I thank God for another day in His presence and the opportunity to learn at His feet #Inspirationalicing. Permit me to say that God is really dealing with every member of the Scripture Union family in a special way as it relates to our Quiet time.
From today's reading in Acts 20:1-16, I learnt the following lessons:
a. Be ready and willing to share Jesus Christ with the world around you especially in these days of perversion.
b. Do not let your ministry suffer unduly because of your lack of understanding of God’s timing and purposes (Proverbs 22:3). Paul left the indigenes he had prepared to continue with the work at any point his life became threatened. Unfortunately today so many people want to enjoy the ‘praise’, ‘glory’ etc of an office so they don’t prepare others for succession. That is why the church of suffering so much loss – ‘know when to leave’ (Acts 20:1, 3).
c. To balance item (b) above, Paul also knew when not to allow the devil to steal away people joy of salvation. In Acts 20:9 - 12, Paul led by the spirit of God ensured the young man who fell from a three storey building while listening to the sermon was brought back to life. Imagine the discredit the death of this young man could have brought to his ministry in Turkey!
d. Paul was a good plan and never left anything about his ministry to chance. He had plan A, plan B etc. No wonder he was a great success.
e. The reality of Luke 9:26, Matthew 10:32 etc is right before our eyes now more than ever before.
At #Inspirationalicing, I have asked myself several questions concerning the incident in Acts 20:7 – 12:
- Should I blame Paul for preaching a rather lengthy sermon?
- Should blame the people for quietly listening without complaining?
- Can I blame Eutychus for sitting by the window?
- Am I justified to blame Eutychus for sleeping off in course of the sermon?
- Blah blah blah
The truth is that we cannot over look the reality in Romans 8:28. Let God guide you and you will live to be happy ever after. Leaving a legacy in the ministry is what we have been called to; however discipline is the hallmark of accomplishing it.
Paul is a living witness to this fact (Hebrews 12:1)!
From today's reading in Acts 20:1-16, I learnt the following lessons:
a. Be ready and willing to share Jesus Christ with the world around you especially in these days of perversion.
b. Do not let your ministry suffer unduly because of your lack of understanding of God’s timing and purposes (Proverbs 22:3). Paul left the indigenes he had prepared to continue with the work at any point his life became threatened. Unfortunately today so many people want to enjoy the ‘praise’, ‘glory’ etc of an office so they don’t prepare others for succession. That is why the church of suffering so much loss – ‘know when to leave’ (Acts 20:1, 3).
c. To balance item (b) above, Paul also knew when not to allow the devil to steal away people joy of salvation. In Acts 20:9 - 12, Paul led by the spirit of God ensured the young man who fell from a three storey building while listening to the sermon was brought back to life. Imagine the discredit the death of this young man could have brought to his ministry in Turkey!
d. Paul was a good plan and never left anything about his ministry to chance. He had plan A, plan B etc. No wonder he was a great success.
e. The reality of Luke 9:26, Matthew 10:32 etc is right before our eyes now more than ever before.
At #Inspirationalicing, I have asked myself several questions concerning the incident in Acts 20:7 – 12:
- Should I blame Paul for preaching a rather lengthy sermon?
- Should blame the people for quietly listening without complaining?
- Can I blame Eutychus for sitting by the window?
- Am I justified to blame Eutychus for sleeping off in course of the sermon?
- Blah blah blah
The truth is that we cannot over look the reality in Romans 8:28. Let God guide you and you will live to be happy ever after. Leaving a legacy in the ministry is what we have been called to; however discipline is the hallmark of accomplishing it.
Paul is a living witness to this fact (Hebrews 12:1)!
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