TIMOTHY

DISAGREEMENTS

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TIMOTHY

Read Acts 15:36-41; 1Timothy 1; 2 Timothy 1:5–7

He came to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. Acts 16:1 NIV

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Many of the believers in Antioch were taking on the responsibility of teaching and preaching, so Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” (Acts 15:36) Barnabas insisted on taking John Mark along, but Paul sharply disagreed because Mark deserted them on the first journey. So Paul chose Silas, while Barnabas continued with Mark and they went their separate ways. God blessed the ministry of all these men.

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It must have been a heartbreaking loss for Paul to break fellowship with his friend, but soon after that, Paul met another man with the gift of encouragement, Timothy. Paul would later say of him, “Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel” (Philippians 2:22)

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Lord, sometimes we are saddened when believers disagree. But You are always faithful to provide the encouragement we need to keep going. Help us to trust in Your perfect provision.

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“For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.”
1 Corinthians 4:17 NKJV

PRAYER

UNEXPECTED ANSWER

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KING HEROD’S PERSECUTION

Read Acts 12:1–24

(King Herod) had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword… So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12:2, 5 NIV

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On the last night before Peter’s trial, the disciples gathered at John Mark’s home to pray for his deliverance. What they did not expect, was that their prayers would be miraculously answered that very night. A young servant girl, Rhoda, came to answer the door, and when she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” (12:14–15)

While they tried to process what was happening, Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. (12:16)

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Lord, I wonder how many times I have prayed without really expecting an answer. It is a comfort to me that You worked this miracle, not because of the strength of their faith, but on the basis of Your Almighty power in answer to earnest prayer.

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…Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. Acts 12:21–23 NIV