Acts 13-14 - Outline

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

January 24, 2012


 *APR 17 - ACTS 13-14 - CHURCH EXTENSION: SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES*


 *1. 13:2 (13:1-3) CHURCH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. “And as they ministered to
the Lord, and fasted, the Holy :Spirit said, Separate me then :Barnabas and
Saul for the work unto which I have called them” (NNT). Ministry* to You
Father, with fasting prayer and no preconceived ideas: *this* releases Your
Son to build His church through us! In this way we acknowledge You in
Christ as *King* of Your Kingdom. *Hallowed be your :name.*


 *2. 13:12 (13:4-12) RESULTS THROUGH SUPERNATURAL JUDGMENT. “Then the
proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the
teaching of the Lord.” *This was not Paul; this was really *You* Father in
Christ revealing Your displeasure with Elymas. Help us always to see You in
Your apostles and prophets. *Your :kingdom come.*


 *3. 13:19 (13:13-41) PAUL: MAJORS ON THE RESURRECTION. “When he had
destroyed seven nations in Canaan land, he gave them their :land for an
inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years.” *This is bold
preaching! Father, it is Your Spirit in Paul giving him this holy boldness!
Yes, and You give us *all* good things according to Your good pleasure. *Your
:will be done, As in heaven, so on earth.*


 *4. 13:48 (13:42-52) THE GOSPEL: JEWS VERSUS GENTILES. “And as the nations
heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of :God: and as many as
were ordained to eternal life believed.” *All who the Father gives Me shall
come unto Me, Jesus said. Father, we bless You that You have opened our
hearts, and given us to Your Son Jesus, that we might exercise the gift of
repentance and come to You! O forgive us that we fall so short in
understanding, and fail to magnify You as we ought for Your great grace! *Our
:daily :bread Give us this day!*


 *5. 14:3 (14:1-7) ICONIUM: SERIOUS THREATENINGS. “Long time therefore they
tarried there being bold in the Lord, who witnessed unto the word of his
:grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by his :hands.” *The clearer
the message of the Good News of the Kingdom of God, the sooner the
persecution! Is our Gospel so far removed from the apostolic understanding
and proclamation, that it has lost its teeth, Father? *And forgive us our
:debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.*


 *6. 14:14-15 (14:8-18) HEALING: WRONGLY EXALTS APOSTLES. “But when the
apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard it, they rent their own :garments,
and sprang
forth among the crowd, crying out 15 and saying, Men, why do you these things?
We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that
you turn from these :vanities unto a living God, who made the heaven and
the earth and the sea, and that in them are.” *If not through persecution,
then through worship of man would Satan pervert the Gospel. Truth walks the
razor edge of heresy! *And bring us not into temptation!*


 *7. 14:23 (14:19-28) STONING, ORDAINING, REPORTING. “And when they had
appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fastings,
they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.” *Within *months
* following conversion, elders serving as overseers and shepherds were
appointed! How different from today! *But deliver us from the evil one!*


 *NOTE**: 13:38-39 (13:13-41) THE CENTRALITY OF JESUS. “Be it known unto
you therefore, men **and brethren, that through his man is proclaimed unto
you remission of sins: 39 and by him every one that believes is justified
from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of
Moses.” *This is a *clear* word. This word glorified You and Your Son,
Father!


 Acts 13:48 above is for some one of the most difficult verses of the Bible
- while for others it is the most blessed! With my background as first a
Presbyterian and then a Baptist, I have like George Muller tended to the
latter view. *Apprehension of Truth* comes from learning to meditate upon
the Word of God. Our new Outlined Interlinear NT about to come out - will
make this much easier. See some points which God began to show Mr. Muller
while at Teignmouth, England in 1829:


