God Provides! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 27:42-44, “The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land in safety.” The centurion that was responsible for escorting Paul to Rome was from a military unit called the “Imperial Regiment”. His name was Julius and had demonstrated kindness to Paul from the beginning of the trip. When they boarded the first ship and got to Sidon we are told, “Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.” Not that Julius was “in Paul’s pocket” so to speak, as we read that he listened to the advice of the ship’s pilot and owner instead of Paul when Paul warned them against continuing on their trip when they arrived at Fair Havens. Yet, Julius wanted to spare Paul’s life when the ship was wrecked and prevented the soldiers from killing the prisoners, which would have included Paul. Was it just fortunate for Paul that he happened to have had a guard that was concerned for his safety? It certainly was fortunate, but it wasn’t mere fortune from the standpoint of luck that Julius was concerned for Paul. During the storm, as the ship was being blown across the Mediterranean, an angel of the Lord appeared to Paul who told him, “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” God provided Paul a guard that would ensure Paul arrived in Rome for the Lord’s own purposes. The Lord has his own agenda and carries out what he desires. As a part of the Lord’s agenda, Paul had an assignment from the Lord and as such the Lord would provide all Paul needed in order to accomplish that assignment. As I read the book of Acts I see over and over how the Lord not only includes people in the things he does, but also provides what is needed. I have to say I don’t see the Lord providing Paul with a nice house, a fancy car, that special job promotion at work, a wonderful marriage or even relief from the sniffles. I see Paul on mission from God and it is just fascinating to see how the Lord provides what is needed to carry out that assignment! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Lord Always Carries Out His Agenda! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 27:23-24, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’” Chapter 27 of Acts is a nail-biting sailor’s story of an Egyptian cargo ship from Alexandria that gets caught in a “Nor’easter” as it sailed from Fair Havens on Crete to a harbor at Phoenix on the west end of Crete. Having to give way to the storm they found themselves blown from Crete for over two weeks and landing on the island Malta halfway across the Mediterranean Sea. Among those on board were Paul, Luke, Aristarchus and other companions on the way to Rome under guard, escorted by a centurion, Julius. After “many days” of being driven by the hurricane-force storm and not eating, etc. Paul tells the crew and men on board that an angel of the Lord had visited him the night before and told the encouraging news of verse twenty four. From what the angel told Paul, we find that the Lord had foreordained that Paul would appear before Caesar in Rome and presumably preach the gospel message to him there. As such the Lord decided to spare the lives of all aboard. Was this storm some kind of supernatural opposition from the devil to keep Paul from reaching Caesar with the gospel? I don’t know if the devil has that kind of ability over the weather but I suspect that there was quite a storm within Satan’s camp as they saw Paul headed for Rome. Although Paul had never been to Rome before, we know that the gospel had already reached Rome and that the church had taken root years earlier. Paul’s earlier letter to this church is one of the greatest pieces of literature ever written by man (and God) and an inspired writing that has guided the Lord’s people for millennia. Now was the appointed time the Lord sent his apostle to the leader of the greatest empire on planet earth. Clearly portrayed in the book of Acts is the Lord carrying out his agenda with hand selected people accomplishing exactly what he desires. It makes for fascinating reading to watch it unfold! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Our God Has A Big, Big Heart! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 26:28, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" Here is King Agrippa’s response to Paul when Paul presented his case before Festus, King Agrippa and Bernice, as well as the high ranking officers and the leading men of Caesarea. Paul had asked Agrippa if he believed in the prophets (the Scriptures) and following Agrippa’s response Paul replied that he hoped all who were listening to him on that day might become what he was, not as a prisoner, but as a child of God and an heir of what will be ours in our inheritance with Jesus Christ. What catches my attention is Agrippa’s observation that Paul was attempting to persuade his hearers with the gospel message, a message with the hope they make the choice to embrace Jesus Christ in faith. (I note God leaves the choice of whether we embrace him or not up to us, hence the effort of persuasion on Paul's part.) This tells me something about God. It cannot be missed that the Lord had manipulated events such that Paul had an opportunity to proclaim the gospel message to the leaders of the day: the king and his supposed wife, the governor, the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city of Caesarea. God clearly desires all to have an opportunity to hear the gospel message. Paul’s desire, which echoed God’s desire, was that all would avail themselves of the opportunity to respond to the gospel message by embracing Jesus Christ in faith. I am reminded of Paul’s comment to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:3-4, when speaking about prayer, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (God doesn't just want some of us, but all of us. However, he only takes for himself those who embrace him.) Our God has a big, big heart and wants all to come to him! