Used by God - Not caused by God

Acts 18:18-23

These verses address Paul leaving Corinth with a couple of Jews that were also tent makers like him.  They set sail for Syria and Paul stopped at Cenchreae where he cut his hair, some say he shaved his head, cut or shaved, it was because of a vow he had made.  Now Cenchreae is a seaport of Corinth on the eastern side of the isthmus. The next port was Ephesus and Paul left his friends and went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.  This group ask Paul to say longer but he told them no, but that he would return if it was God’s will.

So often, what we see as total darkness, like the stoning death of Stephen by the Jews, is used by God, but not caused by God, to expand the gospel.  Philip was one of the seven chosen to serve the people, but upon Steven’s death and Saul’s ravaging the church, the church was scattered and Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed Christ to them.  Much later Philip came to Caesarea and that must have been the beginning of the Church in that area.  We find Paul being sent later to Caesarea in order to escape the Jews from Jerusalem who wanted to kill him, but that was just a short visit on his way to Tarsus. 

Now getting back to the story of Paul in Acts 18:22-23, “When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”

My goal in writing is to look deeper at the things of God, not so much to get knowledge, but to find understanding, to look for application about how to please my Lord.  I am guilty of attending many a Bible study, but walking away with no understanding on how to apply that study to my walk with Christ.  When Paul is talking to the church in Corinth about food offered to idols, he said something that often I forget, “Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” (1 Corinthians 8:1-3 ESV)  A puffed or arrogant person no matter if they are a Christian, is not someone that most want to be around.  But someone who applies the teaching of Christ and His love is flowing out of them, is a blessing to those they come in contact with. 

So what can we learned from these Scriptures?  What seems bad to the bone may be used of God to open a new door for you to show the love of Jesus Christ.  Sometimes God will send you off with dear friends only to guide you away from them to travel on the road of life without them.  That sometimes even when it looks as if the group you are sharing faith with is open, God may have other plans for you, so be careful not to get to a point where you will not move when God says to move. 

In that I do not want to lead anyone away from studying the Scripture, it is a wise person who goes to the Scriptures daily, for in them we find truth and life.  But truth that is not applied to our life is very dangerous.  We find this counsel from the apostle Paul to young Timothy, “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

(2 Timothy 2:14-15 ESV)

Bob Rice