Msg #1534 They That Wait

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

A fellow beagle lover on a hunt told me, “Lock your beagle and your wife in your car trunk; come back in two hours and see which one is glad to see you!” That made some kinda weird sense to me until later my wife said, “That's because that beagle thinks you're a genius!” Now it makes more sense. Sophie, my beagle, sets on my feet as I write this so let me acknowledge that I am no genius, but it seems that when the Holy Spirit of God told the Apostle Paul not to go to Jerusalem, Paul was not supposed to go to Jerusalem. A few verses later, in Acts 21, a prophet of God told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. A few verses more and, with his stubborn jaw set and his teeth grit, the greatest preacher alive struts into Jerusalem. Once there, he follows the advice of the “well-intended”, and takes a set of Old Testament vows. He promises to offer an Old Testament animal offering for his sins! I am not a great preacher, or genius, but I am kinda glad God includes the details of Paul's blunder in his record keeping. Goodness knows I've needed lessons in submission. I've met some who think Paul could do no wrong, and was perfectly justified in his defiance of the Holy Ghost. Well, okay. God previously wrote by Paul's hand, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Just the same that is not an excuse to lock your jaw and continue down some stupid stubborn course of action. God had a plan for those next eight epistles to get written. Paul's stubborn rebellion caused that they are called prison epistles.

An Essay for week #34 Aug 23, 2015

In blog http://www.theology.gsbaptistchurch.com

In paperback at www.lulu.com/spotlight/GSBaptistChurch