Turn on the news tonight and there is a good chance that you will see a violent mob kicking and beating an innocent victim. Where is God when this kind of violence breaks out in chaos? The first century account of the Apostle Pauls arrest in the Temple begins to give us some answers.

If everything is relative, as we often hear, then why do we still get teary eyed when an army captain is given the medal of honor for risking his life for his comrades and for his mission? If everything is relative, then the soldier who runs away is just as honorable as the one who stays to fight and protect. Deep inside we all know there is a difference; therefore, there are causes worth dying for and the Apostle Paul had a cause even greater than keeping our military oath. What was his mission worth dying for?

Whether its the last words a mom tells her kids before sending them away to camp or the last words a grandfather shares with his family on his death bed, all of us know that when its one's final address, it's time to pay attention. We must pay attention this week to the Apostle Paul's final words to the Ephesian elders because the life of our churches depends upon our obedience to what he says.

Ever hear someone say, "Those traveling evangelists are in it just for the money?" 0r "How about a church that has a teen fall from an unbarred three story window because the preacher spoke for hours and hours?" Shouldn't the long winded preacher get sued?

Religious power plays, mob violence, and crowd control -sounds like the headlines from the streets of Cairo, yet this is what the Apostle Paul encountered when he strongly explained on the streets of Ephesus how the Jewish Scriptures predicted that the Messiah would die and then rise again. Just how did Paul calm an angry mob and advance the Gospel?

"Angels and demons"—put these two words together in a title, tell a riveting story about religious conspiracies, murder, and the power of a good chase, and you've got a best seller. Many of you know how Dan Brown weaves a good story, but have you listened to a more powerful story that God tells about true and false exorcists? Acts 19 tells the truth about apostles and demons.

Ever get discouraged when people don't buy into what you are trying to get across about Jesus? Ever wonder why you don't get the same results as the high profile, media preachers who seem to be always smiling and successful? Maybe it’s time to take a look at real history in the book of Acts. When Paul came to Corinth, he wasn't exactly smiling or motivated.

Ever been asked if you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit? How do you respond? How should you respond? Acts 19 tells the strange case of the twelve disciples who had been baptized but didn't know Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Listen to this week's Truth Encounter for some answers about belief, baptism, and the Holy Spirit.

You're sitting in church listening to one of the most powerful, eloquent messages you have ever heard -— captivating, passionate, and rooted in the Bible. Everything is great but one thing -— the message is incomplete. You're only a business person. What should you do about a gifted preacher with an incomplete message?

Heard some messages about Ramadan on the news? There's a good chance that some of your neighbors are keeping this important fast. If we believe in Jesus, how should we respond to the fact that America has an increasing number of Moslems? Anger, fear, or an opportunity to get into conversations where we can help others hear and understand the truth about Jesus? Learn how to know when we must stand against religious tradition because it contradicts the Gospel, and when we can enter into a tradition and use it to promote the Gospel.