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Today is Monday November 15, 2010 and we are continuing our reading through the Bible. Today's message comes from the Book of Acts, chapters 17-19. In these chapters we will read about, Jewish opposition, Paul and Silas in Berea, Paul on Mars Hill, Paul meets Priscilla and Aquila, Ephesus, and the silversmiths. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: imfollowingjesus.com/bible-november-15
All Scripture quoted comes from the King James Version.

Today's Message: Pass It On
Did you ever play the game pass it on? You have a line of people, one person tells a story to the person next to them and that person tells the story to the person next to them and so on until it reaches the last person. By the time the story gets to the last person it is completely different and hardly any truth to it at all. How does that happen? When someone tells us a story we only pick up bits and pieces of it so when we tell it to someone else we tell them the things that we remembered or thought they remembered. It's not really done intentionally, it's just our ability to comprehend a certain amount of information at one time. Well, imagine how distorted the truths of the Bible have become over the centuries from one person telling bits and pieces of the story that they have heard? The Bible says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” -I Corinthians 2:9,10.

This was the challenge that Paul and Silas dealt with when ministering to the people in Greece. By the time they got there word had surely gotten passed around about Jesus, the challenge was getting them to see the truth verses something they just heard about. Paul challenges the Greeks and their worship of idols, false gods, and philosophers. “And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things...And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. ” - Acts 17:4-8,10.

The unbelieving Jews were angry, because the apostles preached to the Gentiles, that they too might be saved. How strange it is, that men should grudge others the privileges they will not themselves accept. We should never be afraid to approach someone with the Gospel, regardless of their race, God is God of all and saves all who believe in His Son. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” - I Corinthians 12:12-14.

Paul was led to preach to the people in Athens, “Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is...Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious...God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;..Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device...And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter...Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” - Acts 17:18,19,22,24,32,34.

The Epicureans entirely denied a providence, and held the world to be the effect of mere chance, asserting sensual pleasure to be man's chief good, and that the soul and body died together. The Stoics held, that matter was eternal and that all things were governed by irresistible fate, that virtue was its own sufficient reward, and vice its own sufficient punishment. Paul's intention through the Holy Spirit was to open the door to the truth. Anytime we preach the Gospel to unbelievers we at least open the door to give them the opportunity to know the truth. The rest is up to God and their willingness to accept it. “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” - I Corinthians 3:9-11.

The Holy Spirit is who teaches us about God and His Word, without the Holy Spirit the Bible is just words in a book. Since the Holy Spirit is a spirit, that means that the only way to know God is through the Holy Spirit inside of you. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” - Romans 8:9-11.

The only way to get the Holy Spirit inside you is by believing in and asking Jesus to save you. Once you have the Spirit in you, He reveals things a little at a time so you can comprehend them rather than try to figure them all out in one reading. It's boggling every time someone says that they have read the Bible and know everything in it. One might know about Moses and David, but one can never know every thing that is contained in the Bible. Why? Because God wants us to pass it on in truth and not in bits and pieces of the truth. Learning God's Word slowly, day by day is the only way to keep the truth and pass it on to others. “Give us day by day our daily bread.” - Luke 11:3.

Be blessed, enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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