Saturday 10-24-15 Home in Modesto
Scripture
reading: Job 15 Acts 19-20
S=Scripture O=Observation A=Application P=Prayer SOAP for
the soul.
S.
Acts 19:29 Everyone rushed to the
amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul's traveling
companions from Macedonia. NLT
O.
The Silversmith’s
Union started a riot since Paul’s converts were trashing their little silver
idols and turning to the true and living God in such numbers that their sales
were down. The wild crowd grabbed two young men that were travelling with
Paul and were ready to lynch them. Fortunately, after two hours of mayhem
the mayor got into the act, grabbed the microphone, quieted the crowd and
probably saved the lives of these two boys.
A. The moral of this
story? Be careful not to hang around the Apostle Paul. You’ll get
whipped, thrown in jail, or mobbed. In Thessalonica Jason was called into
court and had to post bail just for letting Paul stay in his house. Now
these two boys who had come from Thessalonica and Berea just to carry Paul’s
luggage were grabbed and placed at the mercy of a wildly maddened crowd.
In certain
religious cultures it is extremely dangerous to hang around evangelical
Christians still today. If you even get caught talking with one you
become suspect. But what can we expect? Our Captain was falsely
accused, beaten and murdered by a religious crowd.
P.
Lord, I don’t think
I want to be like Paul after all. Trouble followed him and his team
wherever he went. You know several times he was warned of a plot against
his life and had to change his plans. I like adventure, but not the
life-threatening kind. You put the Apostle Paul on the front lines.
He invaded enemy territory with a passion. (Pause to listen) What
are You saying, Lord? You want me to be filled with that same passion for
the lost? But Lord Jesus, that could be dangerous! Could we change
the subject please? Amen. Whew!
Ralph
It can get
dangerous when I pause to listen to God while I’m praying.
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