Acts Archives – Sonshine's Journal

June 8, 2014

Proverbs gives us clues on true friendship: Note: there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother; or a friend loves at all times. At the end of this precious letter to the Ephesians we come across this statement: “Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you, so that you too may know about my circumstances, how I am doing.” Digging through Paul’s letters we unearth some points of who he was and lessons we can glean from his life.

Tychicus is mentioned in the book of Acts where Paul identifies him as from Asia Minor. It is here that we meet him as Paul introduces him to us as a friend of Trophimus and together they join Paul and his team. Paul entrusted the collections for the saints in Jerusalem to him along with a group of men who accompanied Paul on his way there which gives us another clue to his character. Paul included him in four of his epistles and he accompanied Paul on his journey from Macedonia to Jerusalem where this collection was given. It appears that he was with Paul when he was in prison in Rome and became the courier of the letters of Colossians and Ephesians, Philemon and perhaps 2Corinthians. As a trusted servant, Paul gave him the task of returning the converted runaway slave Onesimus back to Philemon. In Ephesians 6, Paul describes him as a dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord. He includes the word “minister” in his closing of the letter of Colossians.

Tychicus is a picture of a faithful friend and servant; nothing asked was too hard or cumbersome. “Being ‘faithful’ also means that he was loyal to the Word. He was the ideal man therefore, to send to Colosse at a time when heretics were knocking at the door. He taught the Truth accurately and plainly, as one utterly bound to his high commission.” [Dr. Peter Masters] He was proven trustworthy, reliable, loyal and an encourager. Paul sent him to Crete to minister along with Titus and to Ephesus so Timothy could come to Rome and be with Paul for a season. In other words, Tychicus was ready to stand in wherever needed!

As you read scripture and come across names such as Tychicus, take time to ask who this person was. Study their lives and then ask am I a man/woman such as Tychicus? Do I seek not my own light but only the Light of the World, Jesus Christ? Tychicus is an example of one who learned at the feet of Paul and then was competent to teach others as well. He is the epitome of one who found his strength in the Lord as it says vs 10 “be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.” Are you a Tychicus?

February 27, 2014

Feb 27th Acts 20 “Footprints”

Today we mark the celebration of a precious friend who is now sitting at the feet of Jesus. Her life was marked by a sweetness that only comes from spending time in the Word and serving Jesus moment by moment and she left her footprints in our lives and others with her ministry to the shut ins along with her card ministry to those who celebrated their special days. She lived in one home for many years and served in her home church and community in that time frame as well. As we celebrate today we will hear the words of those who knew her for many years and they will recollect and will share their memories. Acts 20 is like a celebration of memories as Paul who was “always on the go” and lived out of a suitcase was once again leaving. He will leave his footprints where he ministered for several years but God was calling him to Jerusalem even though the Spirit has told him that with that persecution awaits. Our special friend and Paul alike left us “instructions” which included:

Remain steadfast.
Raise up faithful men and women to pass the torch on to others.
Recall memories of sweet fellowship: Paul ministered with humility, tears and trials and therefore we should seek to serve in likewise manner.
Remember your calling: do not consider your life worth just a moment in time but consider that you have a task to finish which is to testify to the good news of God’s grace.
Renew the charge: now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Yes, they were especially saddened by what he had said that they were not going to see him again. Yet they were encouraged that although they would remain in Ephesus and Paul would be “on the go” once again, the ministry would go forward and the book of Revelation reveals to us how that actually took place as the Apostle John recalls their footprints. Twice John noted that they labored steadfastly, endured and did tolerate evil. They even put to the test those who referred to themselves as apostles (but were not), when they discovered that they were false. This was the footprint they left for us…even though later Jesus notes that they had left their first love.

Beloved, whether you live in one place from birth to death or are like Paul, living out of a suitcase always on the go from place to place, you are leaving your footprint in the sands of time. Be encouraged to remain steadfast, enduring to the end that one day you may hear from the Savior: You have been faithful to the end, enter into my joy and my kingdom!

February 3, 2014

Chapter Two: From Heaven to Earth

Today as part of our year’s reading of the NT, Psalms and Proverbs, we begin the study of the book of Acts. Of all of the NT authors, Dr. Luke is by far the most complete as to the life of Christ here on earth from his announcement to his ascension. In Luke we find Christ in the living walking breathing man; in Acts we find Christ’s living active Spirit (Holy Spirit) indwelling each believer. In Luke Jesus presents himself as the suffering servant; in Acts he presents himself through the suffering yet rejoicing servants. In Luke Jesus tell the disciples: You are witnesses and in Acts Jesus tells them you will be my witnesses. Luke covers about 30 yrs of time from the announcement to the ascension of Christ and in Acts about 30 yrs from Jesus’ ascension to Paul’s two year imprisonment in Rome. Thus in just two short books we will cover a span of 60 yrs—for many a person’s lifetime–of what transpired as the church began its ministry. In Luke we walked beginning from Nazareth and ended up in Jerusalem. In Acts we begin in Jerusalem and end up in Rome.

As we begin this journey with Luke there are some notable things of which we need to take notice:

In Luke 24: he, that is Christ, opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures, in Acts 1: he [Christ] presented himself alive with many convincing proofs so they could visualize the scriptures.

In Luke 24: it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, in Acts 1: as proof that this was fulfilled, He was seen by them over a forty-day period

In Luke 24: repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem and in Acts the disciples are anointed with power to accomplish this by being his witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”

In Luke the disciples see the risen Christ; then he vanished out of their sight. In Acts the risen Christ was with them 40 days; then was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.

In Luke “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?” But in contrast, in Acts: they excitedly began to ask him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

No angels are present when Christ reveals himself to the disciples in the upper room but in Acts: suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them. There is a saying that goes like this: You can be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. In Acts we see them gazing heavenward and two men are sent to guide them back to earth. That is perhaps why the two angels reminded them: “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.” Translation: you are to be His witnesses until he returns so why are you wasting time gazing at the clouds? He will be back but the work is still unfinished. Get Busy!

And thus now as His witnesses we are to long for his appearing but until he comes back we are to be busy about the Master’s business. So the question as we begin this week is this: where is our focus—on heaven or the earth where the work must begin and end.