May God open each of our hearts, this day, to pay attention to what God is saying to us.
Acts 16:12 "The Jews received Paul's message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said." The Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonicans! Oh to be known for nobility.
The beauty of Berea is incredible. Yet the true beauty of Paul's life was not honored here. Standing in Herod's House where Paul was persecuted and thrown into jail. The palace and surroundings is beyond compare. Only Paul's life is beyond comparison and he was persecuted for real beauty.
Acts 16:23 - The idolatry in Athens so angered Paul. He told them: "You take your religion seriously. I found one idol inscribed: 'To the God Nobody Knows.' Well, I'm here to introduce you to this God!! The God Who made the world and everything in it! He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! He is calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right."
As I sat on the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee, hearing the words "Blessed are the Meek..." I still ponder that moment and all the Followers both living and dead who have clung to those timeless words. Larry Crabb, my counselor and friend, opened his mouth and God filled it on this Mount...Psalm 81:10. There is one Truth from Larry that will stay with me for a long time. One thought persists. If I had to sum up in about 10 words what God has been doing in my life to grow me so much over the past four years, well here’s the powerfully short sentence. “You must now trust Truth, not your experience or your blessings.” Larry Crabb
The beauty of Berea is incredible. Yet the true beauty of Paul's life was not honored here. Standing in Herod's House where Paul was persecuted and thrown into jail. The palace and surroundings is beyond compare. Only Paul's life is beyond comparison and he was persecuted for real beauty.
Acts 16:23 - The idolatry in Athens so angered Paul. He told them: "You take your religion seriously. I found one idol inscribed: 'To the God Nobody Knows.' Well, I'm here to introduce you to this God!! The God Who made the world and everything in it! He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! He is calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right."
As I sat on the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee, hearing the words "Blessed are the Meek..." I still ponder that moment and all the Followers both living and dead who have clung to those timeless words. Larry Crabb, my counselor and friend, opened his mouth and God filled it on this Mount...Psalm 81:10. There is one Truth from Larry that will stay with me for a long time. One thought persists. If I had to sum up in about 10 words what God has been doing in my life to grow me so much over the past four years, well here’s the powerfully short sentence. “You must now trust Truth, not your experience or your blessings.” Larry Crabb
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