Pray for Resolve!

Acts 21

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, July 30.

A short leadership update: the Governor of Indiana has extended us in Stage 4.5 until the end of August, the same timeline as the requirement to wear face masks. FBC continues to be in our modified Stage 4 with doors open at 9 am for an adult SS class from 9:15-10 am, as well as our normal public gathering at 10:30 am with even more space being created for you by streaming the service into the Youth Chapel. We ask that you please read through the guidelines provided by our local and state health partners and follow them, regarding both social distancing and face masks. Thank you for helping us create a safe place for all people. If you are not able to do this, for whatever reason, please know that we respect your personal decisions and continue to make the service available online.   

Here’s today’s devotion from Acts 21:

After having received an admonition to not return to Jerusalem (4), Paul receives a dramatic and direct prophetic message in Acts 21:10-14, “A prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ’ When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, ‘Let the will of the Lord be done.’”

So what is going on in this story? Agabus’ prophetic sign and message is recorded in the book of Acts as accurate, from God. The problem is not in verse 11 (the giving of the prophetic word and sign), but in verse 12: the friends and travel companions of Paul put their desire for his well-being and safety above God’s will for his life. They misapplied the reason God gave it to Paul and to them.

God gave this prophetic word to Paul to focus his mind and heart on doing God’s will; to call Paul deeper in counting the cost of his mission; to strengthen his resolve.

Seize the moment and ask God to give you the resolve to do His will. Pray that we all would have the resolve to follow Jesus faithfully in these difficult days.

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YOUTUBE:

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Videos are posted about a week after the devotion appears in the blog.