When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

Money and power are the motivators behind many earthly schemes. I wonder if the Jews who persecuted Paul were not just concerned about their beliefs that were different from the followers of The Way (Christians)? Could there have also been a loss of revenue to the Synagogues and a potential revolt if too many Jews questioned their authority?

I see money and power systems at work here in our world, as well. People call things crises that are not crises, because they want to take power and control. A few examples in my view (you might see these differently and that is OK) are the race crisis that many promote and the pollution crisis.

In regards to the race crisis, stop promoting the filling out of forms that require you to identify your race if you are in a protected class, but otherwise the color of your skin if you are not. Start promoting what we have in common as people who were created by God in his image, instead highlighting of differences. And focus on bringing people together without blame games.

In regards to global warming, so many dollars have been put into recycling, yet when people track where their recycled products end up, they are not always being recycled. Certain types of energy, solar and battery recharging, is promoted over other types as better for the environment, yet the creation of these batteries and panels may create more pollution than the use of traditional methods like oil and coal.

Are there arguments on both sides? Sure. So why is race identification and solar and rechargeable battery energy so important to many elites? Follow the money and power motives and I believe you will find the answer.

My point is this, world systems will inevitably try to slant things to the favor of a few out of greed and a power-hungry mindset. As Christians we are to take Paul’s example here. We just continue to operate to spread the gospel in a greed and power-hungry world.

In Paul’s day, religious rules drove commerce in many ways. And so threats to the norms or status quo were attacked as bad. But Paul just altered course and kept completing his mission to seek out and bring salvation through Jesus Christ to the lost.

While we are called to take a stand on justice issues as Christian, we are not called to let these issues replace our mission to represent Jesus on earth and to help rescue people from the darkness of sin into the light of his life.

We must be focused on the mission in trials and challenges, not focused on the trials and challenges.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭4‬)

Lord, thank you that I can rise above the earthly systems of sin like greed and power struggles. You have a mission that supersedes these. It involves saving souls for eternity. Count me in on this mission! I will serve no matter the circumstances around me.