Have we ever said in our daily entries that today’s reading is rich? Well, we’ll say it again! Today’s reading is rich!

Eph 1:13
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,;
The word sealed (Greek “sphragizo”) means we are preserved, fenced in, protected. Once we become a believer, God preserves and protects us. He fences us in. He stamps us with His signet or mark. We are HIS! Wow!

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms..."
Notice the use of the past tense verbs, raised and seated. God sees us in the future tense, as if we are already there!.

Eph 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ever stop to contemplate just what God has prepared for each of us to do? He offers us the job. It’s up to us. Do we take the assignment or allow someone else to be blessed by it? God has given us the spiritual gifts to do these “good works”.
Eph 4:12
to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built upEph 3:10
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
We, the church, the believers are the revelation of the mystery made known to the angels, both Holy angels and evil angels.  It is through us.  What an incredible privilege and awesome responsibility!

Eph 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
This is an amazing promise verse, witnessed by the following verse.
I Jn 5:14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
We can approach our Heavenly Father with confidence! Not in an arrogant way, but with confidence that if we are in His will, He will hear us!

Eph 3:16-20
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,It’s bigger than we can know! Get hold of this part of the passage, “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”
If we imagine that the Holy Spirit that is at work in us is LIGHT. What we do with that light is up to us. We can tap into the LIGHT and use the power as a night light or a flood light.

We could continue this blog entry for several more pages, but will stop here. Read this letter of Paul’s again to the church at Ephesus and be blessed!

Paul writes this letter to the Colossians while he was under house arrest. He has never visited this church and writes this letter to combat some heresies similar to Gnosticism. Gnostics believed that it took special knowledge to be accepted by God and that Jesus alone was not the way to salvation. Paul wrote the letter to clear up their confusion.

Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians
Here is a perfect pattern for intercessory prayer, even for those whom we don’t even know. After all, Paul didn’t know these people personally. The church was founded by one of Paul’s converts.
Pray:
For Knowledge of God’s will
For Spiritual wisdom and understanding
To Please and honor God
To Bear good fruit
For Endurance
To be Filled with God’s strength
For Patience
To Have great joy

When Paul wrote the word "church" he was speaking of the church in its purest form.
Col 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Much false doctrine is taught that sounds attractive because it identifies with basic principles of this world. If we are grounded in God’s word through personal study and sound Bible teaching, and led by the Holy Spirit we will know the truth. We will be able to recognize false doctrine and teaching. There are many human approaches to life’s problems that do not include God.

Paul writes that in the old law, circumcision was a symbol of God’s covenant with man. This was a literal physical act of circumcision. Under the new covenant, we are circumcised figuratively by the infusion of the Holy Spirit. It is a circumcision of the heart. It denotes a change in character.

Paul mentions the worship of angels. Is this why God does not reveal angels very often - we might brag about how important we may feel and loose sight of God?

Col 3:5
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
This verse lays to rest any confusion anyone might have about what idolatry is. Greed would be a quest for power, prestige, position, and possessions, not necessarily just money.

If we put our mind on things above, we will put to death the old ways which may include this list. But Paul goes on to say that we used to walk in these ways, and now we have died to the old nature, we must put away other things as well: “anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language”.

Col 3:12
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Clothe is an action word. We must do this daily. Just as we clothe our body every day, we must clothe ourselves in Christ and all the attributes of a Christian. We must consciously think about being all these things  and start every day promising that we will be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Sometimes it may mean going out of our way to display these qualities.

Col 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Think about a necklace of jewels. The precious sparkling jewels are separated by a jewel of love so that we have a necklace that looks like this:
Compassion***love***kindness***love***humility***love***gentleness*** love***patience***love***

Paul writes about someone named Epaphras, who most likely is a Gentile believer.
Col 4:12b
He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
The Greek word for wrestling means to agonize, with an intense desire for their salvation.
How are all of us as Believers doing with this way of praying? Are we agonizing in our prayers for others' salvation?

