Acts of the Twelve Apostles ROBE of Righteousness Apostolic Ministry

08/08/2018

Praise the Lord
I Will be back on Facebook soon
Having some health problems
Haven't quite recovered, please remember
Me in your prayers, blessing's to you in Jesus Name.

05/18/2018

05/18/2018

PAUL IN TROAS: EUTYCHUS
ACTS 20:7-12

AND UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, WHEN THE DISCIPLES CAME TOGETHER TO BREAK BREAD, PAUL PREACHED UNTO THEM, READY TO DEPART ON THE MORROW; AND CONTINUED HIS SPEECH UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
AND THERE WERE MANY LIGHTS IN THE UPPER CHAMBER, WHERE THEY WERE GATHERED TOGETHER.
AND THERE SAT IN A WINDOW A CERTIAN YOUNG MAN NAMED EUTYCHUS, BEING FALLEN INTO A DEEP SLEEP: AND AS PAUL WAS LONG PREACHING, HE SUNK DOWN WITH SLEEP, AND FELL DOWN FROM THE THIRD LOFT, AND WAS TAKEN UP DEAD.
AND PAUL WENT DOWN, AND FELL ON HIM, AND EMBRACING HIM SAID, TROUBLE NOT YOURSELVES; FOR HIS LIFE IS IN HIM.
WHEN HE THEREFORE WAS COME UP AGAIN. AND HAD BROKEN BREAD, AND EATEN, AND TALKED A LONG WHILE, EVEN TILL BREAK OF DAY, SO HE DEPARTED.
AND THEY BROUGHT THE YOUNG MAN ALIVE, AND WERE NOT A LITTLE COMFORTED.

1.QUESTION: WHO WAS EUTYCHUS IN THE BIBLE?

2. ANSWER:EUTYCHUS, WHOSE NAME MEANS "FORTUNATE,"HAD THE MISFORTUNE OF FALLING OUT OF A WINDOW-AND THE FORTUNE OF EXPERIENCING A MIRACLE DIRECTLY AFTERWARDS.

THE SETTING IS THE TAIL END OF PAUL'S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY. HE HAS SAILED FROM PHILIPPI AND IS ON HIS WAY BACK TO JERUSALEM WITH A GIFT FOR THE CHURCH THERE. HE SPENDS A WEEK IN TROAS
AND ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK WE CAME TOGETHER TO BREAK BREAD. PAUL SPOKE TO THE PEOPLE AND, BECAUSE HE INTENDED TO LEAVE THE NEXT DAY, KEPT ON TALKING UNTIL MIDNIGHT. THERE WERE MANY LAMPS IN THE UPSTAIRS ROOM WHERE WE WERE MEETING. SEATED IN A WINDOW WAS A YOUNG MAN NAMED EUTYCHUS, WHO WAS SINKING INTO A DEEP SLEEP AS PAUL PREACHED. WHEN HE WAS SOUND ASLEEP, HE FELL TO THE GROUND FROM THE THIRD STORY AND WAS PICKED UP DEAD.
PAUL WENT DOWN, THREW HIMSELF ON THE YOUNG MAN AND PUT HIS ARMS AROUND HIM. 'DON'T BE ALARMED,'HE SAID. HE'S ALIVE! THEN HE WENT UPSTAIRS AGAIN AND BROKE BREAD AND ATE. AFTER PREACHING UNTIL DAYLIGHT, HE LEFT. THE PEOPLE TOOK THE YOUNG MAN HOME ALIVE AND WERE GREATLY COMFORTED (ACTS 20:7-12).

II.EYEWITNESS
LUKE, A MEDICAL DOCTOR AND EYEWITNESS TO THIS INCIDENT, PLAINLY STATES THAT EUTYCHUS WAS DEAD.
THE FALL FROM THE THIRD STORY WINDOW HAD BEEN FATAL FOR THE YOUNG MAN. BUT PAUL, A TRUE APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST, WAS GIVEN THE POWER TO RAISE EUTYCHUS BACK TO LIFE AGAIN. THIS IS ONE OF VERY FEW RESURRECTIONS RECORDED IN THE BIBLE----OTHERS INCLUDED MIRACLES PERFORMED BY ELIJAH IN (1KINGS 17:17-24), ELISHA IN (2KINGS 4:32-37) APOSTLE PETER IN (ACTS 9:36-42) AND JESUS IN (LUKE 8:49-56; JOHN 11).

