And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. (Acts 21:15)

Paul and his companions were on their way to Jerusalem. They had traveled a long way, mostly across the Mediterranean Sea. Now they were on the last part of their journey, going from Caesarea on the coast inland toward Jerusalem.

Luke traveled with Paul, indicated by using we in this sentence. In writing about this part of the trip, Luke said something small, yet in my mind, significant. He noted, we packed. This is noticeable because this was the end of a long journey, yet Luke never before stated that they packed. They sailed from Miletus to Cos, from Cos to Rhodes, from Rhodes to Patara, from Patara to Tyre, Tyre to Ptolemais, and then finally from Ptolemais to Caesarea. They packed and unpacked at each step along the way, but Luke never mentioned it. Only here he did, as they prepared to leave Caesarea and go to Jerusalem.

This makes me think that this was the first time Luke visited Jerusalem, and like any follower of Jesus, he was excited. He knew this was the famous City of David, the location of the great temple, and the place where Jesus taught, did miracles, died, rose again, and ascended to heaven. Luke thought that every detail of this last part of their long journey was exciting, and like an excited tourist, he even mentioned, we packed.

There are a few other things to consider about we packed and went.

It shows us that God loves order and packing merely is ordering what we have in preparation for travel. God is a God of order and planning, and our desire to have things in order reflects His image in us. We should never make idols of order and organization, but it is essential to be mindful of them because God is full of order and organization.

It shows us that it is wise to prepare for where we are going. Paul, Luke, and the others traveling with them knew that packing would help them be ready for their travel to Jerusalem and their time there. Therefore, they took the foresight to get prepared by carefully packing. The same principle is true for us. We all have an appointment with the future. This is true for the near future, and it is wise for us to prepare for what lies ahead in this life.

It is even more valid for our eternal future. Each of us has an appointment with eternity, one that no one escapes. It would be best if you did your packing for that journey. Give your attention to eternal things right now.

That means:

– Attention to God’s word, which is eternal.
– Attention to people, who are eternal.
– Attention to giving, the sending of treasure ahead to heaven.

Before you go up to the New Jerusalem, make sure you’ve packed and prepared for the trip. Are you ready for travel?

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. (Acts 19:11-12)

Acts 19 tells the story of the amazing work God did in Ephesus, and in the whole region that surrounded that great city. It was a remarkable work of the Holy Spirit, deeply rooted in the word of God, and through the hands of God’s willing servants.

Another part of the amazing work done in Ephesus is described in Acts 19:11: God worked unusual miracles. I suppose that every miracle is unusual, but Luke explained that even for miracles, these were unusual. Luke then gave an example: that Paul’s handkerchiefs (literally, “sweat-bands”) or aprons could be laid on a person even without Paul present, and that person was healed or delivered from demonic possession.

It was unusual for God to use handkerchiefs or aprons in such a way. These were probably part of what Paul wore when he did his leatherworking as he provided for himself and others in Ephesus. These handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick. We don’t really know how this worked, other than the same way that the shadow of Peter (Acts 5:15) or the hem of Jesus’ garment (Matthew 14:36) might heal – these items became a point of contact by which a person released faith in Jesus as their healer.

We can imagine this happening at first almost by accident – perhaps a person in need of healing took a handkerchief from Paul in a superstitious manner and was healed. But it became a pattern that other people imitated. As we will see, the superstitious practice of magic and sorcery was prevalent in Ephesus. So, it should not surprise us that some took a quite superstitious view of the miracles done through Paul.

God will stoop down to meet us even in our crude superstitions. This never means that God is pleased with our superstition, but that in His mercy He may overlook them to meet a need. Many years ago, I remember seeing what looked to be loosely rolled up newspapers on a pulpit in Bulgaria. I was told they were pieces of fabric (wrapped in newspapers) that the pastor prayed over, and they were taken home to sick people. This was a common practice in these Bulgarian churches.

To take the phrase literally, these were miracles not of the ordinary kind. This means that we should not expect that God would regularly use methods like this to bring healing. And, it’s not like Paul possessed some power to do these things. It does not say that Paul did these unusual miracles, but that God worked them by the hands of Paul.

Here is a glorious truth: God works both in the ordinary and the unusual. Test all things, but don’t despise the ordinary, and don’t reject the unusual. Jesus is big enough to work in both!

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. (Acts 17:11-12)

As Paul traveled through the area that we know today as Greece, he went from city to city, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. In Berea, he followed his familiar strategy, and found that the audience was more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica.

Two things earned this compliment for the Bereans: first, they received the word with all readiness. Second, they searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

The Bereans heard the teaching of the most famous apostle and theologian of the early church, and the human author of at least 13 New Testament books. Yet, they searched the Scriptures when Paul taught, to see if his teaching was truly Biblical. They would not accept Paul’s teaching without checking for themselves, so they could know if these things were so.

When the Bereans heard Paul teach, their settled reaction wasn’t “My, he’s a fine speaker.” It wasn’t “I don’t like the way he talks.” It wasn’t “What a funny preacher.” Instead, the Bereans wanted to know, “Are these things…so? Does this man teach the truth? We must search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so.”

