Day 297: Does the Holy Spirit Have You?Acts 19:6-7
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.
Thoughts for Today:In our previous devotion, Paul baptized the men in Ephesus "into the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:5); and we now see, "the Holy Spirit came on them." As Paul has demonstrated, a baptism in the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are inextricably connected. Jesus confirmed this in John 14:26 when He promised, "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name." Jesus also said in John 14:17 regarding the Holy Spirit, "He lives with you, but will be in you." So the question is not, do you have the Holy Spirit (Scripture tells us that all believers in Jesus receive the Holy Spirit when they believe - John 7:37-39, Ephesians 1:13, Galatians 3:2, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Romans 8:9); rather does the Holy Spirit have you? In other words, are we allowing other activities or thoughts to limit the Holy Spirit's influence, working, and power in our life? For example:

* Ephesians 4:30, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the Day of Judgment."

* 1 Thessalonians 5:19, "Do not put out the Spirit's fire."

* Ephesians 5:18 (NLT), "Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you."

It always comes down to a choice, doesn't it? Either follow our own sinful impulses or choose to yield to and follow God ("Instead, be filled with the Spirit."). Psalm 19:14 says, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable to you, O Lord my strength, and my redeemer." What have your thoughts and words been lately?
Questions to Ponder:In our passage today, the men of Ephesus yielded--they allowed Paul to place his hands upon them; as a result, "the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied'. Their choice led to being filled with the Holy Spirit. Have you been feeling a little dry and lifeless lately? Has the Christian life become difficult and tiresome? Is it because you have made some wrong choices? The Holy Spirit of God is in every believer of Jesus without exception, but sin is what separates us from the filling and direction of the Holy Spirit and obedience to God is how the filling of the Holy Spirit is maintained. What choice do you need to make today? Is there a sin separating you from God's power? Confess it today. Repent of it, and ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.

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Day 295: Evidence of the Holy SpiritActs 19:1-2a
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
Thoughts for Today:Paul is on his third missionary trip, which ends with his return to Jerusalem. He passes through what is present day Turkey and stops in Ephesus where he encounters some disciples and asks, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Isn't that an odd question? What could he have seen in their behavior that would have made him wonder whether they had?

Not long ago I attended a Missions luncheon with my wife Sherry and daughter Amanda. Our Missions Team hosts these events regularly to keep the church body informed of the great work that is being done as a result of their financial partnership. Following the presentation, and without any encouragement from me, Amanda, who is seven years old, got up and began clearing tables -- putting food away and throwing out trash.

A few days later, one of the ladies from our church who observed Amanda working that day, told me that Amanda was full of the Holy Spirit and had been blessed with a true servant's heart. One thing I know for sure is how much my daughter loves Jesus. It comes through in what she says, how she looks, and especially in what she does -- like serving. In our passage today, perhaps it wasn't what the disciples in Ephesus were doing that made Paul wonder, but what they weren't doing. If someone were to look at your acts, would they wonder not if you believed, but if you had received the Holy Spirit?
Questions to Ponder:What evidence do you demonstrate of the Holy Spirit's power in your life? What are your acts? The book of the Bible we have been studying is fully entitled "The Acts of the Apostles." In other words, it's what they did after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. There's a big difference between intellectual belief in Christ and genuine faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior, filling you with the Holy Spirit. Would anyone wonder if you had received the Holy Spirit? Want to know more? We'll continue this story with tomorrow's devotional!

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Day 294: A Good Old Fashioned Public DebateActs 18:27b-28
On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Thoughts for Today:Previously, Apollos had just completed "finishing" school under the tutelage of Priscilla and Aquila. With the support and encouragement of the brothers in Ephesus, he pursued his first mission and had now arrived in the province of Achaia. I find interesting the phrase, "he was a great help to those who by grace had believed." It implies that the great need in Achaia at that time was for a teacher (probably because there were many new believers), so the Lord prepared and sent Apollos.

If you remember back to when you first became a Christian, I'm sure you can relate to that incredible hunger and thirst you once felt to just be at church with other Christians, reading and studying the Word. You just couldn't get enough. I'm sure the believers in Achaia were no different, so the Lord brought forth Apollos to not just feed them, but to also come to their defense in the public debates. "Wait a minute," you might say. "A public debate of Christian principles versus Judaism? It seems so intolerant." But is it?

Throughout the Bible we see case after case of the Lord preparing and bringing forth a spokesperson: Moses, Jonah, Elijah, and John the Baptist to name just a few. In the cases of Moses (when confronting Pharaoh) and Elijah (pitted against the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 hundred prophets of Asherah), the Lord communicated His will through spectacular public demonstrations of His power. Although the Lord regularly performs miracles, it is also through words (His Word -- Scripture and the Word -- Jesus) that He chooses to speak to us and to the world. Most of the time, the words of the spokesperson the Lord has chosen are intended to come directly against and in opposition to the teaching of the world, in a very public forum.

