Happy Mondays with Paul!

Was that an awesome service yesterday or what Gals?!?! I don't know that I have cried like that in years...before I get started this morning, I just want us to praise God for what He is doing in our lives...we just need to stop what we are doing today and let Him know how thankful we are for His love and His guidance in our lives...God is so good! Again, words don't have the capacity for us to tell Him just how much we love Him do they? Happy Monday Ladies...it's a new week and a new beginning! Let's get started!

Acts 5:27-42
(Paraphrased)
The Apostles were brought to the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the High Priest. He said,"We gave you strict orders not to teach in His Name! Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." Peter and the other Apostle's replied," We must obey God rather than men!" The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead-whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree!" God exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.
When they heard this they were furious and wanted them put to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. Then he answered them:"Men of Israel consider carefully, what you intend to do to these men. Sometime ago Theudas appreared, claiming to be somebody, and about 400 men rallied to him. He was killed and all his followers were dispersed and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people to revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
His speech persuaded them. They called the Apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the Name of Jesus and let them go.
The Apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ!!!!!

AMEN to that!!!

Reflection:
Who are some of the people that have had the greatest influence on your life, and what do you most respect about them?

Name one or two of the best pieces fo Godly advice you've ever received. What has God enabled you to do (or protected you from doing) as a result of knowing and applying this?

One of the most awesome and wonderful concepts about the Word of God concerns the plan that He has for our lives. In Galatians 1:15, Paul descibed God as the One "who from my mother's womb set me apart and called me by His grace." YES! God had a plan for Saul from birth. Nothing in the young man's life would be a waste unless he refused to let God use it.
It's no wonder that Saul took a seat in the classroom of the rabbi Gamaliel, grandson of the great Hillel-names of considerable importance in the history of Judaism. Gamaliel continues to be so highly esteemed. He was referred to by the Jews as, "the beauty of the law."
All of Saul's religious training, his countless hours spent in Scripture and study, and his brilliance in spiritual matters would all be parts of God's ornate plan. God would use what Saul learned at the feet of Gamaliel, who was "clearly a remarkable man, the first to whom the title Rabban (Master) was given."
He was almost liberal in comparison to many of his contemporaries. Bighearted, wise, and open-minded, Gamaliel had been raised on the teachings of his grandfather Hillel, whose words often had a remarkable similarity to the Greatest Rabboni who would ever live, Jesus Christ. "Judge not thy neighbor until thou art in his place;...my abasement is my exaltation; he who wishes to make a name for himself loses his name;...what is unpleasnat to thyself that do not to thy neighbor; this is the whole Law, all else is but its exposition. Do those words sound familiar girls? God in His wonderful wisdom made sure that the law was taught to Saul with a touch of rare grace.
God included a sample of Gamamliel's teachings in the passage we read from Acts 5. During the early days of the young church, the Jewish officials wanted to put the Apostles to death but Gamaliel advised them: "Stay away from these men! Leave them alone! For if this plan is the work of men, it will be overthrown, but if it is the work of God then you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God! (vs. 38-39)
Obviously, Saul sat at the feet of one of Judaism's most grace-filled teachers.

Let's pray:
We love You Lord and we are so thankful to be a part of Your work Father. How honored we are for Your love and Your mercy. Knowing that You have Your mighty hand on our lives is more than our small minds can wrap around. Just being able to serve You is more than we deserve but to be able to do Your work and lead others to You is above and beyond what we can comprehend. We praise You! We love You! Lead us Lord, guide us Father, show us what You would have us to do to glorify Your Name... All of these things we ask in Your precious and Holy Name!

Amen!

I love you Girlies and I am praying for you all today!!

In Him We Remain,
Shana