History Repeats Itself

August 27

(Acts 17:12 NIV) “Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. {13} When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. {14} The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. {15} The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.”

(Acts 13:49-50 NIV) “The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. {50} But the Jews incited the God–fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.”

(Acts 14:1-2 NIV) “At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. {2} But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.” 

(1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 NIV) “You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. {2} We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. {3} For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. {4} On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.”

Wherever Paul preached, some believed and gave their lives to Christ. But there were always those who criticized and threatened. Paul faced opposition in every town, in every conceivable form – and often it became physical. You could always count on pushback. It was inevitable, as history repeated itself over and over again. But Paul would not quit. He was like a pit bull for the gospel. He would not let go. He would not stop talking about Jesus. He would not quit, because he had been called and because everywhere he went, someone got saved. That made it worth the risk and the pain. Is that your philosophy of ministry as a Christian? Will you push through the pushback for the sake of a soul saved? Like Paul, this is our calling. Accept the inevitable opposition and keep speaking the truth in love. Souls are at stake. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Daily Bible Study

August 26

(Acts 17:11 NIV) “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

(1 Cor. 2:12, 14 NIV) "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. {14} The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

(James 1:22 NIV) "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Daily Bible study is a vital tool for the disciple of Jesus. Here are some hints on how to become more like the Bereans. First, find a translation you understand. There are many, and most of them are good. Second, find a reading plan and stick to it. God is a God of order. It makes sense to use an orderly plan for reading the Bible. Third, ask the Holy Spirit to speak through the Scriptures. We need God’s help to understand. Ask God to open your ears and your heart so you can hear what He is saying. Fourth, as you read, ask two questions: what does it say, and what does it say to me? In other words, what did it mean then, and what does it mean to me today? Fifth, be faithful in personal application and obedience. Once we know what God is saying to us, we need to do what the Lord says. Without this last step, the Bible is just words on paper. God wrote it to be far more than that. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Daily Examination

August 25

(Acts 17:11 NIV) “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

(Luke 11:3 NIV) “Give us each day our daily bread.”

(1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV) “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”

The Bereans didn’t read Scripture because they thought it would impress God, or make them look more holy. They examined the Scriptures daily to hear from God. They read seeking truth. They read God’s word every day to verify that what Paul preached was the truth. They spent considerable time diligently studying the word of God. They are a model for us. Many Christians today are long on feelings, but short on knowledge of Scripture. The majority have never read the Bible through. Examining the Scriptures daily is a foreign concept. They may attend church regularly, but seldom open their Bibles outside the church building. In so doing, they miss out on God’s daily bread, and on one of the Lord’s greatest tools for producing noble character. Don’t join them in their negligence. Be different! Get into the word. Be among those who examine the Scriptures on a daily basis. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day   

Eager Beaver Bereans

August 24

(Acts 17:11 NIV) “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness…”

(Matthew 13:23 NIV) “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

(Romans 15:4 NIV) “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Luke describes the Bereans as being of “noble character”. What does that look like? Scripture says the Bereans “received the message with great eagerness.” They eagerly received the gospel that Jesus died for their sin and rose again. They also likely shared that message with enthusiasm. They became gossips for the gospel. Can you imagine a church where all of the gossip pertained to the good news of Jesus, rather than the perceived failings of others? The church’s reputation could change almost overnight. We could become like the Bereans and be thought of as “noble in character”. But it all starts with us receiving the message with eagerness. Believe the good news. Receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you’re tired of the character you’ve become, and would like to become a person of noble character, this is where you start. It’s where the Bereans started. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day