Joy Today

With your sharp thinking, my "walking with Jesus" friend, I am sure you have noticed that, no matter what goes on, Paul keeps his head on straight. He never lets circumstances steal his focus. His core stays calm and confident in the Lord. "Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts,..." Paul wrote to Colossian Believers.(Colossians 3:15a)He could write it, because He could live it. Well, back to the scene in Jerusalem. On learning that Paul is a Roman Citizen, and therefore entitled to certain legal rights, the Commander continued to detain him, but loosed him from the chains. The next day, he ordered the chief priests to meet in Council. And he had Paul brought in before them to try to find out what the trouble was all about."(Acts 22:30) What will Paul say to them? Will they believe him? Even now, today, there are those who may question your faith/my faith. "Always be READY to explain the REASON for your strong faith and hope in the Lord," advises 1...

Back to Paul and the crowd and the Roman Commander in Acts 22. Yes, my "walking with Jesus" friend, as soon as Paul the word: "Gentiles," the crowd erupted again. So, the Roman Commander ordered his soldiers to take Paul on into the Armory and whip him to make him confess his crime. Then, maybe, throughout the commander, I will understand why the crowd was so furious. Well, as they were trying Paul down to lash him, Paul asked an office standing nearby:" Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizens who has not even been tried?" The officer was alarmed and hurried to the Commander. " What in the world are you doing, Sir, this man is a Roman Citizen," the officer exclaimed. So, the Commander himself went over to Paul and asked:" Are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes. I am a Roman Citizen by birth. Born in Tarsus, in the Roman ruled Province of Cilicia," replied Paul. Whoa! Guess what, the soldiers standing by to whip him disappeared, ...

Yes, certainly EVERYONE needs the Word of the Lord, my "walking with Jesus" friend. But some of the strict Jews thought it was flat wrong to pick up on the new teachings of Jesus. And some thought, IF a person picked up on the teachings of Jesus, they needed ALSO to pick up on all the old Jewish rituals, laws and customs. What did Jesus Christ Himself say about such things? "I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill the Law."(Matthew 5:17) and Jesus all so said:" They who worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. God seeks for those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth "(John 4:23-24) "...in Spirit and in Truth." Clearly, SOME people were not REALLY listening and understanding with their heart. Shall WE pray, Lord, open the eyes of our hearts. Enable US truly to understand Your message, and worship You "in Spirit and in Truth." To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUN...

Good Morning, my "walking with Jesus" friend. The crowd kept listing, and Paul continued:"Yes, I was blinded by the intense light from Heaven and had to be led into Damascus...There, a man named Ananias met me. He was a very godly man, well-respected by the Jews for keeping the law. He came to me, put his hands on my eyes, said:"Brother, receive your sight." And immediately I could see him. Then Ananias told me:"The God of our Fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Messiah and to hear him speak. You are to take his message everywhere, telling what you have seen and heard. And now, why delay? Be baptized, and be cleansed from your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." ...Later, Paul continued, GOD said to me:" I will send you far away. You are to go and teach the GENTILES these things. Oh my goodness, at the word: GENTILES, the crowd erupted again and once again began to shout:" Away with him. Away with him."(Acts 22:1...

"Walking with Jesus," my friend, we are in Jerusalem. Paul is continuing to speak to the crowd, he has outlined his credentials as a Jewish believer. NOW, he comes to THE turning point. " I was super zealous to enforce our Jewish laws against any new stream of thought," Paul proclaimed. "But, on the road to Damascus, to capture, put in chains and prosecute Christ followers. We were nearing Damascus, about boo, when, suddenly there shown from Heaven, a great light round about me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And I answered:" Who ARE you, Lord?" And he answered, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting." And they who were with me saw the light, and we're afraid, but they did not hear the voice of The One who spoke to me. And I said:" What shall I do?" And the Lord said: "Get up. Go into Damascus; and there you will be told all things that are appoin...

