Acts 26

1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense:2 ”King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 ”The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today.7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

9 ”I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

Rogers thoughts about today’s scripture:

The next trial again Paul begins with the new area governor Festus and then King Agrippa. Paul once again talks about his upbringing and how he was indeed a “Jew’s jew” and that he had not done anything of which he was accused.

In the midst of the trial, the Jews who were accusing him, wanted him to go back to Jerusalem to stand trial, but Paul seemed to sense that this would not be a good idea.  In response to this demand, he calls upon his rights as a Roman citizen to have his case brought before Caesar.

We hear once again, a description of Paul’s past and how God radically changed his view point from persecuting the people of the Way (the early Christians) to becoming one of them who was unafraid to preach anywhere!

Here are today’s announcements/reminders from your church.  Click Here if you want more details on any of these announcements!

Acts Thru Revelation Bible Reading Plan by Easter – Today’s passage – Acts 23:12 – 24:27.  Click Here to read it online.  See the comment section for my thoughts on today’s passage and feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or comments as well.

1)      Have you signed up yet to be a part of our 40 Days in the Word on Sunday nights starting this Sunday from 5pm till 6:30pm (with snacks to follow) !  If you have ever had questions about how to study the Bible, then you will want to be a part of this.  Come and join your brothers & sisters in Christ as we spend the next six weeks diving into God’s Word! Childcare is available if needed. We are holding this study at the same time as our Kid’s Kingdom program, so if you have elementary aged children, there will be something for them to do. Our youth will also be meeting at this time.

2)      Scout Sunday – Sunday, February 5^th, 2012 at our 10:55am service.  Come and celebrate the ministry of scouting. Our guests this morning will be from the scouting groups (both boys and girls) that use our scout hut.

3)      Souper Bowl Sunday – February 5^th, 2012.  Our church will once again join this nationwide movement to battle hunger in our local community.  At the end of each service there will be young people holding soup pots at the exits.  Please consider placing a donation in the soup pot on your way out.  All donations this Sunday go to our Murray County Saturday Sack ministry.

4)      Resource for your Journey:  Check out this article about 6 questions that newcomers ask when they come to your church. Something to think about for our church.

Thought for today: “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”  Jim Rohn

P.S. Do you need a pick me up today? Stop by and check out the Upper Room daily devotional online

The Plot to Kill Paul

12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.13 More than forty men were involved in this plot.14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.

17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”

18 So he took him to the commander.
The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

20 He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.21 Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearment to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”

25 He wrote a letter as follows:

26 Claudius Lysias,
To His Excellency, Governor Felix:
Greetings.

27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.

31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris.32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,35 he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

Here are today’s announcements/reminders from your church.  Click Here if you want more details on any of these announcements!

Acts Thru Revelation Bible Reading Plan by Easter – Today’s passage – Acts 22:6 – 23:11 .  Click Here to read it online.  See the comment section for my thoughts on today’s passage and feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or comments as well.

1)      New blog post at Revitupmethodist. “What Breaks Your Heart?”   Stop by and check it out.

2)      Methodists on the Move – walking clubs – Wednesdays at 9am or Thursdays (TODAY) at 7pm in the Fincher Family Life Center.  Come and join the club!

3)      Saturday Sack packing tonight from 4:30pm till about 6pm.  Come and join the fun.  Bring a friend with you.  All ages are welcome! We can always use your  help!

4)      Have you signed up yet to be a part of our 40 Days in the Word on Sunday nights starting this Sunday!  We have over 60 people already signed up. E-mail me today to sign up to be a part!

5)      Join us as we celebrate the ministry of Scouting!  Sunday, February 5^th is Scout Sunday this year and we will be joined by both girl and boy scouts who are based in our scout hut.  If you or someone you love is or was a scout, we want to honor you on this day.

6)      The Souper Bowl of Caring is also set for Sunday, February 5^th.   Once again, Chatsworth 1^st UMC will be participating in the Souper Bowl.  At the end of the service some of our scouts will be standing at each exit holding soup bowls to hold your donations.  All donations go to fight hunger in Murray County through our Murray County Saturday Sack ministry.

