MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20
Scripture: Acts 20:29-33

In Acts 20:29-33, Paul is warning the wolves are coming. He says, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. ‘So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.’” Paul warned the early church about numerous wolves that were coming to draw away disciples after themselves. Does God have a plan for sheep-stealing wolves? Paul was saying the wolves that were coming had one primary motivation. He addressed it in verse 23 when he said, “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.” As long as Paul was in position, the wolves dared not enter. Paul possessed the authority to not only expose the wolves but to deal with the spirit of mammon. Paul tells us he possessed the rod and dispensed the judicial authority as needed. Paul identified wolves as those who speak perverse things and build an audience around their perversion of the Gospel. Dee-as-tref-o is the word that Paul uses, it means ‘to twist or change to create one’s own benefit.’ Paul saw what was coming and he saw the motivation behind it was money and he identified the wolves as mammonite leaders.