The Party is Over

Acts 21
And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of
the Lord be done.    Acts 21:14


LET IT GLOW

Have you ever hosted a great party where your guests enjoyed themselves?
What a good feeling to have afterwards. Then came the clean up. Did your
attitude remain the same during the task? I see that smile. I admit my attitude
was not always what it should have been during clean-up. If you can call
Paul's experiences on his missionary journeys a party, with hardships and
beatings, it was coming to an end. Let's see what happened.

Toward the end of his third missionary journey, Paul stopped at a few cities
where small believing churches were located. Paul spent seven days at Tyre,
where he was warned about the trials he was to face. There he was
discouraged from going to Jerusalem.
Paul had purposed in his spirit, felt compelled to go, and was told by the
Lord that he would be Christ's witness before the Gentiles, kings, and Jews,
suffering for His name's sake. (Acts 9:15; 19:21; 20:22)
In verse 13, Paul said he was not only ready to be bound, but also to die at
Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. What spunk!
Then the believers realized Paul would not be persuaded. They stopped
trying and said,"The will of the Lord be done."

Should this be the response of every family and friend who may oppose the
person who senses the call of God? The will of the Lord be done. Sad to say,
often times it is not. How many people are discouraged from doing His
will? I know personally how difficult it is to follow God's will whenever your
family opposes. That's when your faith is tested. Our Lord requires us to put
Him first. Then everything falls into place. Attitudes can change.

That was 30 years ago. What about now? Am I willing to forsake all and
follow my Lord's leading? Can I say,"The will of the Lord be done", even
when it is difficult or there is opposition? Am I willing to say the same thing
for family or friends?


LET IT GROW

Charles Swindoll states in his book Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit :

Paul is back in Jerusalem. The visit began in a spirit of delightful joy. Paul
greeted the brethren as they welcomed him back, and they glorified God
together for "things which God had done among the Gentiles through his
ministry." (verse 19)
(Then after seven days, verse 27 happens.)

The party was over. Paul's enemies from Asia had followed him all the way
back to Jerusalem. After seeing him in the temple, they decided they had
endured enough of his menacing presence. They devised a murderous plot to
rid themselves of Paul once and for all.


The crowd is addressed by this group in verses 28-29, hoping for a stoning
of Paul. The crowd gets out of control. Paul is taken out of the temple. A
Centurion, an officer in the Roman guard who had 100 armed men under him,
heard what was going on and came on the scene. Paul's beating stopped. By
doing his job, the Roman official saved Paul's life. When Paul was on his way
to  barracks for safety, something happens.

Did you catch the conversation in verse 37-39 between Paul and the officer?
Paul was mistaken for an Egyptian who stirred up 4,000 supporters to
overthrow the Roman rule. As he spoke to the officer in Greek, Paul
identified himself. He wanted more than anything to have the opportunity to
proclaim Christ to the hissing mob. Permission is granted and chapter 22
gives us his speech. Join me tomorrow.

What a difference a week can make in a person's life. Paul experienced joy
and then was beaten. He certainly was a man of grace and grit, as Swindoll
entitled his book about Paul.
Can we (will I)  have this same gumption to endure God's will, no matter
what? The Lord knows what and how much we can handle. I must trust Him.


LET IT GO

Be willing, myself, to do the will of the Lord, no matter what the cost.

Encourage others to do the will of the Lord.

Let the joy of the Lord be my strength.