In Philippi... Paul freed an annoying slave girl from a spirit of divination... she became useless to her owners... no longer able to tell the future...
Conflict arose... resulting in Paul and his companion receiving a beating... and imprisonment... (Acts 16:16-24)
When released... Paul and those with him had to leave Philippi...
They went to Thessalonica... where Paul preached until the unbelieving Jews became jealous... stirred up a crowd and hunted him down...
Not finding thim... Paul's host was arrested...
Paul and his friends left town under the cover of darkness... (Acts 17:1-10)
In Beroea... Paul successfully influenced many in the synagogue... who tested his words against Scripture... and believed...
But when those unbelievers in Thessalonica heard about it... they came to cause trouble for Paul...
Some Believers escorted Paul out of town... all the way to Athens... (Acts 17:10-15)
In Corinth... Paul's preaching again stirred up some to belief... and some to outrage...
Those outraged united to attack Paul... and haul him into court...
But when the proconsul discovered it was a religious matter... he refused to hear the case... (Acts 18:12-17)
In Ephesus... Paul's preaching was so effective... Demetrius the silversmith and maker of idols... felt his business threatened and stirred up a riot...
It was so volatile... Paul's friends refused to let him enter to speak to those opposed to the Gospel...
After the uproar died down... brought to an end by the town clerk... Paul encouraged the disciples... and left town... again... (Acts 19:23-41)
Spreading of the Gospel... stirs up conflict...
These men who have turned the world upside down...
Acts 17:6 Amp
Affirmation that we live in a world at war... two kingdoms clashing... His... and the enemies...
His ways are not the world's ways... and when His Kingdom comes to those entrenched in the world's way... it feels... as if the world is being turned... upside down...
Have you had your own personal conflict with Him...? has He turned your world upside down...?
Or have you turned someone else's world upside down...? by sharing the good news grace...?
It's inevitable... when the Gospel is preached... effectively...
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own;
but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world,
therefore the world hates you. ..." ---Jesus
John 15:18-19 ESV
Find out more... about His upside down ways... join The Journey...
This week's readings...
Monday Acts 21:1-36
Tuesday Acts 21:37 - 23:11
Wednesday Acts 23:12 - 24:27
Thursday Acts 25:1 - 26:11
Friday Acts 26:12 - 27:38
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