Great comment yesterday, Arlene! Isn't it funny - kind of funny - how people just don't change!!?? We are tripped up by the same sins as people who lived in Paul the Apostle's time. Pride, greed.....we have to battle these things until we die and are totally free of this flesh. If we begin to think we can no longer be affected by these things, that is when we fall into satan's trap. Only God can keep us from "falling". And He will! BUT we have to have our battle gear on and the weapons He has given us in our hands at ALL times.
There are several things in this chapter that are good, but the one that spoke to me is verse28....."So guard yourself and God's people. Feed and shepherd God's flock-His Church, purchased with His own blood-over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders."
Paul was saying his goodbyes as he was going back to Jerusalem and knew it wasn't going to be a good thing and that he would never return to this side of the world again. But his admonishment to the was to "guard yourself and God's people....." We have to be on the alert ALL the time to know and understand what is going on "in the Spirit" so we can fight the good fight. Be aware, tuned in and ready to fight for what is right. And our "fight" isn't in the flesh but in the Spirit - as the "Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders". The Holy Spirit is the one who equips us and shows us how to fight if we will listen to Him.
God has been showing me to be built up in the Spirit - take time to stir the Spirit up in my Spirit Man by speaking in tongues every day and praying for those things that the Spirit brings to my mind. The needs of "God's people" can be overwhelming but if we give them to the Lord then He works them out and our fight is on our knees!!!
Don't shrink back from the work of the Spirit in and around you!! We are going to see it more and more as we have to lean on Him more and more.
Share what God has shown you in the chapter and in the life of Paul.
Tomorrow we read chapter 21.
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What spoke to me today is Verse 24 . . . “But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love.”
Paul was focused . . . single-minded . . . on the work God assigned to him. He wrote that his life was nothing unless he was used for God’s work! Our world has told us that we are worth nothing without this and that and if we don’t look like this or that! The excuse, “I don’t know what God’s plan is for my life” is not a valid excuse. The first and primary plan for us is to “tell others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love.”
What Paul put into life was more important than what he got out of life! I ask myself, is that true for me? Paul walked the talk . . . he demonstrated God’s kindness and love by caring for the people . . . crying over their needs … praying for them . . . giving ourselves away. As we do this, we will gather others into the kingdom.
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