January 04, 2013
As Paul was saying all these things, Festus spoke up and accused Paul of being crazy. Everything Paul was talking about and explaining to them was totally foreign to Festus. Paul replied, I am not crazy. Everything you have heard me say is true and sensible. King Agrippa, what about you? You've heard about these things. I can speak freely to you. Do you believe in what the prophets wrote? I know you believe. The king replied, "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time?" And Paul said, "Whether it is a short time or a long time, I pray to God that not only you but every person listening to me today would be saved and be like me except for the chains." (Acts 26:29)
Then everyone who was gathered in the room—all the important people—stood up and left the room. Talking to each other they said, "There is no reason why this man should die or be put in jail." (Acts 26:31) They could have left him go free, but Paul had asked to be heard by Caeser. God's plan was not yet done. Remember what God said to Paul when he came and stood beside him? Acts 23:11 - "Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome." It was not yet time for it to be over—Paul must go to Rome. Look at all the people who were hearing God's message because of the situation Paul was in. From outside appearances, it looked like Paul was being punished by man. But contrary to what it looked like, Paul was in the center of God's Will and he was being used by God to further His Kingdom purposes.
On 11/27/10, I was reading in Ezra 6. The Life Lesson Exploration verses included Acts 26:17–18. "I will keep you safe from your own people and also from the others. I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those people who have been made holy by believing in me." I read those words at the exact time we were preparing to send to my sister and brother-in-law over 450 handwritten pages of this journal.
The reason we had to prepare and send my journal was because the judge reopened discovery for a short time and "journals" were included in the long list of discoverable items. I'd never kept a journal before and was wishing I wouldn't have started one when I realized it was part of what was discoverable. I began keeping a journal in 2009 after feeling strongly led ("pressed in the Spirit") to chronicle my thoughts and prayers while reading through the Bible. The thought of sending our enemy my very personal writings, prayers, and thoughts was nauseating. (I paused when I wrote the word "enemy" because it seems like a such a strong word. But what other word do you use to describe someone who is actively trying to destroy you? We do not have enemy thoughts towards them, but there sure is enemy actions from them.)
Oh, how I did not want to send my journals to my sister. I knew she would parse every word and every thought would be analyzed to see it they could find something to use against us. But, even though it was very upsetting, I was not going to go down a path of lies, whether by words or by omission. So, I told our lawyers about my journals and I went against my fear, pride, reluctance—whatever it was—and sent over 450 handwritten pages to them. At that time my journals covered Genesis to II Chronicles 11:17.
My journals were full of my personal thoughts; our prayers for my sister and brother-in-law; the story of Jane (Her Name Was Jane); and what God had taught us during this time. But most important of all, it was full of God's Word. At the exact same time as when my journals were being prepared, I am reading (and writing) about Ezra 6, and the Exploration Verses send me to Acts 26:17–18.
What I KNOW is this: God sent me (my journals) and we are protected from our own people and others!
Next Entry: Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)
As Paul was saying all these things, Festus spoke up and accused Paul of being crazy. Everything Paul was talking about and explaining to them was totally foreign to Festus. Paul replied, I am not crazy. Everything you have heard me say is true and sensible. King Agrippa, what about you? You've heard about these things. I can speak freely to you. Do you believe in what the prophets wrote? I know you believe. The king replied, "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time?" And Paul said, "Whether it is a short time or a long time, I pray to God that not only you but every person listening to me today would be saved and be like me except for the chains." (Acts 26:29)
Then everyone who was gathered in the room—all the important people—stood up and left the room. Talking to each other they said, "There is no reason why this man should die or be put in jail." (Acts 26:31) They could have left him go free, but Paul had asked to be heard by Caeser. God's plan was not yet done. Remember what God said to Paul when he came and stood beside him? Acts 23:11 - "Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome." It was not yet time for it to be over—Paul must go to Rome. Look at all the people who were hearing God's message because of the situation Paul was in. From outside appearances, it looked like Paul was being punished by man. But contrary to what it looked like, Paul was in the center of God's Will and he was being used by God to further His Kingdom purposes.
On 11/27/10, I was reading in Ezra 6. The Life Lesson Exploration verses included Acts 26:17–18. "I will keep you safe from your own people and also from the others. I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those people who have been made holy by believing in me." I read those words at the exact time we were preparing to send to my sister and brother-in-law over 450 handwritten pages of this journal.
The reason we had to prepare and send my journal was because the judge reopened discovery for a short time and "journals" were included in the long list of discoverable items. I'd never kept a journal before and was wishing I wouldn't have started one when I realized it was part of what was discoverable. I began keeping a journal in 2009 after feeling strongly led ("pressed in the Spirit") to chronicle my thoughts and prayers while reading through the Bible. The thought of sending our enemy my very personal writings, prayers, and thoughts was nauseating. (I paused when I wrote the word "enemy" because it seems like a such a strong word. But what other word do you use to describe someone who is actively trying to destroy you? We do not have enemy thoughts towards them, but there sure is enemy actions from them.)
Oh, how I did not want to send my journals to my sister. I knew she would parse every word and every thought would be analyzed to see it they could find something to use against us. But, even though it was very upsetting, I was not going to go down a path of lies, whether by words or by omission. So, I told our lawyers about my journals and I went against my fear, pride, reluctance—whatever it was—and sent over 450 handwritten pages to them. At that time my journals covered Genesis to II Chronicles 11:17.
My journals were full of my personal thoughts; our prayers for my sister and brother-in-law; the story of Jane (Her Name Was Jane); and what God had taught us during this time. But most important of all, it was full of God's Word. At the exact same time as when my journals were being prepared, I am reading (and writing) about Ezra 6, and the Exploration Verses send me to Acts 26:17–18.
"I will keep you safe from your own people and also from the others. I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn away from darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those people who have been made holy by believing in me."Wow! Wow! A thousand times—WOW! God gave us a voice and a captive audience even though the world would say we are the captive ones. His Words went out. Their response to His words is not determined or controlled by us. (See tomorrow's journal entry.) Their initial response was like that of Festus towards Paul. They basically accused me of being crazy and homicidal. They said they were fearful of me and would seek a restraining order against me if they lived closer to us. Their lawyer followed suit and said he was fearful of me as well and if we ever needed to meet it would have to be in a secure location where I would have to be searched and go through a metal detector.
What I KNOW is this: God sent me (my journals) and we are protected from our own people and others!
Next Entry: Acts 21 – 28 (Continued)
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