Yes, my "walking with Jesus" friend, the commander allowed Paul to speak to the crowd. Motioning for quiet, Paul, began, surprising and quieting the crowd with the fact that he spoke perfectly in THEIR language/in Hebrew."Brothers and Fathers, listen to me as I offer my defense. I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in the Roman-governed. c.f.province of Cilicia. I was educated here in Jerusalem under your highly respected priest named Gamaliel. At his feet I learned to follow our Jewish laws and customs very carefully. I became very eager to honor God in everythingI did, just as you were trying to honor God today in the temple. And, I persecuted the Christians. I hounded them to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison. In fact, the High Priest, or any member of the Council can testify that I asked them for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus, with instructions to let me take into custody any Christians I could find, and bring them, bound, to ...

Ok today we are remembering that Greek was the common language of trade and of educated people in the time of Paul, the apostle. That is important in part of what happened next in Acts 21:37-40. Ok, while protectively surrounded by Roman soldiers and being led away, Paul suddenly stopped and, speaking in Greek, he asked the Commander:" May I have a word with you?" The Commander was surprised that Paul spoke Greek. He told the soldiers to "Hold up a minute" and asked Paul, "Are you that Egyptian who created a riot some time ago, and then took 400 assassins out into the desert?" "No," Paul told him, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. Please, let me talk to these people. < If YOU were the Commander, would YOU let Paul talk to the crowd? Do you think the Commander allowed Paul to talk to the crowd? To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email was sent to you becau...

Assurance of the care of our Heavenly Father is found throughout the Word of God, rejoicing our hearts, my "walking with Jesus" friend. One of the MOST special assurance passages is Psalm 23: "The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, even though I may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever."(Psalm 23, all 6 verses) May God richly bless you, my friend. To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email was sent to you because you indicated that...

Protectively surrounded by the Roman soldiers who had rescued him from the mob, Paul was strongly retained by them. Meanwhile, the commander: "asked the crowd," Who IS the man you were beating, and what did he do?" Acts 21:34, reports:" Some shouted one thing, and some another. When he couldn't find out anything in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered his soldiers to take Paul into custody and secure him in the Armory. When they started away, the crowd surged forward and would have snatched Paul away, but the soldiers lifted him onto their shoulders. However the mob kept shouting:' Away with him. Away with him.' " (Acts 21:34-36) At that moment, maybe Paul was remembering the teaching of Jesus:"Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of/for the cause of Righteousness, for theirs IS the Kingdom of Heaven."(Matthew 5:10)Do you, and do I boldly STAND UP for righteousness/for what is acceptable and pleasing to the LORD?...even w...

What do you think happened next, my " walking with Jesus" friend? Actually, to understand what happened next, we will find it helpful to remember that the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty God of their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ordained certain laws, traditions and rituals for the Jewish people. They were very proud of these, and very zealous to keep those ways. After all, those laws came from God, who calls us to obey Him, they said. Paul taught that if a Jewish person who believes in Christ wants to keep the Jewish traditions, that is fine. But a nin-Jewish person who comes to Christ is not required to take on the Jewish practices, because the Grace of God and the Spirit of God, that comes into each person who believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as Savior, supersedes the old laws and customs. THAT is what Paul taught. And THAT was THE BIG STICKING POINT for some Jews...and THAT intense disagreement led some of the Jews to mob Paul. Then, as. the soldiers were pr...

WILL the controversy have been settled by Paul's high profile participation in the Jewish purification ritual? Would that have settled it for you, my "walking with Jesus" friend? Acts 21:27-32, tells us:" The seven days of the purification ritual were almost over when suddenly some Jews from the region of Turkey spotted Paul in the temple and roused a mob against him. In fact, they grabbed him yelling:" Help! Help! This is the man that preaches against our people and tells everyone to disobey Jewish laws. [which was a lie] He even talks against the temple [another bold lie] and defiles it by bringing Gentiles into it. [which was another lie fabricated because, earlier in the day, down in the city, but NOT in the temple, they had seen Paul with Trophimus, a Gentile from their region in Turkey.] The Whole population of the city was electrified by these accusations. A great riot developed. Paul was dragged out of the temple, and the mob started beating him. The co...

