Acts one

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Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 8

- This chapter starts by this sentence:

“Saul, for his part, approved of his murder.”

- Saul was a Pharisee and thus was ready to kill religious opponents according to his religion!

- Through the Gospels and Acts, Jewish religious leaders showed they were ready to kill religious opponents!

- Thus we can call them religious extremists!

- We can also call them religious terrorists because they were ready to achieve their ideological goal through violence, assassinations and spreading fear in society through various means!

 

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Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 8

- Saul, though, began to ravage the congregation. He would invade one house after another, dragging out both men and women and turning them over to prison.

- Yes, religious extremists!

- Yes, religious terrorists!

- And in fact, it has been so for so long in human history!

- And always in the name of God!

- And it still happens in some parts of the world!

- And Saul thought he was doing the right thing!

- And he was sincere!

- Of course, it has always been a mixture between religion and politics!

- To defend the interests of a minority!

- To defend their power on others!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?

How does it grow?

Chapter 9

- And the Chapter 9 starts like Chapter 8:

- But Saul, still breathing threat and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that he might bring bound to Jerusalem any whom he found who belonged to The Way, both men and women.

- It was so different from Jesus’ message!

- Yet, Jesus chose him!

- Then he appeared to Saul and put him on the right track!

- And Jesus spoke about him as a “chosen vessel”!

- To bear his name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel!

- “For I will show him plainly how many things he must suffer for my name.”

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 9

- And it was this man and not another one!

- No disciple could have imagined such a situation!

- A bit like in the case of David and Goliath!

- But once again God’s eyes and man’s eyes is so different!

- It is so easy to see through man’s eyes!

- But nothing is impossible for God!

- And in fact, the mission was so big that it was necessary to find someone who would reveal exceptional!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 9

- So Ananias went and entered the house, and he laid his hands on him and said: “Saul, brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road along which you were coming, has sent me so that you may recover sight and be filled with holy spirit.” And immediately, what looked like scales fell from his eyes, and he recovered his sight. He then got up and was baptized, and he ate some food and gained strength.

- Then Saul is baptized and is filled with holy spirit!

- He stayed for some days with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately in the synagogues he began to preach about Jesus, that this one is the Son of God. But all those hearing him were astonished and were saying: “Is this not the man who ravaged those in Jerusalem who call on this name? Did he not come here for the purpose of arresting them and taking them to the chief priests?”

- do you see the word “immediately”?

- The zeal he has had as a Pharisee is now in action to speak about Jesus’ teaching!

- He doesn’t lose any time!

- He fulfills his action all at once!

- He has the right condition of heart and Jesus knew it!

- And everybody is surprised both the disciples and those hearing him!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 9

- But Saul kept on acquiring more and more power and was confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus, as he proved logically that this is the Christ.

- He spends his time teaching!

- He has the condition of heart!

- He receive holy spirit!

- The expression “more and more” indicates the progression!

- The use of “logically” indicates he is not a newcomer!

- But when Jesus used to speak with the Pharisees, they couldn’t do like Saul!

- But Jesus did it!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 9

- Now when many days had passed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him. However, their plot against Saul became known to him. They were also watching the gates closely both day and night in order to do away with him. So his disciples took him and let him down by night through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.

- Have you notice the expression “his disciples”?

- Then connect it to “acquiring more and more power”!

- He does not only teach them but at the same time move them to action and this all at once!

- They are ready to help and save him!

- That’s really incredible!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 9

- So he remained with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He was talking and disputing with the Greek-speaking Jews, but these made attempts to do away with him.

- Speaking boldly!

- Talking and disputing with the Greek-speaking Jews!

- Saul was defending his faith constantly!

- That’s how it grows!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 11

- So he went to Tarsus to make a thorough search for Saul. After he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year they assembled with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians.

- So for a whole year they assembled with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd!

- They are all the time active teaching people!

- The more you speak about the Bible, the more you learned about it!

- And it gets deeper in you!

- And the more you must search and think about!

- There is no way to stop!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 13

- As they were ministering to God and fasting, the holy spirit said: “Set aside for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

- They laid their hands on them and sent them off!

- But before that, Saul has been working hard and teaching many people!

- And his faith could grow and grow!

- His faith was growing according to his activity!

- And he was 100% active!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 13

- When they arrived in Salamis, they began proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews!

- To make it grows, it is necessary to speak about God’s word regularly!

- And the best like Paul daily!

- Then you can measure your progress!

- It is the same as eating and drinking!

- If you don’t do it regularly, you lose contact with spiritual reality!

- The more you read and study and speak and exchange, the more you can visualize it or “touch it” or “feel it”!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 13

- When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they met up with a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus, who was a sorcerer and a false prophet. He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. Calling Barnabas and Saul to him, this man was eager to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is how his name is translated) began opposing them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, also called Paul, becoming filled with holy spirit, looked at him intently and said: “O man full of every sort of fraud and every sort of villainy, you son of the Devil, you enemy of everything righteous, will you not quit distorting the right ways of God? Look! God’s hand is upon you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sunlight for a time.” Instantly a thick mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around trying to find someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, on seeing what had happened, became a believer, for he was astounded at the teaching of God.

