Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Paul is under real orders to get to Rome.  Easier said than done if you ask the soldiers and sailors that are tasked with the job.  The Mediterranean Sea, though known as a vacation paradise, can turn quite nasty.  In fact, the sailors seem to have more than a healthy respect for her strength, they sound more like terrified.

A technique they use is to "sail under the lee" of some protection.  That is, they use islands to put between themselves and the troublesome storm.  It is a picture that I think is worth adopting for us mostly land-locked admirers of Scripture.  Let's shelter in the lee of the Lord during the storms that we must endure.  We are all sailors in the storms of life. bewithme.us to subscribe daily. You'll probably have a storm tomorrow too, so you might as well sign up to get the podcast everyday...

This podcast started by accident.  It was originally an internal "family message" to my local, real, spiritual family. It started the first day of the pandemic to keep us on the same spiritual page during difficult times.  We now enter year 3 of that journey.

I realize the boldness of asking to share in your spiritual mornings.  I receive that valuable piece of 7-minute real estate with great care.  Your being here is precious to me, and I trust valuable to you.  

I suppose this is a better vehicle than it was 700 episodes ago. The titles are better. The blurbs are better. The podcasts themselves are better.  Big whoop. What about the Lord? He is the star of this podcast.  It is His character and characteristics that we stand in "Biblical Wonder" each morning. It is His mercies that are new every morning.  It is His steadfast love that is the ceaseless foundation.

Join me today on Day 1 of Year 3.  May the Lord give you something to hold on to until tomorrow.  Then, make plans to join me for Day 2 of Year 3 as the Lord give us breath.  Thank you for listening.  bewithme.us. Subscribe to the podcast. Follow on instagram. friend on Facebook.

When I get in front of a KING, I plan to speak BOLDLY.  Paul, I'll bet, thought that 25 years prior to his first chance. How about a grocery store clerk, a family member, or a doctor? How will I speak when I have the chance? Will I be faithful to the charge? Let's decide now.

Paul is faithful to his witness to King Agrippa and Procurator Festus.  Let's see how they respond to the greatest evangelist of the Greatest God.  Festus attacks the messenger: "You are out of your mind." Agrippa says, "Too soon!" I need more time.  You cannot convince me to be a Christian in a short period of time.  Funny though, Agrippa knew what was Paul's intent.

Everybody gets a decision.  If you are a believer, you get to decide to be bold or not.  If you are not a believer, you get to decide whether to throw rocks at the messenger; say "Too Soon", or be curious further.  May God be near us all.  (ps: He IS near us all.) bewithme.us

Listeners of this podcast will find themselves living in broken bodies, with broken hearts, in a broken world, with broken churches, and in broken relationships.  Otherwise, you are not human.  Fortunately we have the HELP THAT COMES FROM GOD.  

This help is now.  We are not going to need any help when we get to heaven.
Help has a NAME.  Of note, the promised Holy Spirit was specifically to be named and understood as HELPER.
Help is PERSONAL. In all that brokenness, God helps not with junior associates, but with HIMSELF.  Romans 8:26 thunders, "the Spirit HIMSELF intercedes." We have spiritual attention at the highest level.

Mind blown. Into this brokenness, God Himself helps.  The Spirit Himself intercedes. 

Share with a broken human.  Comment below. Find us on your podcast directory iHeartRadio,Podcast Addict, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Pandora or Apple. bewithme.us

We all desperately need "The help that comes from God." You don't know anybody that doesn't need it: World leaders, mothers, bosses at work, children, knuckleheads, husbands or podcasters.  We need it in the big challenges we face.  Maybe it is a sickness, a broken heart, a relationship at odds, an addiction, choices at work, or perhaps problems with your church family. There is no area that doesn't benefit from the help that only He can give.

He has been helping all along.  Without the help that comes from God, nobody would be alive. Who among us can give our hearts even one more beat?  And spiritually, without the help that comes from God, who could move from one kingdom to another; from darkness to light; from away from God to being in His family?  Apparently, we are a desperate people.  We have had help.  Help that comes from God.  

Please share with someone who you have seen God help.  bewithme.us We are on all the podcast directories if you prefer a daily download to your podcast cue.  You can do that by subscribing on your favorite podcast provider such as Google, Spotify or apple podcasts. 