7)      Events to place on your calendar:

a)      Sunday, February 19^th is our first Invite-a-Friend Sunday of the year.  This is a great day to bring a friend with you to Sunday School and worship with a meal following the 10:55am service.

b)      Wednesday, February 22^nd – Ash Wednesday. Walk-in imposition of Ashes from 6am till 7am. (simply come by the sanctuary on the way to church and I will pray over you and place the sign of the cross upon your forehead with ashes)   There will also be an Ash Wednesday service at 6:30pm that evening.

c)       Sunday, February 26^th – Tuesday, February 28^th – Our friend Luella Krieger is back with Visitors from the Past.  Sunday morning during Sunday School and then Sunday – Tuesday evenings at 6:30

d)      Sunday, March 11^th – Chili –cook off after church.

e)      Sunday, March 11^th – Mission Fair – Come and celebrate the many mission possibilities found through the United Methodist Church. This is being opened up to our entire District.

f)       April 1^st – 8^th, 2012 – Holy Week:  Palm Sunday; Maundy Thursday; Good Friday; Easter

Thought for today: “A problem is a chance for you to do your best”  – Duke Ellington

P.S. Do you need a pick me up today? Stop by and check out the Upper Room daily devotional online

6 ”About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

8 ”‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

10 ”‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
“‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

12 ”A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 ”Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

17 ”When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 ”‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.20 And when the blood of your martyrt Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

21 ”Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Paul the Roman Citizen

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air,24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”
“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

Acts 23

1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’t”

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Rogers thoughts about today’s scripture:

Once again, we hear Paul share his conversion story.  In the book of Acts we hear this story twice and then Paul refers to it again of several occasions in his books. By reading this account, you can tell what an incredible impact that encounter with God had on Paul.

One interesting note is that the Jewish people listening to Paul don’t have any problems with his story until he tells them that he has been sent to the Gentiles. This fact that God had decided to reach out to the Gentiles as well was the most offensive thing to the Jewish people who believed that God came only to them.  For us today, there are still people who have a hard time believing that God loves all people including the people we hate!.

Another quick insight – As he is talking to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, you can tell Paul knows his way around this group by the way he stirs them up by using the old argument about whether there is resurrection or not.

Here are today’s announcements/reminders from your church.  Click Here if you want more details on any of these announcements!

Acts Thru Revelation Bible Reading Plan by Easter – Today’s passage – Acts 21:1 – 22:5 .  Click Here to read it online.  See the comment section for my thoughts on today’s passage and feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or comments as well.

1)      Methodists on the Move – walking clubs – Wednesdays (TODAY!) at 9am or Thursdays at 7pm in the Fincher Family Life Center.  Come and join the club!

2)      Saturday Sack packing this Thursday from 4:30pm till about 6pm.  Come and join the fun.  Bring a friend with you.  All ages are welcome!

3)      Have you signed up yet to be a part of our 40 Days in the Word on Sunday nights starting this Sunday!  Be on the lookout for a special e-mail this week.

4)      NEW idea! Have you read a book recently that has impacted your faith in a positive way? Have you shared that book with others because it meant so much to you?  How about donating a copy of that book to our church library to make it available to everyone at your church? We will make sure that the church knows this book is available (through this e-mail, the bulletin, chatsheet, website, etc.) You can even donate a book in honor or memory of someone special. If you have been blessed, why don’t you pass the blessing on?

5)      Interested in Evangelism?  Join us this Thursday evening at 6pm in the church library as our Evangelism team meets to make plans for the year.

6)      Resource for your Journey:  It’s been two years since the earthquake in Haiti and your United Methodist Church has been there the whole time.  Stop by the desk in the side narthex and take a look at the Haiti Progress Report from the United Methodist Committee on Relief.  Together with United Methodists from across the world, we have given more than $45 million to help with the reconstruction.

Thought for today “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

P.S. Do you need a pick me up today? Stop by and check out the Upper Room daily devotional online

Acts 21

On to Jerusalem

1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail.3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.4 We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.5 When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.6 After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.

7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.8 Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

15 After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

Paul’s Arrival at Jerusalem

17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly.18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present.19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law.21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come,23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow.24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law.25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”

26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

Paul Arrested

27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut.31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers.36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”

Paul Speaks to the Crowd

37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?”
“Do you speak Greek?” he replied.38 ”Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?”

39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.”

