There is a level of intimacy with Jesus that few of us ever discover. It is not that we aren’t all capable of reaching it; we are. The problem is we are not all willing to pay the cost to achieve it. This level of intimacy is only found by those willing to obediently surrender to Christ as Lord regardless of the cost.
It does not happen overnight. It is a journey to maturity that one will travel till the day that they die. In fact, the journey may very well lead them to their death. We see this level of commitment in the apostles in Acts. They are persistent in prayer. Sacrificial in their service. Compliant in every circumstance. And obedient at every occasion.
This is the level of devotion that had been embraced by the Apostle Paul in Acts 20. The Holy Spirit was giving him clear direction for his life. We read in Acts 20:22–24 (CSB) ““And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit, not knowing what I will encounter there, 23 except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me. 24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.”
The word compelled is a Greek word that means to be forced or controlled. Interestingly, it is the same word that is used to describe the work that Saul had undertaken when he was persecuting the church. In Acts nine this word speaks of arresting and imprisoning the saints. Now in Chapter 20 it is Paul who is imprisoned by the Holy Spirit.
Paul embraces his call to go to Jerusalem even though he knows that some sort of persecution awaits him. In the coming chapters we will follow Paul as he is arrested, threatened, put on trial, shipwrecked, taken to Rome and ultimately will one day will die for his faith in the One he once persecuted. Paul wholeheartedly embraced this destiny because of the level of intimacy he had developed with Jesus his Lord.
Where is your intimacy? When is the last time you persisted in prayer when you faced a struggle and felt persecution? How often have you refused the Spirit’s call to service because you were unwilling to make the sacrifice? What divine circumstances have been circumvented because of your reluctance to comply to God’s clear directive? When is the last occasion that you were obedient to the calling of Christ regardless of the cost?
God is longing for a level of intimacy in your life that is compelling. Paul embraced his purpose. Have you?
Dear God, create within me a desire for intimacy that takes my focus off myself and shifts it totally to the course of ministry to which I am called. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT SCHEDULE Tonight!
Contact Amy if you need information on how to meet in our Zoom rooms.
Family Meeting Sunday, May 17 at 5 PM
We will have our Family Meeting on Sunday night. Look for an email with attachments and link for the Zoom meeting.
Guidelines for Worship
The Guidelines for worship have been sent to members via e-mail. We will resume Sunday Morning Worship on May 24th. Next Wednesday May 20th we will have a special Worship at 7 PM to work through the process of using these guidelines.
Items needed for Food Collection Week of May 4-8
Cereal
Pop Tarts
Oatmeal
Granola Bars/Fruit Snacks
Packs of Cookies
Peanut Butter
Mac/Cheese
Canned Vegetables
Tuna/Tuna Helper
Pancake Mix
Dinty Moore Stew/Ravioli
Chef Boyardee Pizza Kits
VBS on the Road
We are looking for volunteers to lead and/or host 2-hour day camps in subdivisions around our area during the month of July. If you are interested in teaching or hosting, please contact Bro. Mark. mark@pinerbaptist.org