AFTER EUTYCHUS WAS RESTORED TO LIFE, THE CHURCH IN TROAS HAD A MEAL, PAUL CONTINUED PREACHING, AND AS WOULD BE EXPECTED, EUTYCHUS'S FRIENDS AND FAMILY WERE GREATLY COMFORTED TO NOT BE PLANNING A FUNERAL.

SOME MAY TRY TO USE THE ACCOUNT OF EUTYCHUS TO WARN AGAINST THE DANGERS OF SLEEPING IN CHURCH , OR OF PREACHING TO LONG---BUT THE POINT OF THE STORY IS SIMPLY THE POWER OF GOD TO HEAL. LUKE INCLUDES THE STORY IN ORDER TO SHOW THE GREAT, LIFE GIVING POWER OF GOD AND TO FURTHER AUTHENTICATE PAUL'S MESSAGE AS ONE WHO HAD "THE MARKS OF A TRUE APOSTLE, INCLUDING SIGNS, WONDERS AND MIRACLES (2 COR.12:12).

05/18/2018

PAUL IN MACEDONIA AND GREECE:
ACTS 20:1-6

AND AFTER THE UPROAR WAS CEASED, PAUL CALLED UNTO HIM THE DISCIPLES, AND EMBRACED THEM, AND DEPARTED FOR TO GO INTO MACEDONIA.

AND WHEN HE HAD GONE OVER THOSE PARTS, AND HAD GIVEN THEM MUCH EXHORTATION, HE CAME INTO GREECE,
AND THERE ABODE THREE MONTHS. AND WHEN THEJEWS LAID WAIT FOR HIM, AS HE WAS ABOUT TO SAIL INTO SYRIA, HE PURPOSED TO RETURN THROUGH MACEDONIA.
AND THERE ACCOMPANIED HIM INTO ASIA SOPATER OF BEREA; AND OF THE THESSALONIANS, ARISTARCHUS AND SECUNDUS; AND GAIUS OF DERBE, AND TIMOTHEUS; AND OF ASIA, TYCHICUS AND TROPHIMUS.
THESE GOING BEFORE TARRIED FOR US AT TROAS.
AND WE SAILED AWAY FROM PHILIPPI AFTER THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, AND CAME UNTO THEM TO TROAS IN FIVE DAYS; WHERE WE ABODE SEVEN DAYS.

II. TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF MINISTRY IN EPHESUS; AND PREACHING IN GREECE FOR THREE MONTHS:

THE APOSTLE LEFT EPHESUS TO GO INTO MACEDONIA AND GREECE SHORTLY AFTER THE UPROAR CAUSE BY THE SILVERSMITHS OVER THE ONERSHIP OF DIANA.
LUKE GAVE A BREIEF ACCOUNT OF HIS MINISTRY IN MACEDONIA, BUT MUCH WAS IMPLIED IN THIS BRIEF STATEMENT. "THOSE PARTS" INCLUDED ALL THE CITIES WHERE PAUL HAD PREACHED AND LEFT CONGREGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS FROM HIS FORMER VISITS (ACTS 16:6-40; 17:1-14).
A STUDY OF HIS EPISTLES TO THESE CHURCHES WILL REVEAL SOMETHING OF THE NATURE OF HIS EXHORTATIONS OF RICH DOCTRINAL TRUTHS AND PRACTICAL ADMONITIONS ON THIS OCCASION (PHIL.2:1-16; 3:1-21; 4:1-19; 1THESS.2:11-13;4:1-18; 5:1-23 >2THESS.2:1-17; 3:3-15).
PAUL WENT FROM MACEDONIA TO CORINTH IN GREECE. HE HAD WRITTEN THE CHURCH IN CORINTH BEFORE LEAVING EPHESUS THAT HE WOULD COME TO THEM FROM MACEDONIA (1COR.16:5).
WE MAY DISCERN SOMETHING OF THE NATURE OF HIS MINISTRY IN CORINTH AT THIS TIME FROM HIS FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS WRITTEN FROM EPHESUS
(1COR.1:4-13; 3:1-17) AND HIS SECOND EPISTLE WRITTEN SOME TIME AFTER HIS VISIT TO CORINTH (2COR. 1:13-24; 12:14-21; 13:1-14).
HE REPROVED THEIR CARNALITY AND CORRECTED MANY ERRORS IN DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE

05/18/2018

Local business

05/16/2018

A.MAP OF PAUL'S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY:
PAUL ARRESTED AT JERUSALEM
SCRIPTURES: ACTS. CHAPTER'S 18,19-23

B.PAUL'S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
THIS THIRD JOURNEY OCCUPIED ABOUT FOUR YEARS, MUCH OF WHICH WAS SPENT AT EPHESUS.
"WE SHALL BRIEFLY TRACE THE JOURNEY.

