The Lord's Will be Done.

Good morning to all on this first Sunday in June. Happy birthday to Hailie Christine Kong who celebrated her 4th birthday yesterday on May 31st. We had the kids last weekend so to say the least from sun up to sundown  it was a feast of hugs, kisses and little ones who started out each day with "GanMa and Poppop are you awake?". I miss them already. Children are what make your lives full and complete. It always motivated me to make memories special not just around holidays but on every occasion I could. Now our children are doing the same for their offspring and to our delight we are always included.

I am continuing my journey in Act, chapter 21 verses 1 - 40 " After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. We sought out the disciples there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles."  When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”  When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples. 

 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly.  The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”

The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them. 

When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,  shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”  (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)  The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers.  The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!” 

As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?” Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.” After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he spoke to them in Aramaic." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

Recently, I have been challenged with the "what ifs" surrounding my practice. The "what ifs" at times can loom so large that it can not only stymie me they can serve to cripple me. When you are bombarded daily of all the things that can go wrong, it can be overwhelming. On the other hand I have also developed a Spiritual skill that I am able to tap into it. I just remind myself that God's will is for my good and not my destruction. God's will is for my prosperity and the prosperity of my family. He has shown me over and over again that His will is being done in my life and that His Will has blessed many through my faithfulness. Then like Elijah, I leave my cave of fear and allow the sunshine of God's love to roll over me. I am at once put at ease and I am able to rebuke Satan in Jesus name. Satan is a liar and the father of confusion. Just like Paul, I recognize when confusion is swirling around me; when that happens you have to stop, drop and roll so that you can have clarity of thought. God is always with us and He is a steadfast God. Unlike us, He never starts something and does not finish it. He is so consistent that we need not worry. He has us in the palm of His hand and all is right with the world. Never be confused will all the noise around you. Listen to the "still small voice of God" and remember that His Will be Done in all circumstances involving those who have claimed the Blood of the Lamb. "Death and Calamity" will pass you. You can rest , rule and abide forever and amen.

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. To know Him is to Love Him. To love Him is to serve Him. To serve Him is to love you.

Stephanie