November 15 - Acts 15:22-17:15

Good morning everyone,

As we begin this morning we read that, the first church council meeting ever have agreed that, the Gentiles, while they would do well do abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality, circumcision would not be required.  A letter, written by James, summarizing what was decided in Jerusalem was delivered by Judas and Silas to Paul and Barnabas who were teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord, down in Antioch. 

Some time later, we’re told, Paul feels pressed upon his heart to go back and visit the believers in all the towns that they had previously been to. So he and Silas left Antioch traveling north, stopping at Derbe and then Lystra, Timothy hooked up with them. Then over the top of Asia stopping in Troas where it is reported Luke also joined them. 

Moving on, after a few small stops they found themselves in Philippi where Paul casts a demon out of a female slave who’d been doggin’ them. While that did not bode well for them, what did was, they were blessed to meet there another woman there named Lydia who heard Paul's preaching and she, along with her entire household would be baptized. Very cool right?

When they got to Thessalonica, after Paul had preached in the synagogue some of the  Jews got a little jealous and incited a mob that rushed to Jason’s house looking for Paul and Silas, but they had already left. But these guys couldn’t let it go and followed Paul to Berea where some fellow believers helped him escape to the coast. So much persecution and he is not even halfway through the journey.

Our lives can look like that, wouldn’t you agree? Psalm 104:8, “They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.” We travel the journey from day to day and for a while life is good. There is income, health, everyone is happy, all seems to be falling right into place and the outlook is great from that mountain top. Then …. then there’s the valley where it is a little shadier. Maybe cutbacks at work, or a report from the doctor that is frightening, kids are being are challenging, any number of things. But Ecclesiastes tells us, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.” The hard times are to strengthen us, to ready us for a different, perhaps harder challenge a little farther down the road. He also uses the valleys to allow us experiences that we will be able to use to help someone else in life get through a hard time. Praise God for the challenges while you, like Paul, press on and fight the good fight. Amen?

Have a good day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..