Focus On Glorifying God Not On Any Specific Other Results or Outcomes

Acts 23

Paul is simply following the Lord's will.  Paul's actions are confirmed and encouraged by the direct words of the Lord himself:

 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”"Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome".

I have often heard other believers say about certain things like evangelism that we should focus on the message and not worry about the outcome as God will take care of the outcome.  For me the broader message is not lost.  God does not say to Paul here (and a summary review reveals few occasions where an outcome is the focus - Matthew 28:19) I have not seen it that often to my knowledge) to focus on bringing X number of believers to Him.  Instead, He simply says to "testify about me [Jesus]".  In the same way, I should not focus too much energy on any specific outcome but instead on glorifying God.  If I focus on glorifying God then pray, be in the Word, seek wise counsel, seek confirming circumstances, and find peace, then I will continue to be led by the Spirit as "Your word [will be] a lamp onto my feet."

My Prayer: Lord, Your ways and Your will are perfect.  That you would use me - someone who is clearly broken in so many ways - is incredible.  How You do it is amazing and I AM truly amazed by Your greatness.  And I desperately need You because of my brokenness.  I think of my anger and how I am often in "fits of rage" - something that clearly disappoints You and something that is not indicative of being led by Spirit but instead by Satan.  Forgive me Lord - PLEASE!   Thank You that I have You because I need You to protect me Lord!  I need you to purify me Lord.  Help me focus solely on You and on glorifying You.  Give me wisdom to glorify You Lord.

Am I Willing to Consider My "Own" Life Worth Nothing?

Acts 20

Here Paul is moving about on his journeys from place to place and he is led by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, despite warnings also from the Spirit that " [he] only know[s] that in every city the Holy Spirit warns [him] that prison and hardships are facing [him]."

Paul's next statement below strikes me as being deeply challenging:
²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.  

I know that scriptures are clear through many verses that we are to "die to self" or "shed old skin", etc.   Yet most of us will rarely if ever be in a position to be physically harmed or in threat of death for any stand we take for God.  Nonetheless, Paul makes a valid statement that should challenge us all: "are we as followers of Christ willing to completely give up our existing way of life" to follow God...in other words, are there any aspects of our life that we would NOT be willing to give up to follow God?  I need to ponder this question some more but I do hope that I can say yes to God if He asked me to give something up for His glory.

My Prayer: Lord, Your ways, will and plans are great and perfect as I have seen the results of Your hands - blessings that stretch across the universe that are of course too numerous to list or even capture in a human mind.  How awesome are You!  In contrast Lord, I AM a mess with SO many imperfections here that a list could fill the rest of this page.  Yet You LOVE ME and DIED for me!  How awesome is that!!  Forgive me for my anger daily that continues to ruin lives.  Help me Lord with my anger and purify me of this sin.  Help me draw nearer to You so that I can be more like You.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world

Acts 19

As I continue to follow Paul in his journeys I am beginning to understand more deeply God's direction for us on earth.  Here in Acts Paul and the other believers are clearly living in a way that is not "in or of this world".  In fact, Jesus threatens many who cling to earthly matters as a God.

²³ About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. ²⁴ A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. ²⁵ He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. ²⁶ And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. ²⁷ There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” 

In Romans 12:2, Paul makes this point clear:

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  

My Prayer: Lord, Your love, grace, ways, and will are not only great but as Paul says, perfect.  I am not perfect - far from it - I desperately need You in my life to transform my heart, my mind, and my life.  Forgive me for my flaws and imperfection and thank you for your grace as I don't deserve it. Thank you for Your Word - Truth.  I have been blessed by Your Word in ways that are too many to mention.  Help me seek you with all of heart.

Sin Has Consequences...All for God's Glory

Acts 19

While sin is forgiven through Jesus' death on the cross, this does not mean that sin has consequences.

¹³ 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 the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵ One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” ¹⁶ 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. 

While it may be true that no matter what sin we commit, God will forgive us, it does NOT mean that sin does not have consequences.  So we should live in fear of God proactively and follow God - hence the reaction followed in Ephesus: 

¹⁷ When this became known 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. ¹⁸ Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. ¹⁹ A number who had 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.²⁰ In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. 

You can say in one sense that  the Jews in verse 13 paid a physical price for their sin via a beating.  Another consequence is that "the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. "

Another key point is that God used all of this for His Glory.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your will and Your ways are great.  You are able to use everything about us - good and bad - for glory.  I am amazed at how you can use broken human beings for Your glory - truly awesome.  I know I am broken and I know I have anger issues - please forgive me for my anger and I pray that you will purify me of this anger.  Help me stay close to You and rely on You.

More Evidence That We Are To Walk With Each Other

Acts 18

For me the most striking verses in this chapter have to do with with what Paul, Aquilla, and Priscilla (and others) were doing to strengthen existing believers:

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.  

...

²⁴ Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ 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.

  

²⁷ 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. ²⁸ For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. 

I know that we are to walk together as Christian brothers and sisters.  And I know that we are to encourage, build up, and strengthen each other.  And these verses serve to reinforce this for me as I understand how this became foundational for the early church.

My Prayer: Lord, You have blessed me with great brothers and sisters that have that have significantly grown my faith and for this and I so thankful!  You are an awesome God and Your ways are great - oh how Your divine appointments are miracles in my eyes.  Help me stay as pure as possible.  Help me stay close to You.  Help me serve and love You.  Help me trust you Lord.  Help me follow You. 

...though he is not far from any one of us.

Acts 17

It's hard for many people to truly comprehend that Jesus is a personal God that if You truly seek Him with all of your heart you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).  Of course, the primary means for seeking Him is the bible - the word of God.  Speaking for myself, I can truly say that at the very least I have found glimpses of Him and that I truly desire to seek MORE of Him.

For Paul in this chapter of Acts (in Athens), he can certainly speak with confidence that:

4 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

I can certainly agree and I DO see God as someone close and accessible.

My Prayer: Lord, You are a God that has done SO MUCH, for all of the universe is from Your hands.  Yet at the same time You have don SO MUCH for me and continue to do so.  I DO seek You and I DO desire you.  I DO thank you for your provision and hand in my life and the resulting blessings.  Forgive me for being distracted from You through a focus on earthly matters and distractions.  Help me focus on You and Your will.

God's Plan Is Not Known, But It Is Great and There is No Way to Stop His Plan

Acts 16

Through BSF study and the discussion we have had on the topic, I have come to appreciate the role of divine appointments.   Here in Acts 16, we see a woman named Lydia with whom Paul and his followers meet and she is baptized and she becomes a believer.   Then Lydia invites Paul and his companions to her house and Paul heals a woman by freeing demons from her.  He and Silas are immediately arrested, beaten and thrown in jail.

They then prayed and sang hymns to God and God creates and earthquake that creates fear in the jailers and officers and Paul and Silas are released.  Of course the jailer and his entire household come to the Lord and then proceed to Lydia's house.

There is no stopping God's great and glorious plan - God's plan here of course is to spread the news of Jesus and to grow his kingdom of believers.  All we can do, as Paul and Silas did,  is pray to God for wisdom to act and make wise choices to follow and submit to Him.  We must also ask how our current circumstances are to be used by God because He creates and uses all of these circumstances (good and bad) for His glory. 

My Prayer: Lord, Your Plan Is Great and Your Will Is Perfect.  Thank you for how you have provided me with a job.  Give me wisdom about the actions to take to follow your will about where you want my job to be.  Help me understand both the power and the wisdom of my circumstances in terms of how you want me to take my next step.  Help me endure hardship and persevere either in my job search or in my current job if that is your will and help me make decisions that are wise and to act boldly on these decisions.