August 23, 2020 Acts cont....Proverbs cont....

 Acts 20 cont..

Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul abroad. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene, The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 

Pentecost:

the Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter.

IT HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER RESURRECTION: 

WILL YOU CELEBRATE NEXT YEAR?

THEY PRAYED IN THE UPPER ROOM

A LOT OF PEOPLE ATTEND CHURCH DURING THIS TIME; IF IT IS GOD'S WILL AND I AM SURE IT IS,  2021 MANY WILL SEEK AND ASK FOR THE GIFT OF GOD! 

the Jewish festival of Shavuoth.

Pentecost is one of the Great Feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church, 

a Solemnity in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, 

a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, 

and a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion. 

Many Christian denominations provide a special liturgy for this holy celebration.

Date: 49 days after Easter

From Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish components. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace. 

Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.....

God's will 

God willing

His Purpose

His plan

Paul went from a persecutor to be being the persecuted. 

Peter went from little confidence to great confidence. 

keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he brought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from among your number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to received"

When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement  that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. 

Proverbs 11

The Lord detest dishonest scales;

but accurate weight find favor with him.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, 

but with humility comes wisdom. 

The integrity of the upright guides them, 

but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. 

Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, 

but righteousness delivers from death. 

The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, 

but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. 

Phrases  seeem to repeat themselves..It is hard to overlooked what the writer  is saying.

The righteousness of the upright delivers them, 

but the unfaithful and trapped by evil desires.

Hopes placed in mortals will die with them, 

all the promise of their power comes to nothing. 

The righteous person is rescued from trouble, 

and it falls on the wicked instead. 

With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, 

but through knowledge the righteous escape. 

Most of the time when a person uses their mouth to destroy you they don't really know you. But it says by KNOWLEDGE the righteous escape.

Get to know people before we use our mouth to hurt others.

When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; 

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, 

but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

The words of our mouth builds up or tear down. 

A wicked mouth can destroy a whole city. 

Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, 

but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.

A gossip betrays a confidence, 

but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. 

For lack of guidance a nation falls, 

but victory is won through many advisers. 

Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, 

but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe. 

A kindhearted woman gains honor, 

but ruthless men gain only wealth. 

Have a great day!

Have a great day!