Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Paul gets a HEART ATTACK not from clotted arteries, but from an emotional appeal from everybody around him.  They are begging him NOT to go to Jerusalem because suffering, capture and other unpalatable things are likely ahead.  The SPIRIT seems to have told everybody that trouble is ahead.  Their interpretation of "trouble ahead" = DON'T GO dear Paul.  This is wrong.

Sometimes the sovereignty of God involves a bit of trauma.  His knuckleheaded friends were trying to commend him FROM troublesome sovereignty. True friends commend THRU trouble. The good news in the story, is THEY CHANGE THEIR MINDS, and think maturely.  In fact, a group GOES WITH Paul, voting with their feet to perhaps join him in the suffering. Paul says, "I AM READY".  Eventually, his friends say, "WE GOT READY."

May we all have friends like that.  Friends THRU trouble.  Share this blurb with a friend like that and then like this post, share this post, write a review and sign up for another tomorrow at bewithme.us

Paul is landing the 3rd Missionary journey into a HOT LANDING ZONE (LZ). The Spirit has been notifying just about everybody and their brother that this is so.  Paul knows. The Tyre people know. The prophets know. The prophet from Jerusalem knows. The Spirit, our STAR OF the book of ACTS, has been making it clear.  

Paul is all set for the difficulties ahead.  He is resolved in his spirit, with the Spirit to do this. He doesn't have all the details, but he knows enough.  He knows that it is the will of the Lord, and that it is for him, despite the difficulties.

Unfortunately, the people around Paul, get the message from the same Spirit, but they MISINTERPRET the meaning.  Rather than commending Paul TO THE difficulty, they freak out and commend him FROM THE difficulty. Paul says I AM READY, but the people around him are not. At least not until tomorrow's podcast. May we all find a people-group that stands with us as we enter into the hard stuff. Share this podcast with the person you know who is facing a great difficulty.  bewithme.us or on stitcher podcasts.

The LAST THING Paul ever says to the Ephesian Elders is WORK HARD. And he KNOWS this is his last chance.  It must be important.  Yes, it is important to others, but it is also important to YOURSELF.  That is, it is a ministry to yourself.  He calls it so.

Most of you will be heading to work today.  Know that the Lord just loves it.  He invented it.  He wants you to do it with all your might.  Paul exampled it.  God Exampled it. We'll be accountable for it.  It is certainly to have enough for you, stuff-wise, and to have a bit to share.

What Paul emphasizes to me today is the BLESSING your work is to YOURSELF.  Working hard, and working well will be one of the greatest blessings you can ever give to yourself.  I bless you as you WORK hard at this self-ministry! Please subscribe at bewithme.us and I will send this to you everyday.  Probably as you go to Work.

Paul separates the two halves of an elder's spiritual life and then puts them back together.  ½ = pay attention to yourselves. ½= pay attention to the church of God.

Regarding yourself, be alert. Remember the teachings of 3 years.  Remember the admonishments (the NO's!) Remember God, His Word, and His people.  Treasure the intimacy of Him (the Be With Me part).

Regarding your job in the church, remember the owner of the church.  Remember how it got to be His church. Remember how He's empowered it. Be humble, fearful and watchful.  Why? Because there is going to be trouble.  Of course there is, but it isn't going to come from where you'll be expecting it. It is not going to be HOW you'll be expecting it.

So how do you care for the church?  If YOU finish well, you'll finish well with the people of God. Please subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcasts and sign up for a daily blast on bewithme.us.

Could Paul be guilty of not doing his specific job in the church? Yup.  In his goodbye to the elders of Ephesus, he assesses this responsibility.  He states he is "INNOCENT of the blood".  Conversely, he could be GUILTY OF THE BLOOD of the church. And so could I.

There is no such thing as Christianity apart from the people of God.  And every individual is powered and gifted by the Holy Spirit to serve in a slot just for them.  The point here is we could be thriving  or shrinking from that duty. And life is at stake in my church, specifically others' lives.

