9For the look on their faces bears witness against them;
they proclaim their sin like Sodom;
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
For they have brought evil on themselves.
10Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.”
I have to acknowledge that this makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want people to have to eat the fruit of their deeds because I know it will be bad for them.
I am encouraged by the remark “tell the righteous it will be well with them.” Lord, help me know what it is to be righteous in a world where things are confusing. Help me know You well enough that I know what You ask me to do.
25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
I love this description of God. God doesn’t need ANYTHING from us. And, I love how Paul points out His nature: He is a GIVER. He gives life! Breath! EVERYTHING. Everything comes from our giving God. He gives, and gives, and gives. He asks nothing in return. He offers with no strings attached. He is good. ❤️ Praise our good, giving God.
In acts, it’s clear that Paul is speaking to very “religious” people in the most fearful sense of the word. They are so scared of religion and God that they make an alter with the inscription “to an unknown God” because they don’t want to offend any possible God by not giving him/her attention! But Paul shows them that the true God is a personal God in contrast to their scary, impersonal view of God.
Praise God for Paul’s boldness which brought about the eternal saving grace for the three souls listed at the end of the chapter. May we also preach the truth with eager expectation for God to draw His people to Himself.
Acts 17:26 From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.
He has determined. Where I am, where I live is not a surprise to Him. He determined it. He appointed the exact span of my life, the time & place in history I am living. Whatever I face, whatever is taking place in my world at this moment, His purpose for me is to seek HIM, to reach out & find Him. His purpose is not for me to get this degree or job or husband or ‘x’ number of children or work with a certain people group overseas–even with all the opportunities to do so. His purpose is for me to seek HIM. And He promises if we seek Him, He will be found. What joy and peace is found in knowing Jesus!
Jeremiah 29:12-14a: “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD…
Acts is great! But, I would like to hear about Isaiah… I know Isaiah is a prophetic book. Can anyone explain any of this? Is this that we read still to come or something that has already come to pass?
Isaiah was one of the major prophets “during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” Isaiah 1:1. If you read with us during Kings and Chronicles some of these truths he speaks of were current issues and desires for the people – ie. obey rather than sacrifices- and some would be fulfilled in the future. Some say that prophesy is like a mountain range… Some close fulfillment and some yet to come…
v. 25 “nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”
This from Paul’s message stands out to me today, reminding me that God doesn’t need anything from us, yet he sustains us entirely, and all things in this earth. It just reminds me of his great love for us that came first, before we could ever do anything good or bad; and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. What a humbling, and grace-filled reminder for me today.
“For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said..”
He even is using the words of their own philosophers to speak truth to them. Love it. Love acts. So encouraging! If only we had the boldness that this early church had
I didn’t grow up “in the church” and my parents always gave me the liberty to make my own decisions about my faith. When I was saved and decided to follow His path – through understanding his Word and how to let go of my own control over everything – amazing things have happened. At first, it was unknown to me to be in church or to understand the bible, so I can understand how the people perceived Paul’s declarations in Acts 17: 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.”
It took time to learn and understand. I couldn’t go based on hearsay and wanted to do it for myself. Knowledge = power.
Agreed Katrina! Knowledge is power & when we continue to dive into His word, that is where life is revealed! I gain so much wisdom by growing closer to Him! I loved where they made a point up say how everyone in Athens wanted to discuss new thoughts…I just though about the great thinkers such as Socrates & know that’s who they were speaking about!
This is my first time reading through acts. It is awesome how Paul talks to all these groups of people who need the Lord. Paul speaks the gospel simply and compellingly. He gives us a guide and invitation to do the same. The Bible is the best story on earth, it doesn’t need tweaking. I’m sure that people who truly desire more will respond to the gospel.
He is near. He redeems. He judges as calls us to repent.
Knowing He is always with us no matter what when you are a child of God is such a gift. ❤️
❤️
❤️
27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, – Acts 17:27
❤️❤️
10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. – Isaiah 3:10
❤️
“
9For the look on their faces bears witness against them;
they proclaim their sin like Sodom;
they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
For they have brought evil on themselves.
10Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.”
I have to acknowledge that this makes me uncomfortable. I don’t want people to have to eat the fruit of their deeds because I know it will be bad for them.
