Good morning to all on this glorious spring day. As I write this blog entry, the birds are chirping and the smell is very fresh. Waine and I are in Thomaston but are preparing to go to church in Atlanta. This new minister at Providence is very inspiring and uplifting and we steel away to Atlanta every chance we get. We are so looking forward to this weekend with Freddie, Tracy, Kai and Hailie come up to be with us. Aleron also promises to come up so we will have some of our children and grandchildren about us. Kai has passed to 1st grade so he is growing up. It is so amazing how these kids grow up. Even kids in my practice that started with me are walking and talking. I am so amazed at how a little pea pod can develope into this person that continues to amaze you at every turn.
I am continuing my journey in Acts 20 verses 1-38 "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.
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Now I commit you to God and to the Word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the Words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship." Amen and may the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.
These accounts of Paul's ministry to the Greeks in Asia, Macedonia, Rome and all area outside of Jerusalem and the immediate provinces that Christ preached in were recorded by Luke. Luke is telling us first hand what Paul's ministry was like and the miracles which were performed and the opposition that Paul ran into. Luke also gives us a glimpse into the character of Paul. Remember Paul was both a Roman and Jew. He was a tax collector for the Roman government. He was a learned man and had not faced the oppression Jews suffered at the hands of the Romans. He was very comfortable in the company of both Jews and Gentiles so when we was converted God truly knew what He was doing in selecting Paul. Paul was very familiar with the customs, the ways of thoughts and mannerisms of the people we was sent to minister to. Paul was also at Pentecost and understood 1st hand the Power of the Holy Spirit. He was led by the Holy Spirit in all things and he trusted the Holy Spirit to guide him in this new ministry. He felt the love and power of God through the Holy Spirit. His faith was all that was required to even raise people from the dead. Remember Luke was a physician, so he tells us here that Paul embraced the young man who had fallen three (3) stories and died; this young man recovered and lived. Christ often told His disciples that they could and would do more greater things than He did because of the Holy Spirit--the same Holy Spirit that lives in each Believer now. Paul's heart was heavy because he knew he would not pass their way again. These were young Christians whose faith would be tested--Paul probably reflected on his own faith being tested so he encouraged them to rely on the Holy Spirit and to care for one another in the Love of Jesus the Christ who sacrificed Himself so all of us could LIVE. He admonished these young believers to FINISH THE RACE by bringing others to Christ.
Truer words were never spoken. It is when it is the "darkest" in your life that you should look up and focus on the Cross of Jesus the Christ. Not the winds and waves that may assail you but to keep your eye on the Cross of Jesus. There are many distractions in life; Satan uses all kinds of false tricks to scare us into thinking that God has lost site of us. God never loses site of us. He allows things to happen to us so that we turn from ourselves and look to Him. These testing times are when we should remember, as Paul did that it is our job to finish the race. This is when you get your second wind; you bear down, grit your teeth and proclaim the victory that is in God through Christ. Hallelujah! Victory is ours not because of anything we do but because of the love of Christ which was manifest by His sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary. What ever race you are in today, be encouraged and finish it.
To know God is to love God. To love God is to serve God. To serve God is to love you. Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Stephanie
No comments:
Post a Comment