We can all look across the aisle at church and righteously ask: "What about THAT guy.  I know for sure he isn't carrying his load..." But that is not the task for today.  Paul assesses HIMSELF.  What about me? Am I doing my job? Do I have any regrets? Do I bear guilt?  It is a great call to be an active, Spirit-walking, serving, loving, caring person in the church.  Share, like, comment, review.  bewithme.us.

Does becoming a Christian make all your problems go away?  I once heard someone say that. 

This is not Paul's experience, and it likely will not be ours either.  His experience is:
one of  VIOLENCE...so be urgent
one of LOSS...so be ready
one of RISK...so be alert
but one of His PRESENCE...so be NEAR. 

Take heart. He wins.  In the end, He wins.  Meantime, gird your loins for a spot of trouble.

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Watch as Paul makes decisions amidst the "cooperative sovereignty" of the newly launched Holy Spirit.  He is in a HURRY to get to Jerusalem for Pentecost, which is "Christmas Day for the Holy Spirit". On one hand he is 'constrained by the Holy Spirit' and on the other, he is deciding, acting, and GETTING BUSY with urgency.  If we could jolt the modern church one way or the other, I think it would be more towards boldness and not shrinking.

Then we hear from Paul at his most intimate.  He is giving final words to people he'll never see again til heaven.  They are serious believers so are in the same business as he is.  It is a business of BEING AMONG, HUMILITY, TEARS, and TRIALS.  All of it falls under the heading of serving THE LORD (by serving His people). In all these acts of ministry Paul encourages us to NOT SHRINK from our tasks. Share with your boldest keystroke.  Subscribe into your strong Podcast lineup at Apple, Spotify, or Google.  Type a few requests with confidence to bewithme.us

A guy named LUCKY dies and is raised from the dead.  He is listing to Paul after midnight.  He is sitting by the 3rd story window. He falls asleep. The power of sleep doesn't care if it is the great Paul speaking. Lucky falls out the window to his death.

If Lucky is a believer, maybe Paul does him a disservice by yanking him back from paradise. If you are the one to demonstrate the exciting power of the newly marching Holy Spirit in this way, then it is no fun being you.  If the Bible is true, then Paradise is better.

But maybe Lucky really is favored in the Lord bringing him back.  Maybe this 500 mile detour was really a destiny with the Lord's favor. Perhaps Lucky did not have faith yet.  Maybe the Lord mercifully saved him and he indeed re-lived up to his name: Lucky!  Please share with the luckiest person you know. bewithme.us. [email protected] to subscribe.

If you have been a Christian for more than a month, I'll ask: WHO ARE YOUR PEOPLE?  Where are your MEN?  Where are your WOMEN?  Where are your spiritual KIDS?

Today's passage is a lesson in geography that yields its treasures in PEOPLE. Paul goes traveling in the least convenient, least direct route.  Why? Because of the people he wanted to see along the way.  Because of the people he wanted to teach, train, urge, show, and remind.  In short, he wanted to HAVE LUNCH with them.

If you are 13 or 60 years old, you can and should have FOLLOWERS in your church.  You should know what they like to eat.  You should know what they might struggle with.  You should be a person that they look to and follow?  Think you have nothing to give?  Nothing to offer?  HaH!  Not true.  everybody, EVERYBODY , e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y in the church should be involved in this process.  Pick up the phone, text someone younger in the faith than you are. HAVE LUNCH.  That is how Paul did it. So should you.  Subscribe for a daily blast of this podcast at Google, Stitcher, or Apple.  Follow on instagram. We are even on YouTube if that is your place. See you tomorrow.

The "cancel culture" of Ephesus is eventually silenced, corrected, and AT RISK themselves. Meantime, there is capture, confusion, mis-worship and even misinterpretation of a meteorite.  

They are warned to "do nothing rash" after hours and hours of doing a bunch of rash things.  The point is, they probably should have been a bit more careful with their thoughts from the outset.  

What might I have wrong? Lord, if there is any unpleasant thought, unpleasing word, offensive action, harrowing habit, or anything that does not please you, show me.  Then help me.  Correct me sooner than later.  Please share and subscribe.  bewithme.us.  bewithme.us@gmail.  facebook, twitter, instagram repost, like, comment.