We see this in our passage today, when Apollos was not only a great help through his teaching but also as "he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ." Have we, as "modern Christians," bought too much into the current dribble about religious tolerance that we are no longer willing to come out in public debate to defend our beliefs and refute other religions and practices? Perhaps when an antagonist comes out against something as fundamental as the words on our currency, "In God We Trust," rather than silently listening to a one sided presentation, a more public debate is needed so the Christian viewpoint might be more thoroughly voiced and heard. Are there any Apollos' out there?
Questions to Ponder:God raised up Apollos who "vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate." Why are we so afraid to do the same? I believe we (as the body of believers) spend far too much time preaching among one another, when our real mission is to reach and save the world. What do you think? Are you ready for a public debate? Where has God put you as His spokesperson, and how could you start now?

Day 292: Where We Need To Be and Where We're NeeededActs 18:26
He [Apollos] began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
Thoughts for Today:Here we see mentioned again, Priscilla and Aquila who were the friends, confidants, and supporters of Paul. But where do we find them? Were they at home, thinking they already knew everything they needed to know directly from the great teacher himself, Paul -- so why go to church? No, rather they were at the synagogue in the presence of fellow Jews and other believers. That's a really good example for all of us because in the body of believers is where we always need to be.

We know that Priscilla and Aquila were important to the church in Ephesus, yet in our passage today, they humbly take a talented and educated preacher under their wing to share with him the complete story of Jesus. What I also like is how they did so. They didn't speak out against him publicly, embarrassing Apollos and disrupting the assembly. Rather, they quietly invited him to their home. I also like the idea that Apollos was teachable despite the fact that he was described previously as "...a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures... instructed in the way of the Lord... [who] taught about Jesus accurately." I have met many people with fewer credentials than Apollos who are completely unteachable. The willingness to be taught really says a lot about one's heart.
Questions to Ponder:There is a lot of good information we can take from our passage today. Here's what we learned from Priscilla and Aquila:

* We need to be and are called to be in the company of other believers (no matter how much we think we know);

* We're needed by the church, although not always in a public capacity (sometimes it's simply through quiet counseling).

And from Apollos:

* The willingness to speak boldly and accurately about what we do know;

* Regardless of our educational background and training, having enough humility to be teachable.

Which of these examples speaks the most to you? I what area do you need to improve? Will you begin today?

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Day 291: Sharing What You Do KnowActs 18:24-25
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Thoughts for Today:In the Roman Empire, Alexandria was second in importance to only Rome. Over one third of the city's population was Jewish. Known for its cultural and academic pursuits, it had one of the finest libraries in the ancient world with over 500,000 volumes. As a result scholars were attracted from all over the world. Alexandria was the city where famous Greek philosophers and mathematicians such as Euclid Aristarchus and Eratosthenes worked. And it was the city that Apollos was from. Our passage today describes Apollos as:

* A learned man;

* With a thorough knowledge of Scripture;

* Instructed in the ways of the Lord;

* Well spoken and passionate;

* And he taught about Jesus accurately.

What I find particularly interesting about Apollos is, despite his knowledge, training, accuracy, and gift as an orator, he knew only that Jesus was the Messiah. He didn't know anything about the other really important facts of Jesus' life, death or resurrection, yet that didn't stop him from believing and teaching! All too often I find myself wanting to explain to someone everything there is to know about Jesus, when maybe to believe, knowing everything isn't really required at all (I know it wasn't for me). The story of Apollos also gives me great hope, because it tells me that I can still be useful and valuable to the Lord, even if I have some gigantic holes in my knowledge.
Questions to Ponder:Who have you not spoken to about the Lord, or what ministry have you not joined because you felt you were lacking in some way? Do you feel like you have to know everything before you can be useful to God? This is not true. If you believe in and practice what you know God can use you right now? What can you do now to jump into ministry?

Day 290: The Importance of PresenceActs 18:23
After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Thoughts for Today:A few years ago David Packard and Bill Hewlett (yes, the founders of Hewlett Packard), wrote a book titled "The HP Way." In it they coined a phrase, "Management by Walking Around." The principle goes like this: "In interpersonal work environments most of the time you only see what the other person is presenting. Since they know your expectations, they will manage their presentation so as to satisfy you. On the other hand, when you walk around you get to witness what people are actually doing."

Paul was a great example of "Management by Wandering Around" and indeed may have been the original model behind Packard and Hewlett's concept. We find in our passage today that Paul would not just plant a church then hope it grew untended. Instead he knew that each individual church would face multiple challenges, pressures and difficulties. He understood his role as a leader was to be present, ever vigilant, and always strengthening. It is only by attending, watching, and listening that we will truly know what is going on. In our modern world, third party reports, emails, graphs and charts will only let us know when a project is already off course, not before.

