The Lord's Love

Acts 21:1-7 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara. 2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. 3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. 4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5 But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. 6 After saying good-bye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. 7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day.
 
THIS brief summary of Paul’s travels from Ephesus to Ptolemais confirms a network of churches had been established in the Roman Empire. We have seen certain pockets of Roman oppression, but generally speaking it was the ruling Jews who denounced and persecuted their own people who came to faith in Jesus.
   In some places the seed of Jesus’ gospel fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. In other regions, towns and territories the seed fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. (from Matthew 13:5 & 8)
   This has been the way of the church and will be until Jesus’ return. Our work is to keep spreading the gospel, and the Lord will determine the harvest.
    As Paul and Luke traveled to Jerusalem, they met with the disciples and the brothers in Tyre and then came to Ptolemais. In Tyre for seven days, Paul and Silas quickly formed a close bond with the church in Tyre. They, too, through the Spirit, urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. It seems the Holy Spirit revealed to the church in Tyre the trouble Paul would encounter in Jerusalem. But the Spirit did not say, “Don’t go.” to Paul. The church knew the danger Paul faced and wanted him to keep from Jerusalem.
   This is similar to the fearful disciples’ opposition to Jesus going to Jerusalem. Our Lord remained resolute, keeping in mind the things of God. (from Mark 8:33)
   We can observe in the church’s history very many people who obeyed God’s mission to uncertain, even unsafe territory, despite attempts to convince them to not go. Certainly well-meaning, loving and Spirit-led people have warned, “Be careful. You might have trouble. You would do better if you stayed home where you are accepted.” But God had put his purpose into his servants’ hearts, and they remained faithful to God. The entire church around the world must be grateful for the faithful who have said, “Here I am. Send me.”