Tag: Acts 16

The Complaint by Men who devalued the life of a women –

Acts 16:19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities,

The masters reacted violently because of their profit loss. Abortion and pornography are very valuable to providers today. The dollar numbers below do not include the soft porn so prevalent on TV and movies, sex trafficking and abortion services. It is no wonder that the pro-abortion, sex-traffickers and pornography advocates are so protective of their business that devalues human life.

“General pornography stats

  • Every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography on the internet or $97 billion per year.
  • 40 million American people regularly visit porn sites [seems low HL]
  • 35% of all internet downloads are related to pornography
  • 25% of all search engine queries are related to pornography, or about 68 million search queries a day
  • One third of porn viewers are women
  • Search engines get 116,000 queries every day related to child pornography
  • 34% of internet users have experienced unwanted exposure to pornographic content through ads, pop up ads, misdirected links or emails
  • 5 billion emails sent or received every day contain porn
  • Every 39 minutes a new pornography video is being created in the United States

Youth pornography stats

  • Teenagers with frequent exposure to sexual content on TV have a substantially greater likelihood of teenage pregnancy; and the likelihood of teen pregnancy was twice as high when the quantity of sexual content exposure within the viewing episodes was high.
  • A significant relationship also exists among teens between frequent pornography use and feelings of loneliness, including major depression.

Family/Marital pornography stats

  • According to National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families, 2010, 47% of families in the United States reported that pornography is a problem in their home.
  • Pornography use increases the marital infidelity rate by more than 300%.
  • 40 percent of “sex addicts” lose their spouses, 58 percent suffer considerable financial losses, and about a third lose their jobs.
  • 68% of divorce cases involve one party meeting a new paramour over the internet while 56% involve one party having an “obsessive interest” in pornographic websites.” A

How might someone try to justify the response of the slave-girl owners? How do people use the same justification today for devaluing human life?

A- Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/internet-pornography-numbers-significant-threat-society-frenette/

Another source of stats and an accountability site: http://www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats/

 Henry Luke 1/26/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

For other similar posts, click on “Sanctity of Human Life” in Tags below.

Freedom Gained From Slavery –

 Ephesians 4:24 put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

When a person is saved they are truly in the likeness of God and inhabited with the Holy Spirit. The person is free from the penalty of the wrath of God for their sin and free from the power of the dominion of sin.

The USA is currently in period with a wave of men being accused of sexual sins and receiving enormous financial and social penalties. Most have been men with power over women in the work place. This is a high class case of sex trafficking–using power for sex or to share with others for financial rewards. Sex trafficking at all levels is a major problem in the USA, world and Jacksonville. This includes the media that degrade women in their movies, TV, advertisements and the pornography industry. Below is a similar story in Philippi about 49 AD.

Acts 16:16-19..16 It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

The slave-girl was used by her owners to sell her powers of predicting the future. She was very profitable. She recognized that Paul was a servant of God who was proclaiming the way of salvation. This continued for many days. Paul became annoyed probably because he did not want the people of Philippi to interpret her announcement based on their religious beliefs. So Paul said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out at that very moment”.

She gained her freedom from the evil spirit immediately.

How does the situation that the slave girl faced compare to human trafficking? What can we do to deliver those who have been enslaved by human traffickers?

Henry Luke 1/25/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

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Sunday 1/21/2018 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.

Here is a link to “21 Days of Prayer for life–calling Christians to unite, to pray, and to engage for the case of life– http://www.breakpoint.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/FINAL-2018_21-Days-PDF_v1_sm.pdf

Here is a link to the damaging effects of over 60 million abortions in the USA– https://thehlukejourney.com/2015/03/24/abortion-think-you-understand-it/

Henry Luke 1/17/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

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Summary/Application Acts 16:

  1. Paul and Silas set the example for disciples today as they were faithful to proclaim the gospel of Jesus and trust Jesus for the response and their safety.

  2. O God help me to access everything “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” [2 Peter 1:3 CSB]

  3. Be prepared to proclaim the gospel of Jesus when the opportunity is presented no matter the circumstances.

4. Resolved in the New Year and beyond to be obedient to the great commission.

5. The example of Paul suggests disciples today should use all righteous means afforded by our courts and governments to secure our rights under the US constitution.

6. Memory Verse –  Acts 16:25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

Henry Luke 1/15/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

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Paul invoked his rights as a Roman citizen

Acts 16:35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.”