This principle not only applies to the workplace and ministry, but also to child rearing and marriage. If you planted a beautiful garden but then walked away and didn't come back for a year, what would you expect to see when you returned? A bunch of dead plants and weeds right? It would be a miracle if you found anything different, yet so many times a job, ministry, child, or spouse is taken for granted, ignored or neglected and then we wonder why and how things got off course. We need to be more like Paul, walk around more, and witness what is actually going on. Personal presence is one of the most important components of effective leadership.
Questions to Ponder:If you were to look at your relationships as a garden, which have you neglected? Is it your marriage, your son or daughter, maybe it's in the workplace where you've stopped trying? It's important to know what's going on with the people in your life, so pick up the phone, go to soccer practice, visit your child's classroom, go shopping with your wife (or play golf with your husband). Invest in your relationships and they will be more rewarding.

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Day 289: Flavor People and Chocolate PeopleActs 18:22
When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
Thoughts for Today:One day when my daughter Natalie was young, we were riding in the car together as she was staring out the window in deep contemplative thought. I asked her what was on her mind, and she told me, "Dad, did you know there are only two kinds of people in the world? There are people who like flavors and people who like chocolate." Beyond the obvious taste bud differences, she proceeded to describe and compare in great detail (all from the perspective of an eleven year old) the personality traits of people who like flavors versus people who prefer chocolate. It was one of my favorite and most memorable discussions.

In our passage today, Paul landed at Caesarea and went up to greet the mother church in Jerusalem, but then soon after left for Antioch. I think from the writing in Acts, as well as other parts of the New Testament, there must have been a certain amount of what I consider to be healthy conflict and differences of opinion on various points and perspectives of the new Christian faith that made staying too long in Jerusalem uncomfortable for Paul. On one hand you have James and Peter expressing their ideas that faith without works is dead, and we must always be sober and vigilant. Then there is Paul pointing out that we are perfected in Christ and the work has already been finished. Both are right, neither is wrong, and as my daughter Natalie pointed out so many years ago, some are flavor people and others just prefer chocolate. These differences are pretty easy to accept as long as we don't expect or force everyone to like what we like or see things the same way we see them.
Questions to Ponder:If we are not careful, it is easy to get so locked into one idea about our faith that we don't just exclude other approaches, but actually begin to think everyone else is wrong. Do you see yourself in that statement? Has someone brought to your attention another point of view that appears in conflict to your beliefs? Could it be that you are both right? Some of us like more structure and absolutes (the chocolate people -- faith without works is dead); others prefer more options and less regiment (flavor people -- the work has already been done). Which are you? Can you see how others can be right as well? It's simply a matter of taste.

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Day 288: I Will... If it is God's Will...Acts 18:21
But as he left, he promised, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus.
Thoughts for Today:Not long ago my wife was going on an all day Christmas shopping excursion to the mall with a friend, so she asked me if I could pick up our daughter from school that day. I told her, "No problem," because even though it was my golf day, I had a morning tee time and should be finished early enough to make the 2:40 pm pick up time (with few exceptions my wife knows not to schedule anything on my golf day). One of the deals I have with my daughter is that I will always be on time, and when it comes to picking her up I am usually there early, waiting for her.

Toward the end of my golf round that day I began watching the time pretty closely, making sure that I would be finished on schedule. Fortunately everything went as planned and as I drove to pick up my daughter I congratulated myself on another fatherly job done well. You can only imagine my dismay when I ran right into a traffic jam. My time cushion then began to evaporate and rather than priding myself on being early I began to calculate just how many minutes late I was going to be.

As I waited in traffic, Scripture verses from James 4:13-15 came to mind, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" I realized that I had failed to add the most important qualifier to any commitment I make, "If it is the Lord's will."

In our passage today, Paul demonstrated his knowledge of who was in charge when he said, "I will come back if it is God's will." He may have wanted to come back to Ephesus, he may have intended to come back, he may even have made plans to come back, however he knew that it would only happen if indeed it was God's will. The traffic jam that day taught my daughter and I a valuable lesson: despite our best laid plans, we must always remain flexible and defer to the Master's plan -- even if we don't understand His purpose. (Just for clarification I was only five minutes late that day, but that didn't stop my daughter from asking why I wasn't waiting for her when she emerged from class.)
Questions to Ponder:It's good to have goals, but what good are goals if we leave God out of them? My daughter learned (and I relearned) that there is no point in making plans as if God doesn't exist, because the future is in His hands not ours, despite our best intentions. I believe we all need to add something to all of our plans and commitments; and that is -- if it is God's will. To what plan, goal or statement do you need to include God as the author of your life?