Their research was not casual; it had a certain character.

– They searched the Scriptures. It was worth it to them to work hard at it, and investigate what the word of God said, and how Paul’s teaching matched up with it.

– They also searched the Scriptures daily to find out. It wasn’t a one-time, quick look. They made it a point of diligent, extended study.

– Also, they searched the Scriptures daily to find out. They believed they could understand and find out truth from the Bible. For them, the Bible was not just a pretty book of poetry or mystery or nice spiritual inspiration for thoughts-for-the-day. It was a book of truth, and that truth was there to find out.

But with all their diligent searching and concern for the truth, the Bereans did not become skeptics. They also received the word with all readiness. When Paul preached, they had open hearts; but also clear heads. Many people have clear heads but closed hearts, and never receive the word with all readiness. It was bothof these things that made the Bereans more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica.

Paul had nothing to fear by the diligent searching of the Scriptures by the Bereans. If they were really seeking God and His word, they would find out that what Paul preached was true. This is exactly what happened among the Bereans, and therefore many of them believed.

Be like the Bereans. Search the Bible. Search it daily. Search it to find out God’s truth.

Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14:19-20)

Paul and Barnabas went from city to city in the Roman province of Asia Minor, in what is today modern-day Turkey. They preached the good news of Jesus Christ, and when people responded they started congregations. Along the way, they face a lot of opposition. In fact, there was an angry group of Jewish people from Antioch and Iconium who started following Paul hoping to stop him and his companions.

When they came to the city of Lystra, some of these persecuting Jews from Antioch and Iconium traveled more than one hundred miles just to make Paul miserable. They were dedicated adversaries of Paul.

When these opponents came to Lystra, they persuaded the multitudes that Paul was a bad man deserving of severe punishment. They pushed the people of Lystra against Paul and Barnabas and provoked the stoning of Paul. This was obviously an attempt to execute Paul and Barnabas – with the rocks being thrown by the same people In Lystra who wanted to worship them shortly before.

This is a dramatic demonstration of how fickle a crowd can be. Their desire to honor Paul and Barnabas as gods did not last long. This also shows us that it is dangerous for any spiritual leader to cultivate or allow a kind of hero-worship. The same people who give this honor will feel terribly betrayed when the leader is shown to be human.

Prompted by the mob from Antioch and Iconium, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city. Yet,when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up. Paul was miraculously preserved here. But notice what Paul did when he was revived: he rose up and went into the city. Paul did not flee from the city that stoned him. Instead, he immediately went back into it.

This was the courage of a man who would not quit. Paul was determined to keep going as long as God gave him strength. He had the attitude that some later Christians displayed to their persecutors: “You can kill us, but you can’t hurt us.”

The story of Paul begins in Acts when he took part in the stoning of the first Christian martyr – Stephen (Acts 7:58-8:1). As the stone flew at him in Lystra, Paul must have remembered this. He knew that Stephen went to heaven, but when Paul didn’t, then he knew he had more work to do. He would not quit until God stopped him.

You probably won’t face the same persecution that Paul did, but you can have the same commitment to Jesus – and by God’s grace, the same “can’t quit” spirit. Ask God for this today.

Dear Reader: Once again, a foundation has generously pledged a matching funds grant to Enduring Word this summer. Your generosity counts for double, and helps us with all our work, especially translating my commentary into many languages. To partner with us in this special opportunity, click here.

Now when he [Herod] had arrested him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him…. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church…. [Peter was] sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers. (Acts 12:4-6)

The first of the apostles had just been martyred – James, who was one of the closest companions of Jesus; one of the three: Peter, James, and John. Yet Herod, after killing James, was not satisfied. He saw his approval ratings going up in the opinion polls, and thought they might go up even more if he killed Peter. So, Peter was kept in prison.

Herod was nobody’s fool – he knew that the apostles were famous for mysterious jail escapes. Acts 5:17-21 is a good example of one: Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him…. and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out…). So, Herod took no chances – he gave four squads of soldiers the job to guard Peter. Herod also chained Peter between two soldiers. Normally, a maximum-security prisoner would be chained to one solider.

So, Herod had his soldiers and his prisons; but the church had the power of prayer. The outcome would be decided easily. The prison was shut up securely. But when every other gate is shut and locked, the gate to heaven is wide open. The church took advantage of that open gate through their earnest prayers.

Most remarkably, Peter showed no signs of anxiety; he was able to sleep soundly on what seemed to be the last night before his execution. Peter could do this because he had something stronger than the best gates, guards, and chains – Peter had the promise of God. In John 21:18, Jesus had told Peter about his death: When you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.

Peter could reason like this: “Jesus promised me that I would not die for Him until I am old. It has only been a few years since He said that, and I am not really old yet. So this is not my time. I may as well get a good night’s sleep.” The power of the God he trusted was greater than all of Herod’s power.

When we have a genuine trust in God’s promises, it brings a peace that passes understanding in our lives. Are you stressed? Worried? Filled with anxiety about things?

Then get your eyes off your circumstances and fix your eyes on the promises God has made. Then you can be peaceful enough to sleep in even the most desperate times!

Remember, God gives His beloved sleep (Psalm 127:2).