You can start your spiritual story with, "I was stupid..." but don't end it there.  That would be like kicking against a big stick with a very sharp metallic end in your sandaled feet. Paul tells King Agrippa some very embarrassing tidbits in his coming to faith.

How about this one: Jesus appeared to me, and spoke to me, and I DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM.  I had to ask who He was. Teaching point, if a spiritual guy ever appears to you, and he is BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN, it's probably Jesus.  

All of our spiritual stories start with, "I was a knucklehead...and then I met Jesus". Please share this podcast today with the biggest knucklehead you know.  bewithme.us. Subscribe on Apple, Google, Spotify, etc. to get this daily.

It is important for Paul, at least in his earlier life, to win the war of IDEAS against the newly believing Christians.  He wants to change their MINDS and their MOUTHS.  That is, Paul wants the persecuted Christians to BLASPHEME.

It means to speak inaccurately about the sacred; to speak irreverently, disrespectfully and inappropriately about the Lord.  This is so important to the previous Paul, that he brings everything he has in his power to make it happen: prison, punishment, persecution and pursuit. 

The kingdom of God is not one of land and oil fields.  It is a Kingdom of ideas, hope and faith.  It is a kingdom of the presence of God in the here and now, and the promise of God in the life to come.  Let's finish well.  Let's not let the troubles here cause us to blaspheme.  Share this with the most persecuted Christian you know. bewithme.us

Everybody, whether you are a king of the world, or just the king of yourself, hears about Jesus amidst real life.  There will be friends, enemies, politics, appetites, power, and problems.  Today we see how a guy investigates the claims of Christ.  Here are some tips, if today finds YOU trying to Understand your MOMENT of exposure:

1. Don't delay. You have been given today for a reason.
2. Pursue your investigation; scrutinize the situation.  God can take it.
3. Interrogate your witnesses.  This likely will be the people of God.
4. Infiltrate their activities.  Check out their churches, their classes and their service.
5. Become a student of their written record.  Understanding their history gives language, context and understanding of the moment of today.  Understanding the past helps understand your moment.
6. Use your power for good.  You may not be king of a kingdom.  But you are the King of YOUR kingdom; Queen of the realm of yourself.  You have agency.
7. Don't be surprised that there are real-life complexities that come to bear on this quest.  It has always been so.

Come back tomorrow for more.  Subscribe at bewithme.us.  Comment below.

Speaking spiritually, because all fall short, nobody really wants justice. When you are before political operators who are at the hands of a corrupt justice system, it gets complicated.  Paul finally gets his trial before the Roman Procurator Festus in a timely manner.  He ends up in an appeal to Caesar...who is the infamous NERO. 

When we consider the spiritual charges against us, we too should have alarm like Festus' predecessor Felix did.  We are all gonna need some help to survive the judgment seat of Christ. Before it we shall all stand.  We can stand alone, or we can stand with an advocate.  I suggest the assistance of Jesus.  "I'm with Him."

Listen 7 minutes as we follow Paul through the Roman justice system of 59AD.  Subscribe at bewithme.us or write at bewithme.us@gmail or podcast subscribe at apple, Spotify, google podcasts. Please comment. 

If you come to Jesus, likely your life will be a mess.  You will be overcome by your appetites before you are overcome with yielding, forgiveness, repenting, and grace.  That is the point. That is why you need a rescue mission from heaven.

Today we hear of a guy who has every opportunity.  I think he gets the great spiritual step given to him of CONVICTION.  He calls it ALARM.  I think they are the same thing.  Becoming aware of your wrongs and your inability to get out of them is TERRIFYING.  If that is you today, DON'T STOP THERE...keep going...repent...believe...have faith...

Or, do it wrong like our account today of Felix.  Delay. He fiddles for 2 years rather than 2 seconds. He DISTANCES. He sends the greatest evangelist of all time away. "Go away. I will summon you when it is convenient." When God shows up with ALARM and conviction in your heart, I promise you it will not be at a convenient time. Embrace Conviction.  Listen as we hear a bad story from Felix, and a good story from the singer Zach Williams.  Send this to one of his fans.  Share. Comment.  Bewithme.us.  Subscribe on Spotify, Google podcasts, etc.