TOPIC: Be Available
TEXT: Acts 20:1-16(NKJV)
1. After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to [himself,] embraced [them,] and departed to go to Macedonia.
2. Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece
3. and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.
4. And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia — also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
5. These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas.
6. But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
7. Now on the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
8. There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.
9. And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.
10. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing [him] said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.”
11. Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed.
12. And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.
13. Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on foot.
14. And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.
15. We sailed from there, and the next [day] came opposite Chios. The following [day] we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next [day] we came to Miletus.
16. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.
READ ALSO: Kenneth Copeland Devotional 4 August 2020 – Receive His Mercy
STUDY: In the passage we read today, some names are mentioned; these people had been Paul’s companions in his missionary journey (v.4). These men who were travelling with Paul represented churches that he had started in Asia. Paul often sought others to help him in his work. These also can be said of Jesus who called 12 people to be his disciples (Matt.10:1-4).
God also wants to use you for your pastor. He expects you to be available for His use. You can also be useful as a fellow worker with your pastor by assisting him financially to ease his ministerial work; you can be his prayer partner, lifting up his ministry before God. When you pray to God and make yourself available for His work, God will show you the area you can be more useful and helpful to your pastor.
DAILY QUOTE: “You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read.”– John MacArthur
PRAYER: God open my eyes to see the areas where I can be useful and helpful to your church.
Daily Fountain Devotional 4 August 2020 – The Church of Nigeria is the Anglican church in Nigeria. It is the second-largest province in the Anglican Communion, as measured by baptized membership, after the Church of England. It gives its current membership as “over 18 million”, out of a total Nigerian population of over 200 million.