The Holy Spirit kept guiding Paul to reach farther
Daily Scripture
Acts 13:2-5, 16:6-10
Acts 13
2 As they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul to the work I have called them to undertake.” 3 After they fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on these two and sent them off.
4 After the Holy Spirit sent them on their way, they went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 In Salamis they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their assistant.
Acts 16
6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the regions of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit kept them from speaking the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they approached the province of Mysia, they tried to enter the province of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let them. 8 Passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas instead. 9 A vision of a man from Macedonia came to Paul during the night. He stood urging Paul, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 Immediately after he saw the vision, we prepared to leave for the province of Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Before leaving Earth, Jesus pictured an ever-growing mission (cf. Acts 1:7-8). Antioch, in Syria, was a large city, with a growing Christian community. But it had to be a launching pad, not a stopping point. The Holy Spirit moved that church to send Paul and Barnabas into the wider world. Later, in some way (Luke didn’t say how), the Holy Spirit limited Paul’s work in Asia Minor. A vivid vision of a man from Macedonia asked Paul to come there, moving the apostle and his team to take the gospel into Europe for the first time.
- The Holy Spirit actively guided the early church’s mission. Sometimes, the Spirit redirected their plans, a reminder that God’s wisdom may differ from our own plans or wishes. How open are you to unexpected changes in your life? Can you think of a time when an interruption or detour led to you to a worthwhile contact or experience? How might you become more attentive to the Spirit’s guidance in your daily decisions?
- There’s a key detail in this reading. In Acts 16:7-8, the writer spoke of Paul and his companions as “they.” But verse 10 said, “WE prepared to leave for the province of Macedonia.” With no great fanfare, Luke told his readers that he had joined Paul’s group in Troas. How did the use of “we” highlight the trust Theophilus (cf. Acts 1:1-2) (and we) can have in the eyewitness quality of Acts? How did the writer’s use of “we” only when it was accurate * underscore the writing’s integrity?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you may not call me to sail to Macedonia. But nearly every day you let me meet someone who doesn’t know you. Keep me as ready to share you in new “territory” as Paul was. Amen.
GPS Insights
Darren Lippe
Darren Lippe serves as a Couples Small Group co-leader & Men's Group Leader, while volunteering in a variety of other capacities at Resurrection. He and his wife, Doris, first met in a Resurrection Single Adult Sunday School class in 1997 and were married in what is now the Student Center. They are empty nesters with 2 college-aged sons, Matthew and Jacob.
As I was considering this week’s theme, I was thinking. Since the Holy Spirit can be a challenging concept to understand, perhaps a metaphor could help our comprehension. All metaphors tend to break down if carried too far, but let’s experiment with the idea of the Holy Spirit being similar to a cell phone service provider. (This has “long day” written all over it–Editor.)
Thanks for calling G-Mobile–God’s Cellular Service Company. My name is Anne Droyd. To whom am I speaking? Mr. Sung? Good morning. Oh, I can call you Sam? Great. What can I do for you?
You’d like to learn more about our Holy Spirit Plan? Well, we’ve been around since the beginning of time when we created the Galaxy S1 model. As a matter of fact, G-Mobile even sponsored the wedding between Adam & Eve–needless to say, the reception was fantastic!
We had a rather simple start, just a Father & Son creating a new market territory. Back then, the Holy Spirit was incredibly powerful, but because many believers thought it required a landline connection, It was somewhat limited. After the Son returned from establishing a new territory, the Holy Spirit Plan was launched to provide a mobile service that believers would realize could be available to anyone/anywhere/anytime.
No Sam, there are never any Roaming Charges. The Holy Spirit’s area of coverage is literally universal. No matter how far we may stray from God’s path, we are never beyond the coverage of the Holy Spirit.
Yes, the Holy Spirit plan is accessible to all mobile platforms–even Apple products. It’s funny that everyone always asks that question.
Of course we offer insurance protection for your phone. We even covered Noah’s phone when he dropped it in the ocean; our tech people say it is still syncing.
No, Sam, the Holy Spirit Plan can never contradict Jesus’ teachings or God’s Word in the Bible. You never have to worry about responding to a text with, “New phone. Who is this?”
Yes, we have all the usual apps:
- GPS: We added this feature at the request of one of our earlier clients, Moses. Our friend, Paul, famously used this app as well during his missionary journeys.
- Calculator: After all, you can’t really go forth & multiply without it, can you?
- Screen Time: With the Holy Spirit Plan, this is the only time you want to be above the average.
Another service of the Holy Spirit Plan is that if you ever find yourself over-extended & in “Low Battery Mode” the Holy Spirit can wirelessly help re-charge/re-energize you regardless of your circumstances. The Holy Spirit Plan can be a real source of motivation when needed.
Yes, Sam, our “Hot Spot” service is automatically installed. You can share your wireless access point with the Holy Spirit to help someone else get connected. This service has no restrictions so you can use it as many times for as many people as you want. It’s surprising just how often the Holy Spirit works through other people to make a connection. As we like to say, “With the Holy Spirit you can always reach out & touch someone.”
Yes, we have the ICE (In Case of Emergency) service. That is actually the Holy Spirit’s most popular feature. When we feel overwhelmed & fearful, the Holy Spirit is always available to provide moments of comfort & peace in the midst of our turmoil.
That’s a good question. Sometimes a client will put the Holy Spirit on “Do Not Disturb” mode. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is very patient & will leave messages to let you know that It was trying to reach you. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will even go through your contact list to try to link up with you that way. But, never fear, the Holy Spirit will always follow up.
Absolutely, it was my pleasure to answer your questions, Sam. So Mr. Sung, if you know someone who is considering G-Mobile’s Holy Spirit Plan I’d tell them this: The Holy Spirit Plan is life-long, it offers unlimited Talk & Text, & even though it came at incredible expense, it is offered free of charge to any believer. Finally, there’s nothing more exhilarating than when the Holy Spirit calls & asks, “Can you hear me now?” Thanks for calling G-Mobile & have a blessed day.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* “The ‘we passages’ are found in Acts 16:10-17, 20:5-15, 21:1-18, and 27:1-28:16. (The events described, when Luke presumably was present, go beyond some of these passages, but the use of we is confined to these verses.)” From Hamilton, Adam, The Call: The Life and Message of the Apostle Paul (p. 100). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.
