BLESSINGS FROM FOLLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT

My Dear Precious Child,
     Paul had been apprised by the Holy Spirit on what to happen to him in Jerusalem when he arrived there.  On his voyage there he made many stops to see the followers of the Good News and to tell them about his fate.  When he stopped in Caesarea at the home of the evangelist Philip while there a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea and upon entering the room he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands with the belt and prophesied by the Holy Spirit that the man who owned the belt would be bound in Jerusalem by the Jews and that they would deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. (Acts 21:1-11)  When the disciples heard that prophesy, they tried to encourage Paul not to travel on to Jerusalem because of what would happen to him there. (verse 12)
    Upon hearing their protests, Paul told them that they were breaking his heart, but that he knew what laid ahead of him and that it was his delight to be arrested, bound, imprisoned and even to die for the Lord Jesus.  The protestors knew that they could not dissuade him, so they stopped in their protests and proclaimed that My will would be done.
    When Paul arrived at Jerusalem he went to visit with James and all of the elders of the church there.  Paul gave a detailed account about all of the converts he had made and also the miracles of the Holy Spirit done through his hands.  The elders of the church were astounded, praising Me for the works of Paul with the Jews and Gentiles.  Then they told Paul that the rumor was that Paul was neither requiring circumcision of believers nor following the Law of Moses.   They told him that they had appointed four men who would shave their heads to indicate that the laws were being followed by Paul's followers. (Acts 21:12-24)   They also told Paul that they had sent a letter to the Gentiles with instructions that they did not need to be circumcised, but they needed to refrain from eating food sacrificed to idols, not to drink blood and not to eat any meat from a strangled animal and to refrain from sexual impurities.  
   Soon some Jews caught sight of Paul teaching in the temple and they incited a riot and laid hands on him, shouting that he was the man who was encouraging people to reject the Law of Moses and that he had actually brought Greeks into the temple and the inner court.  The whole city was aroused  and the people rushed together, laid hands on Paul and drug him outside of the temple, closing the gates.  While they were trying to kill him, a Roman officer became angry, took his soldiers to the riot and made them stop beating Paul.   Then the commander approached and arrested Paul, ordered him chained, and required whom he was and what he had done to deserve such treatment.  The crowd kept yelling so much that the commander couldn't figure out what was the problem so he commanded that Paul be taken to the barracks.  Paul was carried up the steps by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.  The mass of people followed demanding that Paul be killed.  Paul asked the commander if he could address the crowd, saying that he was a Jew from Tarsus and he again begged to address the crowd.  
    The man granted Paul permission to address the crowd and Paul told the crowd that he was going to appeal to them.  Because he addressed them in Hebrew, the crowd became quiet and listened.  He told them his heritage and that he was an officer who harassed the believers of the Way unto their death, putting some in chains and in prison, men and women.  He said that he was on his way to get equipment for chaining when he heard a Voice from heaven asking why Paul was persecuting Him.  Paul continued on with every iota of his testimony in his meeting with Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus and his testimony of being baptized and also he told about Stephen's testimony.  The people listened intently until he told them about My instructions to him about going to the Gentiles.  As that point they turned on Paul and insisted that he was not fit to live, and they threw their clothes at him and continued with rioting.  
    The commander ordered that Paul be put into the barracks, that he be examined for a beating in order to learn why the crowd was so against him.  When they started at him with leather straps, Paul asked if it was legal for them to beat a Roman citizen without a trial?  The commander asked if he was a Roman citizen to which Paul replied yes.  The commander said that he had purchased his own citizenship for a price but Paul attested that he was born a Roman.  Instantly the crowd moved back and stopped in their flogging actions.  The commander was frightened that Paul might actually be a Roman citizen and he had already put him in chains.
   The next day the commanders unbound Paul and ordered the chief priests and their council to assemble and he brought Paul down and placed him before them.   Paul had been harassed, arrested, beaten, and chained for no reason, per his vision of what was to happen to him in Jerusalem and the confirmation from the prophet.  
   Jesus had told his followers that when the Holy Spirit came that He would lead them into all truth and show them things to come.  Paul was a good example of it.  My Spirit prepared him for what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem, much to the chagrin of his followers. The plans had been laid out before the foundation of the world and the stage was set for Paul's death and martyrdom.  
    My Holy Spirit does not leave My children without comfort.  He is your Comforter, your Truth and your Peace.   
    Your Father of Divine Love