 1. That the word of God alone is our standard of judgment in spiritual
things; that it can be explained *only* by the Holy Spirit; and that in our
day, as well as in former times, *He* is the teacher of His people. The
office of the Holy Spirit I had not experimentally understood before that
time. Indeed, of the office of each of the blessed persons, in what is
commonly called the Trinity, I had no experimental apprehension. I had not
before seen from the Scriptures that the Father chose us before the
foundation of the world; that in Him that wonderful plan of our redemption
originated, and that He also appointed all the means by which it was to be
brought about. Further, that the Son, to save us, had fulfilled the law, to
satisfy its demands, and with it also the holiness of God; that He had
borne the punishment due to our sins, and had thus satisfied the justice of
God. And further, that the Holy Spirit alone can teach us about our state
by nature, show us the need of a Savior, enable us to believe in Christ,
explain to us the Scriptures, help us in preaching, etc. It was my
beginning to understand this latter point in particular, which had a
profound effect on me; for the Lord enabled me to put it to the test of
experience, by laying aside commentaries, and almost every other book, and
simply reading the word of God and studying it. The result of this was,
that the first evening that I shut myself into my room, to give myself to
prayer *and meditation over the Scriptures*, I learned more in a few hours
than I had done during a period of several months previously. *But the
particular difference was, that I received real strength for my soul in
doing so. *I now began to try by the test of the Scriptures the things
which I had learned and seen, and found that only those principles which
stood the test were really of value.


 2. Before this period I had been much opposed to the doctrines of
election, particular redemption, and final persevering grace; so much so
that, a few days after my arrival at Teignmouth I called election a
devilish doctrine. I did not believe that I had brought myself to the Lord,
for that was too manifestly false; but yet I held, that I might have
resisted finally. And further, I knew nothing about the choice of God's
people, and did not believe that the child of God, when once made so, was
safe for ever. In my fleshly mind I had repeatedly said, If once I could
prove that I am a child of God for ever, I might go back into the world for
a year or two, and then return to the Lord, and at last be saved. But now I
was brought to examine these precious truths by the word of God. Being made
willing to have no glory of my own in the conversion of sinners, but to
consider myself merely as an instrument; and being made willing to receive
what the Scriptures said; I went to the Word, reading the New Testament
from the beginning, with a particular reference to these truths. To my
great astonishment I found that the passages which speak decidedly for
election and persevering grace were about four times as many as those which
speak apparently against these truths; and even those few, shortly after,
when I had examined and understood them, served to confirm me in the above
doctrines. As to the effect which my belief in these doctrines had on me, I
am constrained to state, for God's glory, that though I am still
exceedingly weak, and by no means so dead to the lusts of the flesh, and
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, as I might and as I ought to
be; yet, by the grace of God, I have walked more closely with Him since
that period. My life has not been so variable, and I may say that I have
lived much more for God than before. And for this have I been strengthened
by the Lord, in a great measure, through the instrumentality of these
truths. For in the time of temptation, I have been repeatedly led to say:
Should I thus sin? I should only bring misery into my soul for a time, and
dishonor God; from being a son of God for ever, I should have to be brought
back again, though it might be in the way of severe chastisement. Thus, I
say, the electing love of God in Christ (when I have been able to realize
it) has often been the means of *producing holiness, instead of leading me
into sin.* It is only the notional apprehension of such truths, the want of
having them in the heart, while they are in the head, which is dangerous.
(pp. 387-8 from “George Muller of Bristol” by Dr. A.T. Pierson, 1899).


 Our Psalm for the day: *107:42-43 (107:1-43) LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD
SAY SO. “The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its
mouth. 43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them
consider the steadfast love of the LORD” (ESV). *Not unto us, not unto us
belongs praise; but unto *Your Name* does praise belong, Father! For we
forfeit all right to blessing by our rebellion, disobedience and hard
heart; but in Your grace You deliver us when we repent and call on Your
Name. *Hallowed be your :name!*



 *TO SUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *TO UNSUBSCRIBE - Please Email: mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org*


 *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES - Web:http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/attachments/20120124/f15cce93/attachment.htm>