- Covered In His Dust
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- Acts Chapter 16 (part 2)
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME!
👉🏽 Read Chapter 16 HERE before reading my notes. If you don’t, my notes won’t make sense.
You can access previous notes on Acts and Luke HERE.
Grace and peace, Saints! ☀️
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Quick recap of last week.
Paul meets Timothy in Lystra. They travel, strengthening churches and sharing the Jerusalem council’s message: salvation is by grace.
The Holy Spirit forbids them from preaching in Asia and Bithynia.
One night, Paul has a vision—a Macedonian man pleading, “Come help us!” That’s all they need. They set sail immediately, following God’s lead.
Macedonia is in Europe, and as Americans, we’re part of that legacy. The Gospel spread from there through Greece, Rome, and beyond—eventually reaching us. If Paul had gone to Asia instead, history could have looked very different. But God was guiding it all, making sure the message of Jesus would reach the ends of the earth—including us.
Paul’s vision happens in Troas, where Luke joins the team.
God isn’t just giving Paul a new direction—He’s giving him a whole continent.
He’s also giving him a personal physician, who will end up writing more of the New Testament than anyone else. (I had no idea!)
Imagine being on a mission trip with Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy!
So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.
What was Paul’s first move whenever he entered a city? He went to the local synagogue. But in Philippi, there’s no mention of one. 🤔 Instead, they head down to the river.
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
Why no synagogue?
Jewish tradition required at least 10 Jewish men to form a synagogue. If there weren’t enough, the Jews would meet somewhere else to pray. Since Paul finds a group of women gathered, there’s a good chance Philippi didn’t have enough Jewish men to establish a synagogue.
Why the river?
Jews often gathered near flowing water for ceremonial washing before prayer. A mikveh (ritual bath) required “living water”—naturally flowing from a spring, river, or rain collection. Not a lake, pond, or still water.
Remember, Paul was a Rabbi, trained under Gamaliel, one of the most respected Jewish teachers of his time. For a small gathering of Jewish women at the river, having someone like Paul show up must have been a huge deal.
They were probably used to praying and discussing Scripture on their own. Then suddenly, a well-trained Rabbi walks in, sits down, and starts teaching. And not just any teaching—he brings news of the Messiah!
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
Purple goods???
Purple goods were so expensive because making the dye was a long, difficult process.
It came from a rare sea snail found in the Mediterranean. Extracting the dye took a lot of work, and only a tiny amount could be made at a time.
The process involved crushing the snails, letting the dye sit in the sun, and waiting for it to turn the deep purple color. Unlike other dyes, it didn’t fade but actually got richer over time.
Because of this, purple became a symbol of power, worn by kings, emperors, and the wealthy.
That meant Lydia was probably successful and well-connected. Her faith in Jesus would have made an impact in Philippi.
Don’t miss it.
We’ve seen that the Holy Spirit guides as He moves Paul through Macedonia and away from Asia.
We now see the Holy Spirit opens hearts to listen, believe, and follow Jesus.
This
is
a
big
deal.
We all know people who don’t believe—maybe a coworker, someone you met on the bus, or even family.
Pray for them.
"Lord, open their hearts . Soften them to hear Your voice. Remove the blinders that keep them from seeing the truth. Stir their hearts with a hunger for You.
Draw them to You. Help them to listen, believe, and follow Jesus. Give me boldness to share the gospel and the wisdom to speak with love.
I know that no heart is too hard for Your Spirit to reach.”
Maybe the Holy Spirit is speaking to you right now. Stop trying to believe. The Bible doesn’t say, ‘Try to believe.’
It says, "Believe."
Belief isn’t about effort—it’s about trust. It’s about surrendering, letting go of your doubts, and taking God at His word.
Ask Him. “Lord, help my unbelief.” He’s not asking you to muster up faith on your own. He’s inviting you to receive it. ♥️
Right now, in this moment, trust Him. Believe. 🙏🏽
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."
And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Right after believing, Lydia and her whole household were baptized. That says a lot about her influence. Her home became a gathering place for the new church in Philippi.
Lydia is the first recorded Christian convert in Europe. Her faith and hospitality helped lay the foundation for the church in Philippi.
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”
Philippi was a Roman colony, deeply tied to pagan religion and emperor worship. The fact that this slave girl had a spirit of divination shows the city was already under strong spiritual influence.
When Paul casts the demon out, it’s more than just setting her free—it’s a direct confrontation with the forces of darkness in Philippi.
Why does Paul become annoyed? Free advertising, right?
Satan loves to use half-truths to cause confusion. What the girl said was technically true, but because she was tied to demonic activity, it could twist Paul’s message. If people connected his preaching with fortune-telling, it would distort the truth about Jesus.
She might have also been a distraction. Instead of people focusing on Paul’s teaching, they could have been caught up in the spectacle of a possessed girl following him.
Paul didn’t need free advertising from Satan.
And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
I also think Paul cared about the girl, not just the spiritual battle.
The fact that he spoke directly to the demon instead of the girl shows that he saw her as a victim, not the problem.
She wasn’t just an obstacle or an annoyance—she was enslaved in two ways:
Physically, by her owners who exploited her for profit. Spiritually, by the demon that controlled her.
Paul didn’t rebuke her.
He didn’t shame her.
He didn’t argue with her.
Instead, he set her free.
But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.
When I read this, I thought, “I don’t get it. Why would anyone be upset about freeing a slave girl from demonic possession???”
Then it hit me. Follow the money.
Like prostitution or human trafficking, this was about profit. They weren’t just exploiting her physically—they were trafficking her spiritually.
And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”
Notice how they don’t say, “These men freed our slave and cost us money.” Instead, they emphasize their Jewish identity—likely because there was already anti-Jewish sentiment in Philippi. By framing the accusation this way, they stirred up the crowd, making it about outsiders disturbing the city rather than their own financial loss.
And where were Luke and Timothy? They weren’t arrested, probably because they didn’t look Jewish. Luke was a Gentile, and Timothy, though half-Jewish, had a Greek father. Paul and Silas, on the other hand, were visibly Jewish. That made them easy targets.
Romans were expected to honor Roman gods and the emperor. Judaism was tolerated, but preaching Jesus as Lord could be seen as treason, especially in a Roman colony like Philippi, where loyalty to Caesar was everything. If people started following Jesus, they might stop participating in Roman religious practices, which would disrupt the social order.
This whole thing was a smokescreen. It wasn’t about laws—it was about power, money, and keeping outsiders in their place.
Paul’s second missionary journey is getting out of hand. Or is it?
Every step forward seems to trigger backlash. Yet, somehow, the gospel keeps spreading.
It’s almost as if resistance isn’t a sign of failure—it’s proof that God is moving.
Until this study, I had no idea just how deep Acts really is. I don’t think I ever truly knew the Apostle Paul. This book is wild from start to finish.
I can’t get enough.
My son Samuel is getting married next Saturday, so I won’t be writing a full set of notes, but I’m still posting a short, powerful insight into Acts 16. Seriously, you don’t want to miss it.
One Minute Inspiration - we need more men.
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
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George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala and the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 26 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
In 2024, George and his wife expanded to Cuba, joining forces with nine pastors committed to transforming lives through the gospel.