In the mighty name of Jesus, may you be specially blessed on this Sunday, my "walking with Jesus" friend.Please, when was the last time you sang a song? The Bible says: "Sing, singer, singers, and/or singing" at least 140 times! What do you think? Must be important to the Lord, right. Let's be blessed to do what it says to do in Psalm 98:1-4, "O sing unto the Lord a NEW song, for He has done marvellous things. His right hand and His Holy arm have gotten Him the victory. The Lord has made known His salvation: He has openly shown His righteousness in the sight of the heathen. He has remembered His mercy and His truth toward His people: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of the Lord. Make a JOYFUL noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise and rejoice, and sing praise." With you, and the Lord, and singing praise, you can get through and gain victory in any situation. "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our L...

So, my "walking with Jesus" friend, how would YOU or I resolve this disagreement? Well, the elders at Jerusalem had an idea. Paul, a Jewish ritual of purification is about to take place. The men shave their heads as a symbol of making a vow. We suggest you go with the four who are committed to take part in this Jewish ritual. People will see you following the Jewish ritual and be persuaded that you are NOT against the customs and traditions of our great ancient leader Moses, "...but that you do walk according to Jewish customs and laws."(Acts 21:22-24) "But, concerning the non-Jewish/Gentile Believers, we have decided that THEY do NOT need to follow Jewish customs, except to abstain from eating food offered to idols, or unbled meat, and to abstain from immorality." So, Paul went with the four and participated in the purification ritual in the temple, and made the required payments and sacrifices. (Acts 21:25-26) Do you think that was enough to settle the ...

From time to time you and I encounter disagreement. Sometimes over little things, sometimes over bigger things. Maybe over finances. Maybe over scheduling. What happens, my " walking with Jesus" friend, when the disagreement is over a spiritual matter? Now, in Jerusalem, Paul encounters intense disagreement on a spiritual matter between himself and various factions of Jewish Believers. Here is how Acts 21:20-25, reports the situation. "The brethren to whom Paul reported his successful teaching among the Gentiles[ non-Jewish people] now told Paul, 'Dear brother, you know that many thousands of Jewish people have also believed in Jesus, and these Jewish Believers insist that THEY must continue to follow the Jewish traditions and customs. Our Jewish Believers have been told that you, Paul, are against the laws of Moses, against our Jewish customs, and that you forbid the circumcision of their children. This is a serious matter of disagreement. What do you think can be ...

Do you have your sandals handy? It's 57 miles from Caesarea on the coast of the Mediteranean to the city of Jerusalem, my "walking with Jesus" friend. Do you and I have as much fearless determination as the Apostle Paul? Yes, he set aside warnings from brethren in Tyre and Cesarea, and the warning from the prophet Agabus and headed for Jerusalem.(Acts 21:14-16) What kind of reception will the brothers in Jerusalem give Paul? Acts 21:17, reports:" And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly." Hooray! How great was THAT! So, the next day Paul met with James and all the church elders to tell them "...what great things God had brought about among the Gentiles as he ministered among them. "And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord..." Are we not also amazed and quick to glorify the Lord for the wonderful spread of the Gospel? Psalm 46:10, declares:" Be STILL, and KNOW that I am GOD; I WILL be exalted among the heathen...

Have friends, or that little voice inside you ever warned you NOT to go to a certain place, or do a certain thing? Well, my "walking with Jesus"friend, when Paul visited the Believers in the coastal city of Tyre, and told them he was headed to Jerusalem, THEY warned him not to go there (Acts 21:1-6) But Paul continued travelling south to Caesarea, headed for Jerusalem. In Caesarea, Paul stayed with Phillip, an evangelist. And a prophet named Agabus predicts that if Paul goes to Jerusalem, he will be imprisoned and handed over to the Romans. (Acts 21:7-16) Why is Paul so determined to go to Jerusalem? He wants to participate in a certain Jewish purification ritual at the temple in order to counteract rumors that Believers in Christ are anti-Jewish. So, even though the prophet and the Believers at Caesarea tried to persuade Paul not to continue on to Jerusalem, he told them, "Please do not weep for me. I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the ...

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Having revived the young man, Eutychus, what do you think Paul and the other disciples did? What would YOU have done, my "walking with Jesus" friend? This is what is recorded in Acts. 20:11, "After being revived, the young man rejoined Paul and the disciples, breaking bread together, eating, Paul continued to teach and preach until dawn. After that, Paul departed, heading for Assos, then Mitylene, Chips, Sam is, Miletus, Los and Patara. From Ptara, Paul and his teamsail east across the Mediterranean to the coastal city of Tyre. Paul had established a church there, and he was eager to encourage them in the faith. They received Him gladly. But when he told them that he intended to travel on to Jerusalem, the elders warned him not to go there because things were stirred up against him, and they feared he would be arrested.(Acts 20:11-21:6) At this point, during the five years AD 52-57, Paul has travelled about 2,700 miles, spread the Gospel, planted and strengthened many c...