1. PAUL LEFT ANTIOCH AND PASSED THROUGH GALATIA AND PHRYGIA EN ROUTE TO EPHESUS.
2.AT EPHESUS, PREPARATION FOR PAUL'S LABORS HAD BEEN MADE BY APOLLOS WHO HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED BY AQUILA AND PRISCILLA. PAUL REMAINED THERE FOR THREE YEARS. THROUGH HIS LABORS THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA WERE ESTABLISHED.
3.PAUL WENT TO TROAS TO AWAIT TITUS WITH NEWS FRO THE CHURCH AT CORINTH.
AS THE NEWS DID NOT COME, PAUL TOOK SHIP AND SAILED TO EUROPE.
4.PHILIPPI, THESSALONICA, AND BEREA WERE AGAIN VISITED.
5.HE VISITED CORINTH TO TAKE CARE OF TROUBLS WHICH HAD ARISEN.
6.PAUL RETURNED BY WAY OF PHILIPPI, TROAS, ASSOS, AND MITYLENE. HE BRIEFLY VISITED CHIOS, SAMOS, AND TROGYLLIUM.
7.HE ARRIVED AT MILETUS AND SENT FOR THE EPHESIAN ELDERS. HE GAVE THEM A FAREWELL ADDRESS AND CHARGE.
8.AT PATARA PAUL TOOK ANOTHER SHIP FOR PHOENICIA.
9.REACHING THE COAST OF PHOENICIA, THE SHIP REMAINED A WEEK AT TYRE TO UNLOAD CARGO. HERE PAUL FOUND DISCIPLES.
10.HE SAILED ALONG THE COAST TO PTOLEMAIS WHERE PAUL SPENT A DAY WITH THE CHURCH.
11.ARRIVING AT CAESAREA, PAUL MET PHILIP WHO HAD LIVED THERE FOR TWENTY YEARS.
12.FOR THE LAST TIME PAUL ENTERED THE CITY OF JERUSALEM WHERE HE SOON BECAME THE "PRISONER OF THE LORD".

C.PAUL'S URGE TO GO TO JERUSALEM
EXCEPT FOR THREE YEARS SPENT AT EPHESUS, PAUL SEEMED TO BE IN A HURRY ON HIS THIRD JOURNEY. HE HAD A STRONG URGE TO HASTEN TO JERUSALEM. APPARENTLY HE HAD A BURDEN TO PREACH TO HEBREW CHRISTIANS THERE. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS HIS BURDEN THAT CAUSED HIM TO WRITE THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS WHILE A PRISONER IN ROME.

AT BOTH TYRE AND CAESAREA PAUL WAS WARNED ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AT JERUSALEM. AGABUS PROPHESIED THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE BOUND IN JERUSALEM. IN SPITE OF THIS, PAUL WAS DETERMINED TO DO GOD'S WILL.

D.ARRESTED AT JERUSALEM
IN JERUSALEM, SOME OF THE JEWISH BELIEVERS WERE ACCUSING PAUL OF FORBIDDING THE GENTILE BELIEVERS TO BE CIRCUMCISED. THE LEADERS IN THE CHURCH FELT THAT SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE TO APPEASED THESE JEWISH CHRISTIANS AND TO ASSURE THEM THAT PAUL WAS NOT AGAINST THE MOSAIC LAW.
THEY FELT THAT THEY HAD THE ANSWER. IT WAS THAT PAUL WOULD GO TO THE TEMPLE WITH FOUR MEN WHO HAD TAKEN A VOW. THEY HAD TO BE PURIFIED AND TO OFFER A NUMBER OF OFFERINGS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT PAUL WOULD PURIFY HIMSELF AND PAY FOR THESE OFFERINGS. PAUL, IN HIS DESIRE TO BE ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN, AGREED.
HIS CONDUCT WAS MISUNDERSTOOD. HE WAS RECOGNIZED BY CERTIAN OF THE ORTHODOX JEWS WHO LEAPED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT PAUL WAS TRYING TO DESECRATE THE HOLY SHRINE BY BRINGING GENTILES INTO THE INNER COURT. A MOB FELL UPON HIM AND WOULD HAVE BEATEN HIM TO DEATH HAD NOT THE ROMAN SENTRIES INTERFERED.
RESCUED OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE MOB BY THE ROMAN CAPTION, PAUL BEGGED LEAVE TO SPEAK TO HIS NATION AND WAS GRANTED PERMISSION. AFTER A GREAT SILENCE DESCENDED ON THE MULTITUD, PAUL SPOKE TO THEM IN THE HEBREW TONGUE.

