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You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you Isa 26:3 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Saturday, January 18, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders [1] Bible Verse:Acts 20:17-24 (ESV) "ow from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”" Message:
Paul has called the elders of Ephesus to him for what appears to be a goodbye. He lived there for over two years and, from all the circumstances, we can deduce that the Ephesus church has become important. We get some flavor of how he spent his time there: he preached in public, and he went from house to house. Now he must go to Jerusalem, and it sounds ominous, rather parallel to Jesus returning to Jerusalem for trial and crucifixion.
The tone of this passage is consistent with other statements we have heard from Paul. He seems to border on self-glorification; he is never shy about telling how hard he has worked or what he has suffered. Still, he always adds that his work is nothing except for the good he has done in spreading the Word.
Paul is, in this sense, very much like anyone with significant achievements on earth. Pride is our nature. If we do work that appears great to other people, we will feel pride. We work for humility, and we are blessed by the humility we find in life. But as humans, we do not achieve perfection. We must admit our failings and ask for forgiveness, and Paul is in the same boat.
(Ephesus, in eastern Turkey, is a ruins but has been marvelously restored. It no longer lies on the sea; the shore has accreted greatly in 2000 years, and it is miles inland, but easy to reach from the port of Kusadasi. It is a wonderful place to visit if you even get the chance, one of the truly great restored ruins on earth. Many Aegean cruises have side trips to see it.)
Meditation : Prayer : Into your hands, O Lord, Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit. Bless me and all those who pray in.....Amen |
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