- Here we have the clear influence of the holy spirit!

- And in fact, it reminds us of Jesus’ vision to Paul in Damascus!

- There he became blind for some days!

- And in this chapter we are told about hands laid on them and the holy spirit entered in action!

- And Paul speaks and acts in a special way!

- But special efforts had to be done!

- And progress too!

 

[JLG]

Where does it come from?
How does it grow?

Chapter 13

- Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and arrived at Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and returned to Jerusalem. However, they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And going into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they took a seat. After the public reading of the Law and the Prophets, the presiding officers of the synagogue sent word to them, saying: “Men, brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, tell it.” So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand, he said:

- Have you noticed here?

- Paul takes the lead!

- In front of everybody!

- Thus there is a time to listen and read and listen!

- And there is a time to speak and encourage others!

- Progress is also that!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Romans Chapter 1

- First of all, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ concerning all of you, because your faith is talked about throughout the whole world.

- To be talked about through the whole world, it has to be told so people need to tell people about!

- For God, to whom I render sacred service with my spirit in connection with the good news about his Son, is my witness of how without ceasing I always mention you in my prayers, begging that if at all possible I may now at last succeed in coming to you by God’s will. For I am longing to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift to you for you to be made firm; or, rather, that we may have an interchange of encouragement by one another’s faith, both yours and mine.

- To speak about a sacred service implies being conscious of the importance of this service!

- Paul travels all the time to visit the disciples and encourage them constantly!

- Because faith must grow and develop!

- It can’t sleep otherwise it is dead!

- Have you noticed an interchange of encouragement by one another’s faith!

- And Paul adds both yours and mine!

- It can’t be one way otherwise it dies!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

1 Corinthians Chapter 1

- I always thank my God for you in view of the undeserved kindness of God given to you in Christ Jesus; because in everything you have been enriched in him, in full ability to speak and in full knowledge, just as the witness about the Christ has been made firm among you, so that you do not lack in any gift at all, while you are eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

- Our faith is alive when we are ready to speak about it and learn about God and Jesus!

- And the expression “eagely waiting for” indicates a strong desire!

- That’s what our faith needs to be alive!

- Action!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Galatians Chapter 1

- I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from the One who called you with Christ’s undeserved kindness to another sort of good news. Not that there is another good news; but there are certain ones who are causing you trouble and wanting to distort the good news about the Christ.

- Bad news!

- Man learns easily but forgets easily too!

- Or it is easy for man to go to the left or to the right like the Israelites!

- Remember the wolves!

- Looking for sheep!

- And the wolves are not always those we can imagine!

- They are causing you trouble and wanting to distort the good news!

- Think about that!

- Jesus told us about!

- The apostles told us about!

- And Paul told us about!

- And when they were still alive!

- So think about human history!

- How corruption has worked!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Ephesians Chapter 1

- I continue mentioning you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the accurate knowledge of him.

- A spirit of wisdom!

- A spirit of revelation!

- Accurate knowledge!

- To acquire knowledge we need to study carefully the Bible not from time to time!

- To develop a spirit of revelation, we need to look for it by studying and meditating what we learn!

- To get accurate knowledge means searching for it, we need to strive for it, we need to drag it out!

- Nothing is always ready to take!

- Or you can go to a fast food restaurant for that but it is junk food!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Philippians Chapter 1

- I thank my God always when I remember you in every supplication of mine for all of you. I offer each supplication with joy, because of the contribution you have made to the good news from the first day until this moment.

- The contribution you have made!

- It concerns all disciples not a small number!

- It is true for everyone!

- We receive then we give!

- And it must happen continually!

- Not sleeping!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Colossians Chapter 1

- You previously heard about this hope through the message of truth of the good news that has come to you. Just as the good news is bearing fruit and increasing in all the world, so it is also doing among you from the day you heard and accurately knew the undeserved kindness of God in truth.

- Bearing fruit and increasing in all the world!

- Yes, it must grow and develop!

- Being taught implicates teaching!

- No teacher, no student!

- But it must be done accurately!

- That’s why it’s necessary to check by ourselves and not let the others think for us!

- Others can help us and stimulate us but we must do our part!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Paul
Where does it come?
How does it grow?

Thessalonians Chapter 1

- For we know, brothers loved by God, his choosing of you, because the good news we preach did not come to you with speech alone but also with power and with holy spirit and with strong conviction, just as you know what sort of men we became among you for your sakes.

- Speech!

- Power!

- Holy spirit!

- Strong conviction!

- Yes, we need to speak about God’s word!

- Yes, we need to get power by speaking and studying!

- Yes, we need to receive holy spirit if we do our part!

- Yes, we need strong conviction which comes from speaking and studying!

- Yes, Paul invites us to action!