Month: July 2015

Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
Acts 16:16-18

Our text today is one of many that teaches us that demon possession is very real. The slave girl Paul encountered here was able to predict future events because of this devil which inhabited her. As amazing as this ability was, it still pales in comparison to the power of God. Some people give Satan and demons far too much authority when the reality is that they don’t even come close to possessing the power of our infinite God! Demons are limited, but God is limitless. They are created, but God is the Creator. Let’s consider a few of the shortcomings of these fallen, spiritual beings compared to our sovereign Lord.

1) They are not omniscient
God is all-knowing. Isa 46:9-10 tells us no one else can make that claim: “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure”. This demon may have seemed to have known the future, but he really only knew what he and other devils planned to do. When he told this young girl his plans, then it appeared she knew the future; but only God knows for certain that which will be. The rest of us have to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (Jam 4:15) A prime example of the limited knowledge of the powers of darkness is in the crucifixion of Christ. What the devil and the demons thought to be the hour of their victory turned out to be the moment of their defeat! As 1Co 2:7-8 reveals, had they understood God’s hidden purpose in the cross, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”.

2) They are not omnipresent
David wrote of God, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.” (Psa 139:7-8) There is no place we could be where God is not because He is everywhere! Demons, however, must travel from point A to point B just as we do. They cannot be in two places at once much less everywhere all the time as God is. Jesus said, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.” (Mat 12:43) In other words, if he leaves the man, he’s no longer there! Satan is likewise said to move from place to place. When God asked him in Job 1:7 where he had been, the devil answered, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

3) They are not all-powerful
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jer 32:27) The question rhetorical because the answer is obviously, “No!” There is no lack in God’s ability. He does as He pleases and no one has the power to stop Him. James says, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (Jas 2:19) Why do they tremble? Because they are so insignificant in ability compared to the power of almighty God! When Jesus approached the two demon-possessed men in Mat 8:29, the demons cried out, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” They acknowledged that they were no match for the Lord!

Children, some are fearful when it comes to the powers of darkness, but there is no reason for the child of God to fear! Satan and the forces of darkness can’t step outside the boundaries our God has set. Satan could never get close to Job until God said in Job 1:12 , “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” It may not have been immediately apparent in Job’s life, but as Jas 5:11 makes clear about Job, we see “the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” Any affliction by the enemy is controlled by our loving Father and will only “work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28) With that awareness, let us “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (Jas 4:7)

Jamie

 

And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Acts 16:13-15

The three verses above sum up Lydia’s involvement in the apostle Paul’s second missionary journey. Though we know nothing about her except what this passage reveals, she sets forth in this short account a tremendous testimony of faith which the Lord richly rewards. Not only does she grow greatly in her spiritual understanding, but her entire household comes to saving faith in Jesus Christ! Don’t we desire the same for ourselves and our loved ones? Then let’s examine the qualities evident in our sister in Christ.

First note that it was her custom to gather on the Sabbath day by the riverside to pray. In other words, she was diligently seeking God, and what does Heb 11:6 teach us about such individuals? God rewards those who do so! Also, we find Lydia to have been a faithful worshiper of the true God. There was much she didn’t know of God because the things Paul preached concerning Christ were new to her ears, but she was walking faithfully in all the light she had. Paul encouraged the Philippians in Php 3:15 to follow his example and press on in all the understanding God had given, reminding that “if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you”. In other words, if we walk obediently in the light we have, God will give more light! Finally, we see Lydia had a heart for service as evidenced by the way she begged Paul and his companions to stay in her home. God will not overlook such compassion shown toward His children. “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Heb 6:10)

As faithful as Lydia was, she’ll still cast her crown at the feet of Christ along with all the other worshipers in Rev 4:10. It is the Lord Who gets the glory in Act 16:14 for opening “her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul”. What a glorious proof text for what Christ taught in Joh 15:5: “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” God didn’t just present the truth to Lydia. He also moved on her heart to believe and obey the truth Paul declared! Hallelujah, what a Savior!! I’m reminded of the work of the Lord upon the disciples in Luk 24:45, “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” Where would we be without Christ? Along with Lydia and every redeemed sinner we sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:12)

Jamie

Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
Acts 16:3

What? Paul circumcised Timothy!! What an unexpected verse after the debate in the previous chapter over whether or not you had to be circumcised to be saved. The decision of the Jerusalem council was a definitive, “No!” They clearly established that salvation was by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. Just a few weeks back we quoted Gal 5:1-2 where Paul warned the Galatians, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.” With such a strong warning to the Galatians AGAINST circumcision, why in the world would Paul take Timothy and circumcise him?

The answer is simple and set forth in our text today–“because of the Jews…for they all knew that his father was Greek.” Paul realized that Timothy’s ministry would be hindered as he declared the gospel to the Jews in that region since they knew he had a Jewish mother but a Greek father. If they found out he was uncircumcised, they would not have heard a word Timothy said! They would have viewed him as identifying himself with the heathen nations rather than with Israel. Of course, they would have been wrong to treat Timothy that way, but the issue in Paul’s mind was not whether or not their assessment of Timothy was unfair. Paul’s one concern was that these Jews were unsaved and needed the Lord!

The best explanation of why Timothy was circumcised is found in 1Co 9:19-22 as Paul writes: “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” As Paul makes clear in his statement “not being without law”, he didn’t live lawlessly in his pursuit to win sinners, but within the confines of his liberty in Christ, he did all he could to make sure he caused no unnecessary offense in sharing the word of God with others. Brethren, our pattern should be the same! May our love for souls prompt us to lay aside our lives, no matter the inconvenience, that others may know our Savior. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (Joh 15:13)

Jamie