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Provides Truth In Scripture - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 26:27, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Paul appealed to King Agrippa’s familiarity with the Scriptures when he presented the gospel message to him, Bernice and Festus. It was Paul’s intention to couch his presentation of the gospel from the Scriptures as it is there that truthfulness, authority and reality lay. In his love for us and knowing our needs, our kind and merciful God has provided us truth in his word. In Jeremiah 17:9 we read, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” We are all too capable of deceiving ourselves, given the disposition of our own sinful natures, and we have a desperate need of authoritative revelation from God to know what to think, how to act and what to believe about God. It is not a coincidence that we find the cults and false religions of the world at odds with the Bible. Mankind will come up with its own perverted ways in search for God and truth. We require authoritative revelation from our God. It is here, in the pages of Scripture, that again and again in Acts we find Paul reasoning and convincing his hearers of the gospel message. Today I thank my God for providing us his authoritative truth in the Bible so that I can know him in the way he has determined for us! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Gospel: Removing Blindness - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 26:17b-18, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” As Paul recounts the confrontation by the Lord on the road to Damascus he tells Agrippa, Bernice and Festus the work assignment given him from the Lord. He is to open the eyes of the people, turn them from darkness to light and turn them from the power of Satan to God. All people who have not come to embrace Jesus Christ in faith live in darkness. A spiritual darkness that cloaks the things of God prevents them from acknowledging who God is, what he is like, why we are here, where we are going and what the purpose of life is all about. Even the best of theologians, students of the Bible and religious leaders persist in a darkness, blinded from the things of God if they have not embraced Jesus Christ in faith. This is exactly what we see with the religious leaders of the day that Jesus castigated in Matthew 23:16. “Woe to you, blind guides…” Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:10 when he speaks of the blinding of the hearts of men who have no faith, John 12:40. Paul tells us the “god of this age” blinds the minds of unbelievers, 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. But through the gospel message, when it is received in faith this blindness is lifted. Of the gospel Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith’” Romans 1:16-17. The gospel holds the power to remove our blindness, remove us from the power of Satan, bring us forgiveness and provide us a place among those who are made holy by faith in Jesus Christ! How wonderful is this gospel message! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Amazing What God Does! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 26:16b-18, “I [Jesus] have appeared to you [Paul] to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” As I read the account of Paul’s commissioning by the Lord, I see the Lord will use Paul to: Reach Jews and Gentiles alike – everyone. Open their eyes – provide a new spiritual discernment that accompanies the gospel message. Turn them from darkness (lost in godlessness) to light (to God – Jesus said “I am the light of the world”) From the power of Satan to God (freedom from our enslavement to Satan!) Forgiveness of sins (freedom from the penalty of sin!) Membership in the community of those set apart (sanctified) for God! What the Lord did through this man Paul changed the world forever! It is just astonishing what the Lord did (and can do) with someone as hostile to him as Saul! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

A Consequential Question - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 26:8, "Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?" As Paul gives his defense in front of King Agrippa, he asks this pregnant question. Pregnant because contained within the answer a man may give lay the certainty of one of two outcomes for his future: eternal life or eternal death – there exists no other outcome to the matter. If we consider resurrection (God raising the dead) “incredible” (meant here in the sense of “absurd”) we make God out to be a liar and remain in our sin, condemned to eternal death. However, if we consider the matter and embrace the truth and reality of resurrection, we find ourselves before our Heavenly Creator who is just as able to raise the dead as he had in bringing us into existence in the first place. I think a reasonable man would have to admit that it is more incredible that we find ourselves in existence in this life than that life continues following the death of our physical bodies leading to resurrection. And from this recognition of truth lies the potential to embrace Jesus Christ through faith, bringing eternal life! These thoughts bring to my mind how wonderful our creator God is in bringing each of us into existence, and beyond that, to make a way for us to eternal life in heaven with him through the sacrificial death of his Son on the cross. We turned our backs to God, rejected and rebelled against him. Yet in his boundless love for us he has made a way for us to eternal life with him: the resurrection of life! "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Romans 10:9-10. Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.