Grace and Peace 7/17/15

Day196 - Reading the New Testament in one year.

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Acts.20

Acts 20: 22-38

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 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 receive.’ ”

36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Supplied Life Devotional by Bill Freeman

July 17 
God's will for God

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and well pleasing and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2
Knowing God's will is sometimes a difficult thing for us as believers. We all want to find God's will for our life. But often the motivation in seeking God's will is self- centered. It is God's will for me, with the emphasis upon me. Of course, God has a will and purpose for each of us, but many times we may have no idea that God's will is for God! It is not just His will for me. It is His will for Himself.
Vision gives us the ability to prove what is not only the "good" but also the "well pleasing and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2 indicates that in order to prove the perfect will of God, we need the transformation that comes from the renewing of our mind. Transformation and mind- renewing are related to vision. The vision of the major things on God's heart automatically imparts the ability to prove the will of God.
Without vision, we will be trying to figure out what God's will is. Finding God's will for our life becomes a major pursuit. We look for some indication of His leading. We look for impressions. We are expecting that perhaps God will speak to us in a dream. We often are eagerly waiting for an open door. This is not to say that the Lord does not use various means to reveal His will to us, but many times we are seeking for something that has nothing to do with God's own will for Himself. We are without the overall vision of the mystery of His will, which is Christ and the church-- the governing vision of the universe. Let me illustrate. When I join the Army, I am under the direction of the big will of the Army. My decisions and my little will about where I live, how I spend my time, and when I am going on vacation are all within the scope of the big will. The big will is really the will that controls and directs my life. My little will moves within the sphere of the big will.
We all must know that there is a big will for every believer. That big will is Christ and the church! That is God's revealed will for you and for me. My little will-- who I am going to marry, where I am going to school, where I am going to live-- is to be discerned within the sphere of God's big revealed will. And this revealed will of God is identical to the heavenly vision that Paul obeyed. Thus, like Paul, we can prove and know the perfect will of God. It is vision that gives us the ability to prove it.

Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

Anna, Ariana, Ariel, Pat,  Rene, and Willie.

Health and Healing

Vonetta's mom and Willie

Support and Comfort

Praise Alert
Anna is out of the hospital.

National
Conflict between citizens and  police officer. 

International

Israel and Palestine
Iraq

Syrians

Ukraine

Missing plane and passengers.
Missing Nigerian Christian girls.
Families of slain Kenyans.
Families of all the recent plane crashes.

Song(s) of the Day
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