I WILL BEGAN IN ACTS 20:1-38

05/15/2018

WE ARE NOW IN ACTS.20 AND 21

PAUL IN MACEDONIA AND GREECE

05/15/2018

THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AT EPHESUS
ACTS. 19

UNDER PAUL'S MINISTRY THERE ARE THREE EVENTS RECORDED THAT WE SHOULD TAKE NOTE:

1.THERE WERE SIGNS AND MIRACLES AND MANY SICK WERE HEALED. THE POWER OF THE NAME OF JESUS WAS MANIFESTED. SEVEN EXORCISTS FROM ONE FAMILY, SONS OF SCEVA, WHO ATTEMPTED TO CAST OUT DEMONS BY USING THE NAME OF JESUS, WERE ATTACKED BY THE DEMONS. THE DEMONS WOUNDED THEM AND CAUSED THEM TO FLEE FROM THE HOUSE NAKED. THIS MISUSE OF THE NAME OF JESUS BROUGHT FEAR AND CONVICTION. THIS LESSON TEACHES US THAT THE NAME OF JESUS MUST BE USED ONLY IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST.

2.GREAT CONVICTION CAME UPON THE CHURCH. YHEY GATHERED ALL THEIR BOOKS OF MAGIC AND HAD A BONFIRE. THE COST OF THE BOOKS DESTROYED AMOUNTED TO FIFTY THOUSAND PIECES OF SILVER.

3.WHILE THE CHRISTIANS WERE SURRENDERING THEIR WEALTH BY CLEASING THEIR HOMES FROM IDOLARTY, THERE WERE OTHERS WHO WERE ANGRY BECAUSE THE REVIVAL WAS COSTING THEM MONEY. THE BUSINESS OF THOSE WHO MADE SMALL SILVER SHIRINES TO BE OFFERED TO DIANA WAS BEING HURT.
DEMETRIUS AND THE OTHER SILVERSMITHS STIRRED UP THE INTIRE CITY. THE PEOPLE RAN TO THE AMPHITHEATRE AND FOR TWO HOURS CRIED, Great is Diana" OF THE EPHESIANS. THEY CAPTURED GAIUS AND ARISTARCHUS. EVENTUALLY THE TOWN CLERK, AN THE EPHESIAN, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GOOD CONDUCT OF SUCH A MEETING, WAS ABLE TO QUIET THE CROWD.

D. PAUL, AFTER THREE YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY AND REVIVAL IN EPHESUS, COULD NOT BE CONTENT TO REMAIN LONGER WHEN THERE WERE SO MANY CITIES STILL IN HEATHEN DARKNESS. HE PLANNED TO RETURN TO MACEDONIA AND GREECE AFTER VISTING THE CHURCHES IN THOSE GREAT AREAS.
FOLLOWING ANOTHER VISIT TO JERUSALEM HE HOPED TO GO TO ROME.
HE SENT TIMOTHY AND ERASTUS INTO MACEDONIA TO ENCOURAGE AND STRENGTHEN THE SAINTS, EXPECTING TO FOLLOW THEM SHORTLY.

THIS CONCLUDES ACTS CHAPTER 19
NEXT IS ACTS 20-21

05/15/2018

C.DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS
ACTS 19: 35-41

THE EPHESIAN DIANA IS TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH
ASTARTE AND OTHER FEMALE DIVINITIES OF THE EAST.
THIS IDOL WAS REGARDED AS AN OBJECT OF SPECIAL SANCTITY AND WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE FALLEN DOWN
FROM HEAVEN (ACTS 19:35).
DIANA WAS RECOGNIZED AS BEING "great"
BUT GREATER IS THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
"Idolatry" HAS NO MESSAGE, BUT IT CAN SHOUT FOR TWO HOURS TRYING TO MAKE IT SELF BELIEVE SOMETHING WHICH IS FALSE. ALTHOUGH DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS VANISHED LONG AGO, THE CHURCH STILL STANDS IN THE NAME OF JESUS!.
GREAT MAY BE ANY PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION, OR IDOLATRY,
BUT GREATER!! IS HE WHOSE NAME IS JESUS.