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Having revived the young man, Eutychus, what do you think Paul and the other disciples did? What would YOU have done, my "walking with Jesus" friend? This is what is recorded in Acts. 20:11, "After being revived, the young man rejoined Paul and the disciples, breaking bread together, eating, Paul continued to teach and preach until dawn. After that, Paul departed, heading for Assos, then Mitylene, Chips, Sam is, Miletus, Los and Patara. From Ptara, Paul and his teamsail east across the Mediterranean to the coastal city of Tyre. Paul had established a church there, and he was eager to encourage them in the faith. They received Him gladly. But when he told them that he intended to travel on to Jerusalem, the elders warned him not to go there because things were stirred up against him, and they feared he would be arrested.(Acts 20:11-21:6) At this point, during the five years AD 52-57, Paul has travelled about 2,700 miles, spread the Gospel, planted and strengthened many c...

Let's strap on our Sandals and set out again with Paul, my special "walking with Jesus" friend. After staying in Ephesus for two years, Paul sets out for visits to the churches he planted in Thessalonica, Berea and Corinta, Philippi, and Troas."He came to them in Troas, and stayed seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them, since he was preparing to leave the next day; and he continued preaching until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were gathered. And there sat in a window, a young man named Eutychus. He fell into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching <are you with me here, my friend? > he sank down with sleep and fell out the third story window. And died. BUT Paul went down and laid on him, and he revived. Do not worry, his life is in Him, Paul told them." (Acts 20:1-10) Again, we "see" the amazing power of God, at work throu...

Sunday Morning praises, my "walking with Jesus" friend. On the 12th, let's pick up on the first two dynamic verses of Romans, chapter 12. Brethren, considering ALL that Christ has done, accomplished and enabled for you,"I am eager to persuade you, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves to the Lord as living sacrifices, Holy and acceptable unto Him. This is a reasonable request. And do not let the world squeeze you into its mold, instead, BE TRABSFORMED, by the renewing of your mind, so that your life will show that you are living is a way that is holy, acceptable and within the will of God." To respond to this text message, reply to this email or visit Google Voice. YOUR ACCOUNT HELP CENTER HELP FORUM This email was sent to you because you indicated that you'd like to receive email notifications for text messages. If you don't want to receive such emails in the future, please update your email notification settings . Google LLC 1600 Amphitheatre P...

Yes, my "walking with Jesus" friend, Paul and his team had been ministering effectively in the city of Ephesus and throughout the surrounding region, bringing many to Believe in Christ. As a result, business related to idol worship of the goddess Diana had declined significantly. A silversmith name Demetrius stirred up a riot against Paul. "But the city clerk quieted the crowd, saying, Fellow Ephesians, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the Guardian of the temple of the great Diana, and of her image which fell down from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down...You brought these men here. They have not robbed the temple nor spoken against our goddess. So, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against these men, they need to take it to the court. As it is, we are in danger from our Roman rulers of being held to account for riotous behavior, for which there is no good cause. So, be dismissed, a...

When we reviewed seventeen ways the Holy Spirit works in the life of a Believer, you remember, my "walking with Jesus" friend that # 14, tells us that the Holy Spirit prompts our actions/ our moves to spread the Gospel. Yes! So, here in Acts 19:21-22, it is recorded that the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to return to Macedonia, before going, again, to Jerusalem. Considering how far he had to travel to visit those churches again, isn't it amazing...and impressive...how concerned Paul was for the soundness in the churches he had established of their doctrine and the faithfulness of their conduct in living to the glory of God! When WE are led to share the Good News of Jesus, let us be likewise faithful to follow up; making SURE, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that Christ has been established and His Word is active in the life of our newly believing friend. So that we can say, as Paul wrote to his greatly beloved fellow Belivers in Philippians 1:6:" I am/we are CONFIDEN...