Saturday, June 19, 2021

BLESSINGS IN TRAVELING MINISTRIES

My Dear Precious Child,
    While defending himself before the high priests and elders in the temple in Jerusalem, Paul continued with his testimony about his life as a Jew, his persecution of the followers of Jesus Christ, his conversion experience and his ministry, plus he called himself a good citizen and a loyal Jew.  The high priest Ananias ordered those men who stood with Paul to strike him in the mouth.  In answer to the command of the high priest, Paul told him that I was about to strike him and he called the high priest a whitewashed wall.  Paul asked him if he was going to judge Paul in accordance with the Law and yet he was in rebellion against the Law when he ordered Paul to be struck.  The men present commanded Paul not to insult the high priest of God, to which Paul quoted the Law that said not to speak evil of a ruler. 
    Paul suddenly was cognizant of the fact that the listeners in the court of the high priest were all Sadducees and Pharisees.  He cried out to them that he is a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee, and it was with that hope in the resurrection of the dead that he was indicted and being judged.  With that confession, a disagreement broke out between the two religious and political factions over whether there is a resurrection after death. The Sadducees believed that there was no resurrection but the Pharisees believed in a resurrection.  The Pharisees stood up in support of Paul because he was of like political and religious doctrine as them. They said that they must not rail against Paul because it might have been an angel who spoke through his mouth and they did not want to fight with Me or an angel of Mine.
    As the disagreement became a real fight, the commander became afraid that the crowd might tear Paul in pieces so he ordered the troops to take Paul forcibly from the crowd and take him to the barracks.  That same night I appeared to Paul and told him that just like he was faithful in witnessing in Jerusalem that he would also be a witness in Rome in front of the court there.   At daybreak 40 of the Jews formed a plot together to capture Paul and swore in an oath to perform the curse on him of killing him.  They told the high priest about their plan to kill Paul, and he approved.  However, Paul's sister overheard the plans about the plot, and her son went to the office of the commander and told him about the plot, that the Jews were going to trick the commander into believing that they were taking Paul to the office of the Sanhedrin in order to question him even further, but their real plan was to dispose of Paul. 
    The commander took the news from Paul's sister's son to heart and planned that at an earlier hour his men would have 200 footmen, 70 horsemen and 200 spear men at an early hour swoop Paul away to the safety of the palace of the governor in Caesarea on the way to Rome.  He wrote a letter to accompany Paul and the rescuing party to be handed to Felix, the governor, relating to Paul's arrest according to the Law of the Jews.  He explained that Paul was a Jew which complicated matters.  Felix read the letter upon the arrival of Paul and the rescue party and declared that he would hear Paul's case the next day, ordering that their eyes be kept constantly on Paul in Herod's palace.  (Acts 23:1-35)
     The spreading of My Gospel to the Gentiles was utmost in My mind and Paul was the vessel through whom I had chosen to do the work.  It took My divine orchestration to get Paul to the areas to where his ministry would be well received, among not only the Jews but also to the Gentiles to whom I had given Paul the ministry of reconciling the Gentiles to Me.
    Your Father of Divine Orchestration                   

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