05/15/2018

ACTS.19:35
DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS:

ACTS. 19:35 AND WHEN THE TOWNCLERK HAD APPEASED THE PEOPLE, HE SAID, YE MEN OF EPHESUS, WHAT MAN IS THERE THAT KNOWETH NOT HOW THAT THE CITY OF THE EPHESIANS IS A WORSHIPPER OF THE great goddess Diana, AND OF THE IMAGE WHICH FELL DOWN FROM JUPITER?

B.THE UNNAMED TOWN CLERK EMERAGED AS A VOICE OF REASON IN THE MIDST OF ANARCHY. HE APPEASED THE CROWDS BY ASSURING THEM THAT NOTHING COULD CHANGE THE REPUTATION OF THEIR CITY AS A DEVOTED WORSHIPPER OF THE ESTEEMED goddess" AND THE LEGENDARY IMAGE THAT HAD FALLEN FROM HEAVEN. HE ENCOURAGED THEM TO DO NOTHING DISORDERLY, BUT TO TAKE THEIR GRIEVANCES TO THE OFFICIAL COURT OF LAW. HE WAS MOST CONCERNED THAT IF THEY COULD NOT BRING THIS SITUATION UNDER CONTROL, THE CITY MIGHT ATTRACT ROMAN REPRISALS.
( THE TOWN CLERK DIPLOMATICALLY ASSURED THE PEOPLE THAT THE CITY OF EPHESUS STILL WORSHIPPED Diana BUT THAT THEY WERE IN DANGER OF BEING CALLED IN QUESTION BY ROMAN GOVERMENT FOR THEIR RASH OUTBURST, SINCE THE CHRISTIANS AGAINST WHOM THEY HAD DEMONSTRATED HAD COMMITTED NO CRIMES. HE THEN DISMISSED THE ASSEMBLY AND THE MOB DISPERSED.

05/15/2018

05/15/2018

THE CONCLUSION OF
(ACTS.19:28-41)

ACTS.19:28-34

AND WHEN THEY HEARD THESE SAYINGS, THEY WERE FULL OF WRATH, AND CRIED OUT, SAYING, GREAT IS DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS.
AND THE WHOLE CITY WAS FILLED WITH CONFUSION: AND HAVING CAUGHT GAIUS AND ARISTARCHUS, MEN OF MACEDONIA, PAUL'S COMPANIONS IN TRAVEL, THEY RUSHED WITH ONE ACCORD INTO THE THEATRE.
AND WHEN PAUL WOULD HAVE ENTERED IN UNTO THE PEOPLE, THE DISCIPLES SUFFERED HIM NOT.
AND CERTIAN OF CHIEF OF ASIA, WHICH WERE HIS FRIENDS, SENT UNTO HIM, DESIRING HIM THAT HE WOULD NOT ADVENTURE HIMSELF INTO THE THEATRE.
SOME THEREFORE CRIED ONE THING, AND SOME ANOTHER:
FOR THE ASSEMBLY WAS CONFUSED; AND THE MORE PART KNEW NOT WHEREFORTH THEY WERE COME TOGETHER.
AND THEY DREW ALEXANDER OUT OF THE MULTITUDE, THE JEWS PUTTING HIM FORWARD. AND ALEXANDER BECKONED WITH THE HAND, AND WOULD HAVE MADE HIS DEFENCE UNTO THE PEOPLE.
BUT WHEN THEY KNEW THAT HE WAS A JEW, ALL WITH ONE VOICE ABOUT A THE SPACE OF TWO HOURS CRIED OUT, GREAT IS DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS.

A. ALTHOUGH PAUL WISHED TO ADDRESS THE UNRULY
AND CONFUSED CROWD, THOSE FEARING FOR HIS SAFETY (INCLUDING THE DISCIPLES AND CERTIAN CIVIC LEADERS) RESTRAINED HIM. THE GREAT THEATER AT EPHESUS COULD ACCOMODATE AN ESTIMATED 25,000 PEOPLE, MAKING IT APPARENT WHY SUCH A LARGE GATHERING OF PROTESTERS WOULD BE DRAWN TO THIS LOCATION.
WHILE THE JEWISH COMMUNITY SHUNNED WORSHIP OF ARTEMIS, NEITHER WERE VERY SYMPATHETIC TO PAUL AND HIS COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS.
TO DISASSOCIATE THEMSELVES FROM THE CHRISTIANC, THE JEWS COMPELLED A REPRESENTATIVE, ALEXANDER, TO ADDRESS THE UNRULY CROWD. AFTER CONCLUDING THAT ALEXANDER WAS A JEW, HOWEVER, THE MOB SHOUTED HIM DOWN FOR TWO STRAIGHT HOURS, CHANTING THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE DEFAMED
goddess.