Good morning. Paul sent Timothy and one other into
Macedonia, while he stayed in Asia for a while. There arose a great disturbance
concerning the Way (remember that Jesus said I am the Way, the truth, and the
life – no one comes to the Father but through Me). A silversmith who made
shrines of Artemis got people upset because Paul was destroying their business
saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. That was the real reason
he was upset; but he also added that the temple of the great goddess Artemis
would be regarded as worthless. My Bible says that the Temple of Artemis was
one of the seven wonders of the ancient world; so people came from far and wide
to view it – they purchased silver shrines and images, and that was a lucrative
business for the craftsmen. They used the part about Artemis to get the city in
an uproar. Paul wanted to go talk to them, but the disciples would not let him.
After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, men of Ephesus, what man is
there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is Guardian of
the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven
(some believe it was a meteorite)? You have brought these men here who are
neither robbers of temples not blasphemers of our goddess. So if you have a
problem with these men, take them to court; but we are in danger of being
accused of a riot since there is no real reason for it. After saying this he
dismissed the assembly. Father thank You for Pentecost and that power which
indwells us. Help us to spread it wherever we go.
Out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Good morning. Out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (Kind of like Egypt with the grasshoppers). They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, not any green thing, nor any tree (normally these are the things that the locusts would be interested in), but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (most likely the 144,000 - possibly the only believers left on earth). They were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months [My Bible says it is a limited period of time suggested by the lifecycle of the locust.]; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. Add in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. I guess the stings were so painful that they got to the point where they wished they were dead. We will see what the locusts looked like tomorrow. Father just like You will pro...
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