In today's reading, Paul warns about the dangers of sailing at that time of year. The Fast was the Day of Atonement, which was commemorated sometime in September or October at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Paul was warning them not to make the voyage. Ships had no compass then. They navigated by the stars or simply followed the coastlands when possible. Overcast weather made sailing almost impossible and very dangerous. Sailing was doubtful in September/October and practically impossible by November, especially made difficult by the storms.

Notice in the readings for today that Paul begins this voyage as a prisoner in chains. Then the sailors listen to him and do what he suggests. He went from being in chains in the hold to advising the captain of the ship what to do. Paul tells them that an angel of God appeared to him during the night...not only appeared to him but stood beside him and spoke to him.

The centurion appears to be very sympathetic toward Paul. Was he beginning to believe Paul?

The ship is wrecked on the island of Malta. Malta was located 60 miles south of Sicily, had excellent harbors and was ideally located for trade. The islanders were from Phoenician ancestry.

Paul healed many people while he was on the island of Malta. We have stated many times that Scripture supports that the apostles (including Paul) were given all the gifts of the Spirit to the max. In this passage there is evidence of a couple of those gifts. The passage also helps us to understand the difference between two similar gifts.

There is a nuance on the words healed and cured. Paul healed the father of Publius. This word means the man was instantly healed and made well. This would be the gift of miracles. When the rest of the sick from the island came to Paul it says he cured them. The word cured means a continuing treatment and slow healing. This would be the gift of healing. Paul quoted Isaiah who also mentions the word "heal". Isaiah is saying that if people will see, hear, understand, and turn, God would heal them, meaning it would be an instant thing.

The Jewish leaders came to see Paul in Rome saying, "...we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect."
They were speaking of the sect, "The Way". Isn't it interesting that even today in Israel, the Jews are talking against the "sect" - the Messianic Jews.  And many today all over the world are so entrenched in traditions of the church that they miss the truth of God's Word.  Then when groups speak the truth against the false traditions of the church, they are labeled a "cult" or sect.

A perfect example of how God turns bad into good is this one. While Paul was under house arrest he wrote the letters of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. Had Paul not been confined, maybe he wouldn’t have written those letters and we wouldn’t have them to read today!

Paul spent a total of five years in chains.

The book of Acts ends abruptly but powerfully and beautifully with Paul giving us a wonderful example of Christian living.
“Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Oh, how we as Believers in Jesus should aspire to preach the kingdom and teach the good news of salvation through Jesus!

Indictments were made against Paul for teaching “The Way” in the temple. It would be a similar situation if someone were to go and teach the New Testament at a Jewish synagogue in Indianapolis.

Paul is given many opportunities to witness as he is brought before many authorities. He takes advantage of these opportunities. Do we as Believers in Jesus take advantage of every opportunity to witness for Him?

When Paul addressed Felix, the governor of Judea, concerning righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was obviously upset and sent Paul away. Hmmm, sounds like Paul was getting dangerously "close to home". Was Felix being convicted? Obviously Felix cared more about getting the bribe than being uncomfortable with Paul's discourses. Isn't it ironic that in order to get the bribe, Felix had to listen to Paul's words. Secular history indicates that it was the Jews who prompted Felix's recall to Rome. Could the Jews have been concerned that Felix was beginning to believe what Paul was saying?

When Paul spoke before King Agrippa, he mentions that he lived as a child in another country. We know from Scripture that Paul was a citizen of Rome. That doesn't mean he was born and lived previously in Rome. He was born in Tarsus located in the Roman province of Cilicia, modern day Turkey. Citizenship outside of Italy was an honor reserved for people who made great contributions to the Empire. So, we may conclude that Paul's parents were people of influence and perhaps even moderate wealth. His father was a Pharisee of pure and unmixed Jewish blood.

Tarsus, the city of Paul's birth combined both Roman and Greek (politics of Rome and Greek culture). It was the seat of a famous university, higher in reputation even that the universities of Athens and Alexandria. Paul spent his childhood here. No doubt he left his home during early adolescence and taken to Jerusalem for his formal education in the most prominent rabbinical schools of the day.  Again, the apostle Paul had some very impressive credentials.