The Roman officials must not have been all that concerned about the actions of Paul and Silas. When the day came they sent word to the jailor to release them “Therefore come out now and go in peace.” However, Paul and Silas were Roman citizens and they invoked their privilege for a trial in vv.36-39. They said they had been beaten in public without a trial and thrown into prison and now you want to send us away secretly. The officials were afraid because of what they had done and came to Paul and Silas and begged them to leave the city.

V.40 records that Paul and Silas left the prison and went to the house of Lydia and encouraged the disciples and departed Philippi. Paul never missed an opportunity to provide encouragement to the disciples. Dr. Henry Morris said in his introduction to Philippians: “It soon became the church that gave the Apostle Paul more personal satisfaction than any of the others, and his epistle reflects his deep love for them. Note, for example, [Philippians 1:3-8; 4:1,15-19], as well as his testimony concerning them in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.

The letter to the Philippians does not reveal any serious problems in the church, in contrast to the problems that had developed in Corinth and Galatia, although there was a certain amount of disharmony that Paul sought to correct before it could develop into something serious [e.g., Philippians 2:2-3; 4:1-3].” A

The example of Paul suggests disciples today should use all righteous means afforded by our courts and governments to secure our rights under the US constitution.

Notes: A- Type any verse, chapter, book, “Introduction to book name” or phase in this link here

Henry Luke 1/14/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

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The Jailer Converted.

Acts 16:31-32.. 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

The jailer ask in v.30 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”   Immediately Paul and Silas responded with the gospel of Jesus to the jailer and his household. Later Paul described the gospel ” 3C Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” A The resurrection of Jesus was witnessed by Peter, the 10 other Apostles and 500 witnesses before His ascension to the right hand of God after 40  days. His resurrection is a settled fact. Click here for nine proofs of the resurrection of Jesus.

An interesting fact in history is that the resurrection of Jesus occurred on the anniversary of Noah’s Ark landing on Mount Ararat after the flood receded. B  This is just one of 100’s of New Testament events that picture or fulfill Old Testament scripture.

Yet knowing all these events are not necessary to be saved. Paul must have said something like; ” 9 if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” C

The jailer and the members of his household responded to the gospel and were saved. At least four evidences of salvation are recorded in vv.33-34; [1] the jailor took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds as evidence of a changed heart, [2] the new disciples were baptized, [3] he fed Paul and Silas and [4] rejoiced greatly.

The gospel of Jesus changed families and households then and changes people today. The government has proven it cannot change people no matter how much money, laws and resources are applied. However, if disciples go and make new disciples, baptize them and teach them a multiplication will occur. When there are enough true disciples to reach critical mass then the culture can be changed and the government will be changed.

Psalm 73:23-25..23 Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me up in glory. 25 Who do I have in heaven but You? And I desire nothing on earth but You.  [You and Your is God, together appears 7 times in this scripture]

Resolved in the New Year and beyond to be obedient to the great commission.

Notes: A- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 5-8; B- click for Source; C- Romans 10:9,13;

Henry Luke 1/13/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

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The opportunity to glorify Jesus –

Acts 16:25  But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

In the midst of very tough circumstances including physical pain from a beating with rods Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. The disciples were not behaving as expected and they were a witness for the power of Jesus. This was characteristic of the early church.

Rodney Stark in “The Rise of Christianity” gives 5 compelling reasons for Christianity increasing to 56.5% of world population by 350 AD in a hostile and non-receptive environment. Including: “The pagans were afraid and deserted their sick and discarded them to die unburied during plagues. The Christians fearless of death cared for their sick and buried their dead and the pagans dead. This care resulted in wide differences in deaths in favor of Christians.” I wonder do disciples today live self-centered or Jesus-centered?

Vv.26-29 records a great earthquake and miraculously the prison doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open and drew his sword and was about to kill himself. He knew that if his prisoners escaped he would pay with his life. But a second miracle occurred because the prisoner’s did not escape and Paul said with a loud voice “we are all here!” don’t harm yourself.

The jailer responded in v.30 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”  All disciples must be ready to answer this question as Peter said “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts a, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”   a–set apart Jesus Christ as Lord and Master in your life! [1 Peter 3:15]  

Be prepared to proclaim the gospel of Jesus when the opportunity is presented no matter the circumstances.

