”

It is common for people to show no interest in God until calamities arises. As long as life is going their way, they are not concerned with God, but as soon as things get difficult, suddenly, they cry to God for help. Those who show no interest in the ways of God, suddenly blame God for the calamity they are facing, and cry out to Him to fix everything.

Many in Israel found themselves facing the threat of death. They had left the Word of God and were living life their own way. This “free living” led them once again into hardship, and they cried out to God for deliverance. Time and time again, they cried out for help, and God provided deliverance, but this time was different…

Acts 20:9

“And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead”

When reading the Bible, we should always look for application to our personal lives. In some texts, the truths to apply are very straight forward, others, are a little more difficult to find. This passage tells the story of a young man, Eutychus by name, who nods off during a Bible study and ends up dead. I think the passage is a warning of more than the need to stay awake at church. Eutychus’ fall is a perfect illustration of the way sin works.

Luke tells us the room they had gathered in was illuminated with many lamps. These lamps burned oil and gave off smoke and…

Judges 7:3
“Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead. ’ And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.”

God is selecting a team for a specific task. They will be led into hand-to-hand combat against a Midianite army too vast to number. As the people gather for the selection process, the first cut is made. Twenty-two thousand men are sent packing for one simple reason – fear! Gideon may have asked for a show of hands, or for those who were afraid, to take a step backwards. Whatever the case, his army was immediately reduced by 70% and the reason for their departure was fear. They were afraid to be a part of the work of God.

After a second selection process, Gideon’s army was reduced again. Now there…

Acts 19:7 

“Now the men were about twelve in all.”

Ephesus was a very large city with a diverse population. It is estimated, at the time of Paul’s visit, there may have been in excess of 400,000 people living in the city. Ephesus was the largest city in Asia Minor, and one of the largest in the empire. Because of its location, on a trade route, the city was very wealthy; it had become an important center for commerce. Like any large wealthy city, Ephesus had its share of vice. One of the greatest was temple prostitution. Overlooking the city, was the Temple to Diana; which was an awe-inspiring site. It drew pilgrims from all over the world to come and worship. The worship practice included sexual immorality.

It is in this city, we read, Paul met twelve struggling Christians. They believed in Christ, but due to lack of teaching…

Judges 6:13

‘Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about…?”‘

 

Gideon voices a sentiment vey common among believers today. He looked at the conditions of his world and began to wonder where were all the miracles. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever, why was he not seeing great and miraculous changes happening in his lifetime? I find it very interesting how the Lord responds to Gideon’s accusations.

 

Judges 6:14

“Then the Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?'”

 

The response from heaven seems to imply that if Gideon wants to see the miraculous, he will have to…

Judges 5:2
“When leaders lead in Israel,
When the people willingly offer themselves,
Bless the Lord!”

After defeating the enemies of Israel, Deborah and Barak led the people in a song celebrating the Lord’s victory. This song gives insight into how things are accomplished within the Kingdom of God. It is clear, it was a work of God. We read, “The Lord went out from Seir, . . .” It is also clear, the works of God are accomplished when people are willing to step out in the service of God. The key to Israel’s victory was leaders who led, and people who willingly offered themselves. We know Barak was a bit reluctant to lead; he would not go unless Deborah joined him. None the less, he went. As these two stepped out in faith, countless others rose to the challenge, devoting themselves to the service of the Lord.

Things…