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Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted Isa 53:4 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Saturday, January 11, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Paul in Ephesus [2] Bible Verse:Acts 19:8-10 (ESV) "And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." Message:
Unless you are a Bible scholar, Paul’s travels can get a bit overwhelming and confusing. The Book of Acts has a lot of history compressed into a small space and most of it is untaught outside of Bible study classes. The names of people and places are confusing, the political and sociological geography has changed (especially in Turkey and Syria), and the events span a time period of roughly 24 years.
Paul will make four major journeys. Today, we are in the middle of the third, and it might be a good idea to recap what has gone on so far.
The first journey, made with Barnabas, was the shortest of the three. It lasted about two years. Paul sailed from Antioch to the island of Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean; he crossed the island east to west, founding churches in several cites. He then sailed north to central Turkey, primarily provinces known at the time as Cilicia and Galatia; this area was culturally part of Greece at that time (and, of course, politically part of Rome). Quite a bit is written about Paul’s adventures in this area, notably the towns of Perga, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (in Pisidia), in Acts 13-14. He then backtracked to the coast and sailed back to Antioch, where he stayed for several years.
Let us be bold then and say . . . Jesus is my savior
The second journey took about three years and formed a great circle through Turkey, Greece, and back by ship, sailing along the south coast of Turkey. It began when he returned to Galatia to visit the mainland churches he founded in his first visit. He then struck out northwest across the entire length of Turkey, reaching the northwest corner of Anatolia, and sailed across the Aegean Sea to Philippi in northern Greece (then called Macedonia). From Philippi, he traveled by land down the length of Greece to Corinth and Athens, both of which were major events. From Athens he sailed to Ephesus, where he stayed only briefly before sailing straight home to Antioch.
We are now at the beginning of Paul’s third journey. Paul had left Aquila and Priscilla (Jews who had been expelled from Italy) behind in Ephesus, and his first order of business is to return there. At this point, the Bible tells us simply that he stayed in Ephesus for two years and spread the word to “all of Asia.” “Asia” here means western Turkey; the name would not be applied to the world’s largest continent until many centuries later.
Remember, the Holy Spirit had specifically instructed Paul to avoid “Asia” and Bithynia on his second journey. (Acts 16:4-8.) But Paul now spends two years evangelizing Asia from its greatest city, Ephesus.
Meditation : Prayer : And now, as a little child, let me abide in you all this day, oh Christ, so that when you appear I may have confidence and not shrink from you in shame at your coming. For I know that you are righteous, and I am sure that I will be made righteous only by my life in you....Amen |
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