Saint Paul Writing His Epistles Probably Valentin de Boulogne (c. 1618 – 1620)
Reading: Acts 28:30-31 NLT
For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.
Prayer:Heavenly Father – thank you for faithful servants who keep on doing what you have called them to do… even under threat and danger to their own lives. Thank you especially for the witness and legacy of the Apostle Paul.
And thank you for for preachers and teachers around the world… who are “boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Strengthen them… and encourage them… and exceed all their hopes or expectations according to your power at work within them. To God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Q. How did the apostle Paul die? When was the apostle Paul’s death? Did he die in Rome?
A. The Bible does not tell us the exact time or manner of the apostle Paul’s death, and secular history has yet to provide us with any definitive information. However, evidence highly suggests the apostle Paul’s death occurred after his fifth missionary journey ended in 67 A.D. Paul was likely beheaded by the Romans, under Emperor Nero, sometime around May or June of 68 A.D. Nero himself died by suicide on June 9th of the same year.
The Beheading of Saint Paul Painting by Enrique Simonet in 1887.
So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures.
Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe.
And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,
‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.”
Prayer:Heavenly Father – I confess that sometimes I hear what I want to hear and see what I want to see… and then convince myself that it’s all from you. Please forgive me… my closed mind… my hard heart… my prejudices… and my preconcieved notions. Lord Jesus – give me your mind… your heart… your obedience to submit to the will of the Father – like it or not. Holy Spirit – continue your transforming work in me… make the new creation that I am becoming a closer reality day by day. And may your Kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Slimmer’s door, Ringwood Church. This unusually narrow door occupies a rightangled corner formed by the main walls of the church of St Peter & St Paul, Ringwood, England.
Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”
He replied, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’
“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. And people will come from all over the world — from east and west, north and south — to take their places in the Kingdom of God. And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus – Open my heart to all you have for me today. Change my mind… my attitudes… my habits,.. my actions… to conform to your will. Forgive my pride in thinking that I know it all… and give me a teachable spirit. Help me to discern between understanding born out of experience… and bias, or prejudice, born out of limited experience. Lord Jesus – It’s my heart’s desire to be true to you… in this life and the life to come. Amen.
I would be true, for there are those who trust me; I would be pure, for there are those who care; I would be strong, for there is much to suffer; I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
I would be friend of all — the foe, the friendless; I would be giving, and forget the gift; I would be humble, for I know my weakness; I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.
I would be faithful through each passing moment; I would be constantly in touch with God; I would be strong to follow where He leads me; I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.
Who is so low that I am not his brother? Who is so high that I’ve no path to him? Who is so poor I may not feel his hunger? Who is so rich I may not pity him?
Who is so hurt I may not know his heartache? Who sings for joy my heart may never share? Who in God’s heav’n has passed beyond my vision? Who to hell’s depths where I may never fare?
May none, then, call on me for understanding, May none, then, turn to me for help in pain, And drain alone his bitter cup of sorrow, Or find he knocks upon my heart in vain.
Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord. God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.
“The Sermon of St. Paul at Ephesus” by Eustache Le Sueur, 1649 (The Louvre, Paris)
A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.
The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored.
Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.
Prayer: Lord Jesus – In all things, may I direct people to you and your Kingdom purposes. Immerse me in your Word… and enable me to apply it to the needs of the day… to the needs of those around me. Holy Spirit – Move with power among your people… healing, delivering, convicting… leading people to repentance, forgiveness, and newness of life. Mighty God – You alone are worthy of our worship and praise. May my focus always be on you… as an end in itself, nothing else. To You be the glory. Amen.
Peanut Gallery: Can any good come out of Belfast? The answer is a resounding YES!
Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK) is Europe’s last best hope. But it is taking a movement of God.
“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.”
Psalm 20.7 (NLT)
Northern Ireland is struggling… and the communities that make up West Belfast are on the bottom of the pile. Economic stagnation, unemployment, poor health and education, cramped housing, general poverty, teen pregnancy, and crime… all contribute to the highest suicide rate in Northern Ireland. Kids roam the streets at night with nothing to do and nowhere to go. As they congregate, police move them on from one place to the next. It’s not an environment I’d want for my kid.
While some areas of Northern Ireland are prospering, predominantly Nationalist West Belfast is being left behind.
It’s been 15 years since the Belfast Peace accords (Good Friday Agreement) were signed and while everything has changed, nothing has changed. There is no peace… only a fragile truce, or cease fire, which is being strained to its limits by extremes in both the Nationalist and Unionist communities.
One woman said: “The young people involved in the current round of protest and violence never lived through The Troubles. We are reaping the harvest of my generation’s unforgiveness… and passing it on to our children.”
And yet, in the middle of it all, God is pouring out His Spirit… lives are being changed and the Kingdom of God is at hand… accompanied by signs and wonders. Believers from all sides of the divide are sacrificially pouring out their lives in worship and prayer… and in untold acts of kindness and mercy. The invisible Church is rising up… and God is moving among His people.
Robin Mark captures the mood in “Revival in Belfast” while the video background overviews the city. More later….
________________
Revival in Belfast – Robin Mark (with video of Northern Ireland)
I hear the voice of one calling, prepare ye the way of the Lord. And make His paths straight in the wilderness. And let your light shine in the darkness. And let your rain fall in the desert.
As sure as gold is precious and the honey sweet, So you love this city and you love these streets. Every child out playing by their own front door. Every baby laying on the bedroom floor.
Every dreamer dreaming in her dead-end job. Every driver driving through the rush hour mob. I feel it in my spirit, feel it in my bones. You’re going to send revival, bring them all back home.
I can hear that thunder in the distance. Like a train on the edge of town. I can feel the brooding of Your Spirit. “Lay your burdens down, Lay your burdens down”.
From the Preacher preaching when the well is dry. To the lost soul reaching for a higher high. From the young man working through his hopes and fears. To the widow walking through the veil of tears.
Every man and woman, every old and young. Every fathers daughter, every mothers son. I feel it in my spirit, feel it in my bones. You’re going to send revival, bring them all back home
I can hear that thunder in the distance. Like a train on the edge of town. I can feel the brooding of Your Spirit. “Lay your burdens down, Lay your burdens down”.
The Peanut Gallery 