40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaict:

Acts 22

1 ”Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”

2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.
Then Paul said:3 ”I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

Rogers thoughts about today’s scripture:

“Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  Paul’s words as he prepared to move on to Jerusalem in spite of all those who were speaking against this action.  Today’s passage is a wonderful story of a deeply faithful man who will place his allegiance to God above anything else including his own safety.

As today’s passage ends, we begin to hear Paul’s defense in his own words. Talking to the Jewish people as one who had been fiercely Jewish himself.  It is very enlightening to hear these words of one defending his actions as a follower of Christ. We would do well to pay close attention to how Paul acts and to what he says.

Here are today’s announcements/reminders from your church.  Click Here if you want more details on any of these announcements!

Acts Thru Revelation Bible Reading Plan by Easter – Today’s passage – Acts 20 .  Click Here to read it online.  See the comment section for my thoughts on today’s passage and feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or comments as well.

1)      Your help is requested:  There is a group in Murray County that is seeking input from across our community as to the needs we are facing.  If you have just a few minutes, please click on this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HFY58B9 and take a quick survey.  Feel free to pass this on to any other Murray County resident that you wish.  Your input is very important.  Thanks!

2)      Methodists on the Move – walking clubs – Wednesdays at 9am or Thursdays at 7pm in the Fincher Family Life Center.  Come and join the club!

3)      Saturday Sack packing this Thursday from 4:30pm till about 6pm.  Come and join the fun.  Bring a friend with you.  All ages are welcome!

4)      Have you signed up yet to be a part of our 40 Days in the Word on Sunday nights starting this Sunday! Signing up is easy.  Just send me an e-mail and you will be signed up.  The activities start this Sunday at 5pm in the sanctuary.   For parents!!!  We have scheduled this campaign to coincide with our youth and children’s activities. Kingdom Kids (Kindergarten though 5^th grade) starts at 5pm and will finish in time to meet us in the Fellowship Hall for snacks.  Our youth activities will start at 6pm and they will join us for snacks at 6:30pm as well with their small groups meeting afterwards.

5)      Pancake Breakfast tickets are available NOW in the church office. Stop by and pick up a pack to sell.  Remember, the proceeds from this pancake breakfast (Saturday, February 25^th 7am till 11am) go toward matching a $5,000 grant for our Saturday Sack ministry.  Tickets are only $6 each.  Let me know how many you would like!

Thought for today: “Bad habits are easier to abandon today than tomorrow”  Jewish Proverb

P.S. Do you need a pick me up today? Stop by and check out the Upper Room daily devotional online

Acts 20

Through Macedonia and Greece

1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia.2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas.6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas

7 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.8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot.14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

22 ”And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

25 ”Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,t which he bought with his own blood.t29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32 ”Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Rogers thoughts about today’s scripture:

I have always been fascinated by this passage about the raising from the dead of this young man who had fallen asleep during Paul’s sermon. (actually I laugh at how the scripture explains the whole situation – as Paul talked on and on!)

We also hear Paul’s final words to the church at Ephesus.  How he believes that he will never see them alive again and how he feels that the Holy Spirit is warning him of capture, torture and death in his future.  However, he also believes that God is calling him to keep moving forward with his message. Powerful stuff!

One last note about this passage – As you may know, Luke the physician, who wrote the gospel of Luke, is also the author of Acts.  In this passage the tone changes as his description of Paul’s travels goes from he did this and this to we went here and here and did this and this.  From 3rd person to 1st person, the descriptions change as Luke shares an eye witness account of these events.

Here are today’s announcements/reminders from your church.  Click Here if you want more details on any of these announcements!

Acts Thru Revelation Bible Reading Plan by Easter – Today’s passage – Acts 18:18 – 19:41 .  Click Here to read it online.  See the comment section for my thoughts on today’s passage and feel free to share your thoughts, questions, or comments as well.

1)      Methodists on the Move – walking clubs – Wednesdays at 9am or Thursdays at 7pm in the Fincher Family Life Center.  Come and join the club!

2)      Saturday Sack packing this Thursday from 4:30pm till about 6pm.  Come and join the fun.  Bring a friend with you.  All ages are welcome!

3)      Have you signed up yet to be a part of our 40 Days in the Word on Sunday nights starting this Sunday!  Be on the lookout for a special e-mail this week.

Thought for today: “Your attitude is either the lock on, or the key to the door of success”  – Denis Waitley

P.S. Do you need a pick me up today? Stop by and check out the Upper Room daily devotional online