The day with dianne Louise

Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see you are extremely religious in every respect. For I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: To An Unknown God. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it- He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands. Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needs anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and boundaries of where they live. He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each of us. For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'for we are also His offspring.' Being God's offspring...

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and those who worshipped God and in the marketplace every day with those who happens to be there. Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, what is this pseudo-intellectual trying to say?" Acts 17:16-18 We see in Paul a man who, when his spirit is troubled, does something. He went looking to be a part of the answer. Each of us live in cities and towns which are dominated by certain spirits. The king pin in Athens was intellectualism and under it all the foreign deities lived. In endeavouring to find a way in Paul started in the synagogues and the marketplace. It was in the marketplace he found his lead to the intellectuals. The church, the synagogue, had insulated itself and co-existed. God forbid that we insulate ourselves from the world we live in. We are meant to be ligh...

As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul ans Silas off to Berea. On arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. The people here were more open-minded than those in Tessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as e men. But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that God's message had been proclaimed by Paul at Berae, they came there too, agitating and disturbing the crowds. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to go to the sea, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there. Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed. Acts 17:10-15 I once attended a church calls Berea, after this city. The people here had been very open to the gospel and hungry for more, studying the scriptures ...

But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some scoundrels from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason's house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly. When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, and Jason has received them as guests! They are all acting contrary to Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another King-Jesus!" The Jews stirred up the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. So taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them. Acts 17:5-9 Jason and his household are now caught in the Jews jealousy. I notice the phrase: 'but the Jews became jealous,' is frequent throughout the book of Acts. Jealousy is dangerous. Yesterday at church we heard about the effects of jealousy. Social media can incite jealousy. We...

Then Paul and Silas travelled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As usual, Paul went to the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the scriptures, explaining and showing that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah." Then some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a great number of God fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women. Acts 17:1-4 Paul continues to go to the synagogue to speak about Jesus. He gives the Jews the first chance and  God fearing Greeks. The best disciples comes from the Greeks. The Greeks were more liberal in their approach to religion, whereas the Jews were tenaciously fixed in their thinking and ideas. As a Catholic, I was the same. The Lord had to set me free, as He did Saul. We see here the method Paul used: he reasoned form the scriptures, he explained and showing how the M...

When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police saying, "Release those men!" The jailer reported these words to Paul: "The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace." But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without a trail, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now they are going to smuggle us out secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out!" Then the police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So they came and apologised to them, and escorted them out, they urged them to leave town. After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia's house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and departed. Acts 16:35-42 When leaders make descions because of the foment of the crowd they can be caught in serious trouble. This was the case with the magistrates. Two strangers ...

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail was shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains came loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out in a loud voice, "Don't harm yourself because all f us are here.!" Then the jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he escorted them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved- you and your household." Then they spoke the message of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. Acts 16:25-32 The Holy Spirit listens and acts when He sees a crowd of people listening. Here He works a ph...