Wedding Song - God Knew That I Needed You

Friday, October 26, 2018

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ACTS ~ Chapters 20


Parts of the Book of Acts reads like a 3rd person narrative. And it is. The Book of Acts is the 2nd part of a 2-park work that begins in the Gospel book of the Evangelist Luke (the 3rd Gospel in the New Covenant), dating around 80-90 A.D. The author is of course Luke, a disciple of Paul – Titus was Luke’s brother.

There are 3 instances in the Book of Acts in which Luke includes himself in his narrative of happenings – today’s chapter is one such instance.

There is also argument as to whether Luke was a doctor of medicine … or a doctor of The Law – I lean towards the 2nd argument, chiefly because Yeshua is The Great Physician and He is to Whom one is pointed for healing. NO WHERE IN SCRIPTURE are Christians TOLD TO SEEK OUT DOCTORS for healing, for ONLY Yeshua can heal what ails us – doctors of medicine may be able to tell us what they think may be wrong with us, but only Yeshua can heal us. And yet there are times – mentioned in the New Covenant – where Yeshua does not immediately heal people in order that the magnificence of Elohei is eventually revealed. The ONLY time physicians are mentioned at all in Scripture is to point to Yeshua as our all in all (Luke 5:31-32; John 5:1-9), and to point out that doctors of medicine are failures when it comes to healing people of anything (Luke 8:43-48). Christians are specifically told to avoid sciences – which are linked with myths and fables (1 Timothy 6:19-21). I do not ... and will not ... argue these points with anyone; I didn't even answer my own sister's hostile arguments when she went at us recently: she and her husband treat doctors like gods - Hubs and I KNOW Who our God IS; and therein lies the difference in how we view doctors; and knowledge.

On a personal note, my husband and I are experiencing that healing delay I mentioned at present even though we trust Elohei 100% and expect His Will for us and our situation. Yes, my husband IS presently in a hospital attended to by medical staff (basically as a precaution for my legal safety IF a NR order is called for), and also to put a name to what ails him so we know what to specifically PRAY FOR. We KNOW Elohei is ultimately in control of the entire situation and circumstantial outcome regardless of the medical staff surrounding him. We know that either Hubs will be healed by Yeshua’s work on Calvary, or … he will have surgery and be a witness in that regard to someone who needs to witness the power of Elohei in Hub’s unpleasant and frustrating ordeal. We do not know why we go through trials and tribulations, we only know that we are never alone, and that Elohei has it ALL under control. We do not try to explain it to others … our friends and fellow Believers do not need an explanation; and Job’s-comforters-mockers and unbelievers won’t hear us anyway. We just rest 100% on the promises and faithfulness of Elohei, brought to fruition through the sacrifices of Yeshua.

And remember while reading this study that when Paul is talking about ‘the Jews’, he is referring to the religiously pious hypocrites that are ethnic Jews and not true Jews in accordance to Elohei’s Chosen Own – Paul himself was a Jew as well as a Gentile (his mother was a Jewess), and the early Church was primarily made up of Jews, with Gentiles being adopted into the Faith through grace extended to them by faith in Yeshua. Paul is not condemning Jews – he is condemning hypocritical religiosity and racial hatred aimed towards himself and the Brethren.

~Val


THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO Acts ~ Chapter 20

When the uproar had ceased, Paul called his disciples to him, said goodbye to them and took leave to go to Macedonia. When he had passed through those parts and had given them much encouraging advice, he went on to Greece. There he stayed 3 months. Then, as he was about to take a ship for Syria, he discovered that the Jews had made a plot against him, and so he decided to return by way of Macedonia. The following were his fellow travelers as far as the province of Asia: Sopater of Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; also Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. These had gone on ahead and waited for us at Troas.

After the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Passover) we set sail from Philippi and came to them at Troas. It took us 5 days to get there and we remained a whole week. On the 1st day of the week, when the disciples had met to break bread, Paul preached to them, since he expected to leave the next day. He continued talking till midnight. There were many lights in the upper room where they were assembled. In the window there sat a young man named Eutychus. As Paul kept on preaching, he sank into a heavy sleep. At last, overcome by sleep, he fell from the 3rd story down to the ground, where he was picked up for dead. Paul hastened down and bent over him and took him in his arms, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, for there is still life in him!” So he went up again, broke bread and ate, after which he conversed with them a long time, even till daybreak, and then he departed. And they took the young man home again, alive, which cheered them greatly.

We went on ahead of Paul, took ship and sailed to Assos, where we were to take him on board. He had planned it that way, as he intended to go that far on foot. When we came to Assos and met him there, we took him aboard and proceeded to Mitylene. And going from there by ship, we arrived on the following day opposite Chios. On the 2nd day we stopped at Samos, then tarried at Trogyllium, and the 3rd day we arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to pass by Ephesus so as not to spend much time in the province of Asia. He wanted to hurry on so that he could, if possible, be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the congregation to come to him. And when they were come to him he spoke to them: “From the first day that I came to the province of Asia, you know how I conducted myself all the time. I served The Lord with all humility and with tears through the trials that came upon me because of the wicked plots of the Jews. I never failed to tell you everything that would be profitable to you, and I taught you in public and from house to house. I preached to Jew and Greek alike about turning back to Elohei and believing in Adonai Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. And now, as you can see, I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled to do so by the Ruach, and I have no idea of what will befall me there. Except this, that in every city I come to, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh tells me chains and afflictions await me. But I am not much concerned about that, nor do I value my life as precious to myself, except that I should like with joy to finish my course, the work that Adonai Yeshua gave me to do, namely, to preach the whole Gospel of the grace of Elohei.

And now I am quite sure that no one of you, among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom of Elohei, will ever see my face again. Therefore I testify before you on this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you. For I never shrank form telling you the whole purpose of Elohim. Keep watch, therefore, over yourselves, and over the whole flock of which the Ruach Ha’Kodesh has made you shepherds, to feed The Church of Elohei which He purchased for Himself with His own blood. Yes, I well know that monstrous wolves will come in among you after my departure, and they will not spare the flock. And from your own number, too, men will rise up and teach false doctrines so as to get disciples to follow them. So I say, be on the watch. And remember the 3 years I continued to admonish every one of you, night and day, even with tears.

And now, brethren, I commit you to Elohim and His gracious Word which can build you up and give you your inheritance among all the saints. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You all know that with my hands I earned enough to care for my own wants and for those who were with me. In all things I have showed you that by working like this we can help those who are weak. And let us remember the words that Adonai Yeshua Himself spoke, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.””

When he had finished his talk, he kneeled with the others and prayed. They all wept a great deal, and they embraced Paul and kissed him. The thing that grieved them most of all, was that he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.




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