Acts 26:29
Paul replied, "Short time or long-- I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."
Paul was praying for those of us who are reading and listening to this Scripture today. Do you think that Paul had any idea of the millions (or billions) of people who would be influenced by his words???

Some things to ponder:
We are not in literal “chains” like Paul was, but are there some “chains” that bind us from teaching about Jesus? What might some of those “chains” be? How can we break those “chains”?

When Paul reported to the brothers in Jerusalem what God had done through his (Paul’s)ministry, they praised God, not Paul.

These leaders reported to Paul some misconceptions that people had concerning his teaching. Some said that Paul was teaching against Moses, telling them not to circumcise and not to live according to our customs. This is not exactly what Paul was saying. Since he was presenting the gospel to the Gentiles, he was saying to them that it wasn't necessary to go through Judiasm in order to believe in Jesus as Messiah. Paul did not discount the customs of the Jewish way of life. Paul continued to observe the feast days and certain other things, much as the Messianic Jews do today. Paul was willing to compromise on non-essential points but remained firm on essentials.

The Jews seized Paul in the temple. Paul was only teaching against legalism. He was saying "hold on to salvation through Jesus". Those Jews believed that they could earn their place in heaven through strict obedience of the law. Paul taught against legalism and the observance of the laws to be saved. They were upset with Paul because they thought he had brought Greeks into the temple area. Greeks were not allowed there, they were limited to the Court of the Gentiles.

One of the commanders questioned Paul about a revolt. Josephus, an ancient historian, wrote of an Egyptian who led a revolt in Jerusalem in AD 54, then disappeared. The commander may have thought Paul was this man.

When Paul made his defense to the crowd, he spoke in Aramaic, the language of the common people. Paul spoke Greek and Hebrew as well, maybe others. In order for us to minister to people we must speak their language. This applies literally as well as figuratively.

Acts 22:3
"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
This was the same Gamaliel in Acts 5:34. He was the most honored rabbi of the 1st century, an expert on religious law. He passed more traditional rules and laws than any others in the same amount of time than anyone else in Judean history.  Paul certainly had some impressive credentials.

Paul retells the story of his conversion experience. I wonder how many times he told this story! This was the first time Jesus spoke to Paul. It is interesting to note that He spoke to Paul in Aramaic. Paul also relates a second time that Jesus spoke to him, this time in a trance.

Paul was brought on trial before the Sanhedrin.
The Pharisees were the most numerous of the Jewish parties or sects. They were members of the middle class, mostly businessmen (merchants and tradesmen). They taught that the way to God was through obedience to the law. They accepted the entirety of the Old Testament as authoritative. They established and controlled synagogues and exercised great control over the general population, serving as religious authorities over most Jews. Among these were the scribes.

The Sadducees were from the aristocracy, the rich descendants of the high priestly line. They were in charge of the temple and its services. They exercised great political control through the Sanhedrin. They accepted only the Torah (the written law of Moses) and practiced a literal interpretation of the law, stressing strict observance of the law. They denied divine providence, the concept of life after death, and the existence of angels and demons. They were also known as the chief priests and elders.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were the two main groups within Judaism. The Sanhedrin usually tried to maintain a balance of power between them.

The Sanhedrin was the Jewish ruling council composed of both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. It was the highest ruling body and court of justice among the Jewish people. It was headed by the high priest and was granted limited authority over certain religious, civil, and criminal matters. It was composed of 71 members. The Romans left most of the business of governing the Jews to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin even had its own police force. This is the force that arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Romans denied them the power of capital punishment.

Paul very shrewdly pitted the Pharisees against the Sadducees when he brought up that he believed in a resurrection of the dead, which created a huge dispute between the two ruling parties.

Paul also mentions the third time when Jesus appeared to him and encouraged him to take courage. This time Jesus appeared in bodily form and not in a vision or trance.

Acts 23:12
The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
They were really motivated to kill Paul. But they weren’t successful. Does this mean they died of starvation??? Or did they break their vow??? Hmmmm...

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We think we may have corrected the scheduling for the Chronological e-bible study so that you can again receive emails each morning in your inbox.

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