ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE APOSTLE PAUL

“But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome” (Acts 23:11 NKJV).

In context, it seemed as if the apostle Paul was in a very discouraging place. He was in chains in the custody of Roman soldiers in a fortress. It looked like his ministry was over. But God came to him and encouraged him. Four things are involved in this encouragement: the presence of God, the precept from God, the praise from God, and the promise from God.

Presence of God – “The Lord stood by him.” Nothing will encourage the people of God more than the presence of God. When Moses was leading the children of Israel and things got bad, he told the Lord that he did not want to go on without His presence (cf. Ex. 33:15). The key to Joseph’ success was the presence of God (cf. Gen. 39:2, 21). When God is with us, we can endure anything. It matters not who stands with us or against us; as long as the Lord stands with us is all that matters. We need to seek His abiding presence in our lives.

Precept from God – “Be of good cheer.” It might seem a bit surprising that encouragement can come from commands. We often think of promises not precepts as encouragers. But God’s commands are given to bless us not burden us. Commandments are avenues of blessing. They may be hard to obey as this one was; being cheerful here really seemed an impossible thing to do. However, when we obey God, He will bless us.

Praise from God – “You have testified for Me in Jerusalem.” When we are in tough circumstances, we tend to think we are failures. But here, the Lord encouraged the apostle Paul by commending his witness in Jerusalem. Be encouraged that God sees our efforts even if the world does not.

Promise from God – “So you must also bear witness at Rome.” This promise had to really encourage the apostle Paul. Being bound in the army fortress would cause him to think his ministry was over. But the Lord encouraged him with the promise of further ministry. We must not let circumstances discourage us about our ministry for God. If God is in it, no circumstances can stop our ministry. God is greater than our circumstances.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Having the answers is not essential to living. What is essential is the sense of God’s presence during dark seasons of questioning!”

Ravi Zacharias (1946 – 2020)

Canadian American Christian Evangelical Minister and Apologist

Word Study

Fellow partakers

In Eph. 3:6 we read, “To be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (NASB).

“Fellow partakers” is the Greek word symmétochos (συμμέτοχος = soom-met'-okh-os). It is made up of two Greek words: “sun” which means with, association, fellowship, and “metochos” which means a partaker or sharer; one who participates with and shares common blessings with another. Thus, the word literally means partaking together with one, a joint partaker of something, a sharing with. It means to share in the possession of something, in this case “the promise in Christ Jesus.” This means that Gentile believers who have entered the New Covenant by faith now share in all the gracious promises of God (except those specifically concerned with the future of Israel as a nation). In the present context the promise refers to the gift of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ as proclaimed in the Gospel.

Did You Know…

An Israelite man was allowed to leave the army before a battle for the following reasons: If he built a new house and had not dedicated it; recently planted a vineyard and did not eaten of its fruit; engaged to a woman but not yet married; if he was afraid (Deut. 20:5-9).

Bible Quiz

What does Solomon say about sin in the Book of Ecclesiastes?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

What was Jeremiah’s initial protest against speaking God’s words? He felt he was too young, only a “youth,” a boy (Jer. 1:6-8).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

Speaking the Message of God - Prefigures the Lord Jesus Christ, sent by the Father to speak His word (cf. John 8:28-29)

"I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him” (Deut. 18:18 NJKV).

Here we have God’s purposeful, covenantal actions in history. He is in control of history. Regarding the Prophet that was to come, God promised that He would put His words in his mouth which He would speak to the people. The Biblical prophet was one who spoke forth a message for God. The Lord Jesus fulfilled this prophecy declaring, “I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things” (John 8:28) And later in John 12:49-50, the Lord Jesus declared “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak” (John 12:49-50).” He was the true Prophet, speaking the Word of God in purity and fullness. And because He was speaking for God, His words held divine authority. To reject the words of the Lord Jesus, was to reject God, and He will not permit such rebellion to go unchallenged (cf. v. 19).

Did You Know – Christian History

George Burkhardt was born on January 17, 1484 in Spalt, near Nurnberg, Germany. He was a German humanist, theologian, and an important figure in the history of the Reformation.

Burkhardt studied at Erfurt and Wittenberg, and was one of the first Masters of Arts to graduate from Wittenberg. Like other humanists of the day, he was known by a name other than his birth name - Spalatin, after the town of his birth. The Prince Elector, Frederick the Wise of Saxony, hired this rising young scholar to tutor his sons. Burkhardt showed so much good sense and scholarship that Frederick made him his secretary and librarian, from which he would advise the Prince and research official records and laws.

With reformation ideas in the air, Burkhardt could not escape its influence. Erasmus had poked fun at the excesses of a corrupt church. When Burkhardt returned to Wittenberg in 1511, Luther had him studying the Bible. He was an advocate of reform from day one. In fact, historians are agreed that the Reformation would probably not have survived without his assistance. As the confidential secretary, councilor, librarian, historian, archivist, and relic-buyer to Frederick, Burkhardt was able to speak favorably on behalf of Luther. Although a staunch Roman Church, Frederick gave cautious support to Luther. One of Burkhardt’s political maneuvers in behalf of Luther, was to convince the Elector to negotiate with the Church to permit the reformer to answer the church’s charges before a German Congress. Thanks to that, Luther survived to carry on the Reformation.

Luther kept Burkhardt posted of his doings, writing him more than 400 letters. Melanchthon also wrote Burkhardt with concerns over the University of Wittenberg, concerns which Burkhardt took up with the Elector. Burkhardt married and wrote books. He continued to work for the Reformation to the end of his life, although his last years were darkened by depression. The end came on January 16, 1545, one day before his sixty-first birthday. The reformers had much reason to be glad for Burkhardt’s assistance. might become an object of reverence. According to tradition, he died at the ripe age of 105 on January 17, 356.

A Little Humor

When the restaurant next to the Church put out a big sign that said, “Open Sundays,” the church reciprocated with its own message: “We are open on Sundays, too.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Jesus Christ! The answer is on everyone’s lips!”