I am encouraged by the remark “tell the righteous it will be well with them.” Lord, help me know what it is to be righteous in a world where things are confusing. Help me know You well enough that I know what You ask me to do.
25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
I love this description of God. God doesn’t need ANYTHING from us. And, I love how Paul points out His nature: He is a GIVER. He gives life! Breath! EVERYTHING. Everything comes from our giving God. He gives, and gives, and gives. He asks nothing in return. He offers with no strings attached. He is good. ❤️ Praise our good, giving God.
✅
✝️
24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,
In acts, it’s clear that Paul is speaking to very “religious” people in the most fearful sense of the word. They are so scared of religion and God that they make an alter with the inscription “to an unknown God” because they don’t want to offend any possible God by not giving him/her attention! But Paul shows them that the true God is a personal God in contrast to their scary, impersonal view of God.
27that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ -ellie
Praise God for Paul’s boldness which brought about the eternal saving grace for the three souls listed at the end of the chapter. May we also preach the truth with eager expectation for God to draw His people to Himself.
Acts 17:26 From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.
He has determined. Where I am, where I live is not a surprise to Him. He determined it. He appointed the exact span of my life, the time & place in history I am living. Whatever I face, whatever is taking place in my world at this moment, His purpose for me is to seek HIM, to reach out & find Him. His purpose is not for me to get this degree or job or husband or ‘x’ number of children or work with a certain people group overseas–even with all the opportunities to do so. His purpose is for me to seek HIM. And He promises if we seek Him, He will be found. What joy and peace is found in knowing Jesus!
Jeremiah 29:12-14a: “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD…
Amen amen amen!!
❤️❤️❤️
He is so good to all and gives to all!! He knows how much we will miss if we don’t have him. We DO NEED him!!
25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
So true!! We need GOD!! We are not doing a favor to him when we do anything. HE is the creator of all, Lord of All.
Acts is great! But, I would like to hear about Isaiah… I know Isaiah is a prophetic book. Can anyone explain any of this? Is this that we read still to come or something that has already come to pass?
Many of Isaiah’s prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus’ life and ministry. I believe some are yet to be fulfilled as well.
Isaiah was one of the major prophets “during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” Isaiah 1:1. If you read with us during Kings and Chronicles some of these truths he speaks of were current issues and desires for the people – ie. obey rather than sacrifices- and some would be fulfilled in the future. Some say that prophesy is like a mountain range… Some close fulfillment and some yet to come…
So good!
Love this verse…
27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
v. 25 “nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”
This from Paul’s message stands out to me today, reminding me that God doesn’t need anything from us, yet he sustains us entirely, and all things in this earth. It just reminds me of his great love for us that came first, before we could ever do anything good or bad; and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. What a humbling, and grace-filled reminder for me today.
Hello Emily! Thanks for sharing!:)
“For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said..”
He even is using the words of their own philosophers to speak truth to them. Love it. Love acts. So encouraging! If only we had the boldness that this early church had
I didn’t grow up “in the church” and my parents always gave me the liberty to make my own decisions about my faith. When I was saved and decided to follow His path – through understanding his Word and how to let go of my own control over everything – amazing things have happened. At first, it was unknown to me to be in church or to understand the bible, so I can understand how the people perceived Paul’s declarations in Acts 17: 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.”
It took time to learn and understand. I couldn’t go based on hearsay and wanted to do it for myself. Knowledge = power.
Agreed Katrina! Knowledge is power & when we continue to dive into His word, that is where life is revealed! I gain so much wisdom by growing closer to Him! I loved where they made a point up say how everyone in Athens wanted to discuss new thoughts…I just though about the great thinkers such as Socrates & know that’s who they were speaking about!
28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
Just a reminder about who we are in Christ and to go forward today with this truth!
This is my first time reading through acts. It is awesome how Paul talks to all these groups of people who need the Lord. Paul speaks the gospel simply and compellingly. He gives us a guide and invitation to do the same. The Bible is the best story on earth, it doesn’t need tweaking. I’m sure that people who truly desire more will respond to the gospel.
Acts is such an awesome book in the Bible – enjoy! :)