{"id":1998,"date":"2020-01-04T12:37:50","date_gmt":"2020-01-04T20:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1998"},"modified":"2020-01-04T12:37:50","modified_gmt":"2020-01-04T20:37:50","slug":"devotion-acts-217-16-jesus-more-than-all-else-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1998","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Acts 21:7-16 Jesus More Than All Else Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 21:7-16\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0We continued our voyage from Tyre\u00a0and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters\u00a0and stayed with them for a day.\u00a0<\/i>8\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea\u00a0and stayed at the house of Philip\u00a0the evangelist,\u00a0one of the Seven.\u00a0<\/i>9\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i>10\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus\u00a0came down from Judea.\u00a0<\/i>11\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>Coming over to us, he took Paul\u2019s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, \u201cThe Holy Spirit says,\u00a0\u2018In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind\u00a0the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.\u2019\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/i>12\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.\u00a0<\/i>13\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>Then Paul answered, \u201cWhy are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die\u00a0in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.\u201d\u00a0<\/i>14\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up\u00a0and said, \u201cThe Lord\u2019s will be done.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/i>15\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.\u00a0<\/i>16\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>Some of the disciples from Caesarea\u00a0accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus\u00a0and one of the early disciples.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We continued our voyage from Tyre\u00a0and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters\u00a0and stayed with them for a day.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0It was a short journey of about twenty-five miles from Tyre to Ptolemais.\u00a0\u00a0Upon arriving at Ptolemais they again sought out the brothers and sisters and ministered to them.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s note that it Paul did not \u201cburn out.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Not that didn\u2019t need alone time with Jesus, but that he kept going from the time he came to the Lord to when he was martyred in Rome.\u00a0\u00a0He headed to Jerusalem after a third missionary trip.\u00a0\u00a0It is true that he did have some time between his missionary trips, but here he is, after approximately thirty years of ministry still taking every opportunity to minister.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul did not burn out because he loved doing what the Lord had called him to.\u00a0\u00a0Yes, he did need breaks, spiritually and physically, he needed time to heal from the beatings and illnesses, but what burned in his heart was God\u2019s love for His people.\u00a0\u00a0We can be sure that even between the missionary trips Paul burned with a desire to minister to the flock of Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0In fact, he encouraged us to likewise to stoke the fires of our love to serve the Lord (Romans 12:11<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0When we love the flock of Jesus, even though they are a rambunctious head butting lot, we don\u2019t burn out.\u00a0\u00a0We must have the heart of a shepherd, just like another of the Lord\u2019s servants, King David.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea\u00a0and stayed at the house of Philip\u00a0the evangelist,\u00a0one of the Seven.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0They travelled from Ptolemais to Caesarea, which was about thirty miles.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Caesarea was where Peter had been taught the lesson that the Gospel was for all people, not just the Jews.\u00a0\u00a0(Acts 10<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0It was also where Philip the Evangelist had been sent by the Holy Spirit and He had made his home there.\u00a0\u00a0It should be noted that Philip was not the Apostle Philip, but one of the original first seven deacons (Acts 6:5<\/b>) who would later aptly become known as Philip the Evangelist.\u00a0\u00a0Philip had received very specific instruction to catch up with the Ethiopian Eunuch (whereupon the Ethiopian received Jesus as Savior and Lord) and then was whisked away by the Holy Spirit to Azotus and then to Caesarea.\u00a0\u00a0Philip had remained there and was still, some twenty years later, faithfully serving.<\/p>\n

\u201c9\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0At Caesarea Philip had raised four daughters.\u00a0\u00a0The NIV calls them what they were, unmarried daughters.\u00a0\u00a0However the KJV translates the original word\u00a0parthenos as \u201cvirgin.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0\u00a0The KJV seems to be a stronger translation.\u00a0\u00a0It is the same word translated as virgin when describing Mary, the mother of Jesus (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:27<\/b>).\u00a0\u00a0Why though it is important to call them virgins?\u00a0\u00a0It is not important in regards to their gifts of prophecy.\u00a0\u00a0Obviously married women may have the gift of prophecy just a younger unmarried woman may.\u00a0\u00a0The reason that they were described as virgins is to show that they lived virtuous lives.\u00a0\u00a0It is important to show their virtuous lives more in regards to Philip than to the daughters.\u00a0\u00a0It is a qualification in the word that deacons should have children who obey him and that would mean that Philip\u2019s daughters should also obey him and live according to the Word.\u00a0\u00a0(1 Timothy 3:1-7<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0So showing the virtue of his daughters showed that Philip had continued to be a qualified servant of God.\u00a0\u00a0Praise God!<\/p>\n

Family, what a great encouragement to know the unshakeable faith of Paul who was willing to suffer and die for the cause of Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0It is not that dying for a cause has merit in and of itself.\u00a0\u00a0Purposely dying for a wrong cause is foolishness and a waste.\u00a0\u00a0But dying to self and living for Jesus, now that is noble.\u00a0\u00a0Whether we live or whether we die being faithful to Jesus is our goal.\u00a0\u00a0We value our life with Him more than our life here on earth.\u00a0\u00a0Draw near to Jesus and let Him be what most highly pursue.\u00a0\u00a0Living for Jesus, or if necessary, dying for Jesus, is our highest calling.\u00a0\u00a0In it all, our God is good and loves us.\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 21:7-16\u00a0–\u00a0We continued our voyage from Tyre\u00a0and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters\u00a0and stayed with them for a day.\u00a08\u00a0Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea\u00a0and stayed at the house of Philip\u00a0the evangelist,\u00a0one of the Seven.\u00a09\u00a0He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.\u00a0\u00a010\u00a0After we had been there a number of days, a prophet…<\/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":[82,106,101,94,1874,17,10,2036],"class_list":["post-1998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-luke","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-psalm","tag-romans","tag-timothy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998","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=1998"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1999,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998\/revisions\/1999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}