Read the Bible in a Year (20NOV19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, November 20’s Bible reading is Acts 18-20.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, November 21’s Bible reading is Acts 21-23. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

ACTS MOMENT – (20NOV19) “Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock” (Acts 20:26-29).

The Apostle Paul had done a lot of traveling to carry the Gospel wherever the Holy Spirit led. He was now in Ephesus when a riot broke out amongst the ones who felt Paul was endangering their businesses. They were silversmiths who made idols for their god Artemis, but due to the new converts no longer requiring their services, the business owners were losing money. The uproar eventually ended, for the disrupters did not want to be legally charged with rioting. Afterwards, Paul left by boat and after a few stops along the way, he finally arrived in Miletus where he sent word for the elders of the Ephesus church to meet him there. Upon their arrival, Paul gives them a warm farewell because he knew that he would never see them again.

Paul let them know that he had done what was required of him in teaching both the Jews and Gentiles about repentance and having faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit had informed him of the hardships that would be facing him, but his goal was to finish the race despite whatever he would face. Paul encouraged the elders to do the same and to be a good shepherd over their flock because there were going to be wolves who would try to cause the sheep to go astray with their strange doctrines and ideologies. He had taught them all he could so that he would not be found guilty of innocent blood. Paul reminded them of how he worked with his own hands and had not coveted anyone else’s possessions. The elders and Paul prayed before sending him off with tears and embraces, for that would be the last time they would ever meet.  

We as Christians are to tell the world about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that we will not be held accountable for the blood of those we could have witnessed to. The Bible says: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself” (Ezekiel 3:17-19). Those who know the Gospel are responsible for sharing it with others. You do not have to have a certain title or degree, for you have already been assigned the task as a disciple of Christ to share His Word. Too many Christians are waiting on the pastor, evangelist, prophet, apostle, or teacher to do it. Unfortunately, souls are dying daily in their sins. Christians should not wait on those in the 5-fold to do all the work. Everyone in the body of Christ has a work to do for the kingdom. The apostles took the world by storm long before there was a YouTube, Facebook, Google, internet, or cell phone. They gave the message to everyone they met so that souls could be saved even unto death.

We cannot force anyone to accept Christ, but we are responsible for introducing them to Him. Rather they accept Him or not is up to them. Once we have given them the Gospel, the rest is up to the Holy Spirit to do. The Lord just requires for us the plant to seed for He is the one to bring forth the harvest. When was the last time that you shared Jesus with someone? Will God find you faithful when He returns, or will He find that you have innocent blood on your hands? Something to ponder….