 Henry Luke 1/12/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

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Opportunity to proclaim Jesus Part 2 –

Acts 16:24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The authorities reacted violently to the three charges against Paul and Silas and beat them with rods. [Acts 16:19-22] This was one of times Paul referred to when he said he had been beaten with rods three times in  2 Corinthians 11:25. There is a price to pay for serving Jesus then and today, but it get’s worse for Paul and Silas.

They were thrown into prison to be guarded securely. The jailor took them to the inner prison and fastened there feet in stocks. This was accomplished by spreading the feet apart to inflict pain. The prison was probably a dungeon without any sanitation facilities and the inner prison was at the end of the dungeon.

We would be right to ask how could Jesus use being in prison to His glory? Would Jesus allow them to be killed like James the brother of John [Acts 12:1-2] or perform a miracle and release them like Peter was released [Acts 12:3-11]? Were the new believers praying for them? [Acts 12:12-19] Paul and Silas were human and could have been asking similar questions, but I believe they were not.

I believe they were trusting Jesus for their life and realized that He would receive the glory. I believe they were thinking the thoughts Paul recorded later in the letter to the disciples in Phillipi: ” 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 4:4-7] Paul added that he had learned to be content in what ever circumstance he was in because “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” [Philippians 4:12-13]

O God help me to access everything “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” [2 Peter 1:3 CSB]

Henry Luke 1/9/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

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Opportunity to proclaim Jesus Part 1-

 Acts 16:18  She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

Paul and his missionary team including Silas, Timothy, and Luke were led by the Holy Spirit to the city of Philippi [Acts 16:9-15] and as was their custom they went to the Jews place of prayer and began speaking to the women assembled there. Lydia a worshipper of God was there and listened to the gospel message. Her heart was receptive to the word of God and she believed in Jesus and was baptized. Those in her household also believed and were baptized.

Her newly redeemed heart was opened to offer hospitality for the team to stay in her house. As they continued to proclaim the gospel of Jesus a slave-girl with a spirit of fortune telling kept saying “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” [Acts 16:16-17] As noted in the opening scripture v.18 Paul became annoyed and in the name of Jesus asked the spirit to come out of her and the spirit obeyed.

When her masters realized the loss of their income from the slave they seized Paul and Silas and claimed to the city officials that these men were causing confusion in the city, are Jews and they proclaim a treasonous gospel in a Roman city. [Acts 16:19-21]

The gospel always requires a response; Lydia and her household responded with faith and were saved. The evil spirit recognized and called attention to Paul and Silas as witnesses for Jesus and her masters violently rejected the gospel. This was a recurring process for Paul to go into a city and proclaim the gospel of Jesus and be accepted at first, but then be rejected by a mob and have to leave the city. A

Paul and Silas set the example for disciples today as they were faithful to proclaim the gospel of Jesus and trust Jesus for the response and their safety.

Notes: A- Acts 17:1-15

Henry Luke 1/8/2018

For how to have peace with God click here, how to have peace of God click here, and how to disciple/teach others as described in 2 Timothy 2:2 click here.

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Discipling – make disciples–new believers in Jesus, then baptize them and teach them the commands of Jesus.

Acts 16:4-5..4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily…. 9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 

Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke continued their tour through cities Paul and Barnabas had visited on their first journey. They encouraged the disciples with the result of the meeting in Jerusalem that (1) there were no requirements for gentiles’ salvation beyond faith in Christ; (2) urge gentile converts to avoid certain behaviors involved in idol worship out of respect for their Jewish brothers and sisters who were disciples. A Apparently Paul and Silas delivered these decrees in verbal and written form.

The team now had 4 members to disciple these recent believers in Jesus. Joe White has taught me the power of multiplication in discipling; click on Men At The Cross Multiplication Chart. Note this follows the commands in Matthew 28:19-20.. 19 Go therefore and make disciples * of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” * three step process: make disciples–new believers in Jesus, then baptize them and teach them the commands of Jesus.

In v.9 Paul received a vision from the Holy Spirit to go into Macedonia and immediately the team obeyed v.10. We are not alone in the three step discipling process. We are guided both by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. The Creator of the Universe empowers us and nothing is impossible with Him.

Resolve in 2018 to be involved in all three steps of the discipling process; make disciples–new believers in Jesus, then baptize them and teach them the commands of Jesus.

Henry Luke 1/6/2018

For how to have peace with God click here and then how to have peace of God click here

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