Paul’s Disagreement with the Prophet………

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Paul’s Disagreement with the Prophet

June 21

“Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles'” (Acts 21:10,11).

In Acts 21, we find an interesting scene involving Paul, the disciples and a prophet named Agabus. Agabus tied Paul’s hands and feet in a prophetic act to dramatize the word of prophecy he was going to give Paul that he would be bound and persecuted in Jerusalem. The leaders concluded from this that Paul was not to go to Jerusalem. However, Paul disagreed.

“When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus'” (Acts 21:4-14).

Was Paul acting in disobedience to the counsel of others and even the Holy Spirit’s confirmation by other believers? If so, does that mean that Paul was not to go? By his response, Paul seemed to know something the others didn’t. He didn’t disagree with the prophecy, he disagreed with the interpretation.

It is always the individual’s responsibility to interpret the meaning and action required from counsel from others. This is not the role of the prophetic gifts of others. He is the messenger, the recipient needs to determine the action required from the message.

There is no reason to think that Paul went to Jerusalem in violation of the will of God. The prophetic forecasts were not prohibitions from the Holy Spirit but forewarnings of what lay ahead. Paul’s friends tried to dissuade him from risking his life; but the apostle remained steadfast in accomplishing his mission that he believed was from God in spite of personal danger.

The important lesson for us is to understand that doing the will of God does not always have a positive outcome. If it did, we would make decisions based only on perceived outcome. This is not a biblical way of making decisions. Jesus was obedient to the cross.

Self-exploratory surgery………

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June 21
Self-exploratory surgery
For reading & meditation: Proverbs 23:15-25
“Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.” (v.23)

Charles Swindoll tells how many years ago in New York a doctor by the name of Evan O’Neill became convinced that most major operations could be performed while patients were under a local anesthetic, thereby avoiding the risks of general anesthesia. On February 15th, 1921, he operated on himself and removed his appendix while under a local anesthetic. The operation was a success and it was said that he recovered faster than usually expected of patients who given general anesthesia. Today I invite you to undertake some self-exploratory surgery of the soul. While fully conscious and fully aware, allow the Holy Spirit to assist you by handing you the only instrument you need for soul surgery – the germ-free scalpel of Scripture. “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). This is not just an interesting idea, it is a required command of Scripture: “But let a man examine himself ‘” (1 Cor. 11:28, NKJV). In God’s presence right now, ask yourself: Am I honest? Am I a person of integrity? Can my word be trusted? Remember, only you can do this surgery on your soul – only you. No one else but you knows the truth about yourself. You can rationalize and twist the facts and no one will know the difference – except you. And remember, too, there can be no wisdom without morality, no expertise in living without truth and honesty. The wise are those who have integrity.
Prayer:
Father, I realize that when truth is not within me there is as much pain as with a diseased appendix. Help me see this tension as Your protest. By Your Word, and through Your Spirit, right now cut away in me all that is untrue and dishonest. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.
For further study:
1. What advice was given to Solomon?
2. Why not seek the Lord afresh today?

Gun News …

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NY TIMES
Michael Bloomberg Will Spend $80 Million on the Midterms. His Goal: Flip the House external site

Michael R. Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, has decided to throw his political clout and personal fortune behind the Democratic campaign to take control of the House of Representatives this year, directing aides to spend tens of millions of dollars in an effort to expel Republicans from power. Mr. Bloomberg — a political independent who has championed left-of-center policies on gun control, immigration and the environment — has approved a plan to pour at least $80 million into the 2018 election, with the bulk of that money going to support Democratic congressional candidates, advisers to Mr. Bloomberg said.

TOWNHALL.COM
LOL: The NRA’s Social Media Team Obliterates Shannon Watts’ Trolling Attempt external site

On Monday, the National Rifle Association posted a meme encouraging its members to carry their firearm.  Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts instantly took the tweet to mean that a man was now running the gun rights group’s social media accounts. Why? Because what woman would willingly encourage women to “gain weight?”

“Not Today”

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thewriterinblack's avatarThe Writer in Black

Many years ago, in an online discussion, the late Dr. Jerry Pournelle said that the purpose of the military presence in Europe was to get the Warsaw pact leaders (which, in truth meant the Soviet Union leaders) to look across the field at the forces arrayed against them, to look at their own forces, at their maps, then again at the forces on the other side and say “not today.”

That also describes the purpose of an armed citizenry.

Some people are dismissive of the idea of an armed citizenry as a weapon against tyranny because “the government has drones, and tanks, and bombers, and nukes, and… You rednecks and your assault rifles can’t possibly stand against that.”

The problem is, as we learned in Vietnam, and seem to keep having to relearn in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, all that military hardware and technology is great when it comes…

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Civilians Stop Mass Murder- the real news you didn’t see

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Rob Morse's avatarSlowFacts

I research news stories of civilian self-defense. These important events receive relatively little media coverage. We had some important cases in just the last few weeks. I’ll give you the details, but first let me explain why these stories are important to understand.

Timeline-  There are about 20 million citizens licensed to carry a concealed weapon in public. Per person, there are more armed civilians in states like Indiana and Alabama than in states like New Jersey and California. On average, an armed civilian is much closer to you than the police. That matters when time is critical.

Violent attacks come as a surprise.

“Bang.” What was that? Was it a gunshot?

“Bang” That guy is shooting people. What should I do?

Most people run. Some armed defenders will move toward the gunfire and stop the attacks. That is what good guys do.

If you are a disarmed civilian then…

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