Acts 21:1-6\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0After we\u00a0had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.\u00a02\u00a0We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,\u00a0went on board and set sail.\u00a03\u00a0After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria.\u00a0We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.\u00a04\u00a0We sought out the disciples\u00a0there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit\u00a0they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.\u00a05\u00a0When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.\u00a06\u00a0After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cAfter we\u00a0had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos.\u00a0\u00a0The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0This refers to\u00a0Acts 20:36-38<\/b>\u00a0where Paul was saying goodbye to the Ephesian believers at Miletus.\u00a0\u00a0They were distressed that they would not again see their beloved mentor Paul.\u00a0\u00a0They would have preferred he just stay with them.\u00a0\u00a0They wanted to hold onto him.\u00a0\u00a0Though they loved him greatly, Paul had to remove their hands and sail on to a very understood troublesome future.\u00a0\u00a0I can think of a time of having to release a greatly loved one.\u00a0\u00a0It is never easy and can be tortuous.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,\u00a0went on board and set sail.\u00a03\u00a0After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria.\u00a0We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe sought out the disciples\u00a0there and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit\u00a0they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Although Paul was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem in order to be there at Pentecost, at Tyre the ship that he was on needed to unload and load cargo and that was going to take seven days.\u00a0\u00a0So Paul sought disciples to minister to.\u00a0\u00a0No vacationing for him.\u00a0\u00a0The word \u201caneurisk\u014d\u201d translated here as\u00a0\u201csought out<\/i>\u201d is more descriptive than \u201cfinding\u201d in the KJV.\u00a0\u00a0The word is used to express to find out by actively searching.\u00a0\u00a0It is the same word used to describe how the shepherds searched until they found the newborn Messiah (Luke 2:8-16<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0So here Paul arrives and must wait seven days for loading and unloading of the ship\u2019s cargo.\u00a0\u00a0He certainly deserved a break. But he did not do that he actively sought out Believers in the area so that he could minister to them.\u00a0\u00a0We should all have God fully on our minds that we seek out other Believers even when we travel.\u00a0\u00a0Going to be in another town, state, or country?\u00a0\u00a0Visit a bible believing church and enjoy finding out that wherever we go in the world there are those who love and seek Jesus using the same Word that we use.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is wonderful to experience the love of God through those from other areas of the world.\u00a0\u00a0We are all Brothers and Sisters, loving God and His Word and it is a great comfort to experience that.<\/p>\n
Again Paul was warned that in Jerusalem he would face life threatening danger.\u00a0\u00a0The Believers in Tyre who had the gift of prophecy warned him of the danger.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul heard it, and believed it, but went anyway.\u00a0\u00a0We know how it ended up for Paul.\u00a0\u00a0So was Paul wrong for not heeding the admonition of those who told him not to go to Jerusalem?\u00a0\u00a0No, he was not.\u00a0\u00a0We see that those who prophesied gave a true prophecy that would come true.\u00a0\u00a0No doubt about that.\u00a0\u00a0However, these Believers then, loving Paul, drew the wrong conclusion.\u00a0\u00a0Sure, Paul faced danger, but the Holy Spirit never told them to tell Paul not to go.\u00a0\u00a0The Holy Spirit was informing and preparing Paul for what would happen when he got there.\u00a0\u00a0Those of us who have the gift of prophecy must be careful to add nothing to what God gives.\u00a0\u00a0If God gives us a warning, then warn.\u00a0\u00a0But if God gives a warning but no direction, then don\u2019t feel the need to give advice.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Even if asked for advice only respond that you may give your own advice as requested, but that the advice comes from you and not from God.\u00a0\u00a0So Paul again heard that danger awaited him in Jerusalem, but he knew that it was the will of God for him to go there.\u00a0\u00a0After all, Jesus knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem, but He would live out the will of God that He was called to do.\u00a0\u00a0Paul was in very good company. People who love us will warn us and declare that avoiding danger is the Word of God, however, that is very often just their love talking, which is so wonderful, but also it may not be the will of God.<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.\u00a06\u00a0After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0As in Miletus, the disciples worried for Paul and did not want him to go.\u00a0\u00a0As in Miletus, Paul knew what he must do and that he did.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s consider if the brothers and sisters that were present with Paul regretted walking out to the beach with him?\u00a0\u00a0They had expended their energy, some surely gotten tired, sore and hurting, and some of them probably had complaining kids with them.\u00a0\u00a0But they came.\u00a0\u00a0And they were blessed and we can be sure that not one of them wished they had not been there to see Paul off.\u00a0\u00a0Even their kids would remember the great moment.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s visualize it, they were with the great Apostle Paul and a host of others whom God greatly used to encourage and build them all up in the faith.\u00a0\u00a0Before he died Paul would write most of the New Testament.\u00a0\u00a0Perhaps he prayed and the Lord healed some, or many of them.\u00a0\u00a0After spending this time with him they went to the beach at the Mediterranean Sea, knelt in the sand, and prayed together.\u00a0\u00a0Wow!\u00a0\u00a0Which one of us would turn down an experience like that?\u00a0\u00a0What a blessing!\u00a0\u00a0Family, today, every day, God has blessings for us.\u00a0\u00a0We will miss every blessing if we don\u2019t show up where God wants us to be.\u00a0\u00a0Every one.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s not fail to continue to meet together and hunger for the blessings that God will pour forth.\u00a0Hebrews 10:25<\/b>\u00a0tells us \u201cnot giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.\u201d By putting other things before church, or bible study, or just fellowshipping over dinner and praising God we miss out on blessings.\u00a0\u00a0And when we continually put the kid\u2019s events before meeting together to praise God, then we not only rob ourselves of great blessings, but we, yes we, rob our kids of those blessings.\u00a0\u00a0And we train them that other things are more important.\u00a0\u00a0We all should be wise.\u00a0\u00a0Nothing before God!\u00a0\u00a0In all things let us praise and honor our God! (1 Corinthians 10:31<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Praise God!<\/p>\n Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God<\/i>.<\/p>\n Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Acts 21:1-6\u00a0–\u00a0After we\u00a0had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Kos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.\u00a02\u00a0We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia,\u00a0went on board and set sail.\u00a03\u00a0After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,129,104,106,94,1874,17],"class_list":["post-1996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-corinthians","tag-hebrews","tag-luke","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1996"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1997,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1996\/revisions\/1997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}