THE KING’S BUSINESS
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tion that he must proclaim at Rome, the very center of human life in those days. Many .a preacher and Christian is saying today, “I must see Rome; I must see Lon don ; I must see Paris; I must see Chicago. ’ Is our “must” like Paul’s “must?” Is it because we long to tell out the message? Would that there were more men who cried, “I must see this city or that,” and cried it because they mu^ reach there and save some. A little while after this the Lord answered to Paul’s “I must also see Rome,” “Be of good cheer, Paul; thou must also bear witness at Rome” (ch. 23:11). It is a great thing to have the Lord say “Amen” to our plans, and this He will do if those plans are “in the Spirit.” Though Paul had settled his plans and had taken the pre liminary steps for their execution, he could await God’s time for going ahead, so hav ing sent Timothy and Erastus into Mace donia, “he himself stayed in Asia for a season.” This is a lesson many have not learned; as soon as they think a thing is the will of God they think they must go ahead and do it at once, but that does riot necessarily follow. God has His own time as well as His own purpose, and if we .do not wait on Him we may go ahead of the Lord even in the Lord’s work. God still had ,a testimony for Paul to give in Ephesus. Thursday, March 15 . A cts 19 : 23 - 25 . Paul had had wonderful success in Ephesus (vs. 10-12, 18-20), but he must also have testing before he leaves. It might seem to us that it would have been better for Paul to leave in the full blaze of his success, but God looks at things quite dif ferently from what we do. Shortly after this “there arose no small stir concerning the way.” The Gospel Way is surely to create a stir sooner or later. Men do not realize all its bearings and all its demands at once, so they receive it quite calmly and even favorably, but Demetrius will sooner or later wake up to the fact that it touches his business, then look out.' The Gospel faithfully and fully preached, will stir up
in the conversion of clairvoyants, mediums, fortune tellers, palmists^ and all the other horde of servants of the devil who are making such inroads into our modern social life. Wednesday, March 14 . A cts 19 : 21 , 22 . We are told here that Paul “purposed in the spirit.” In both the Authorized and Revised Versions “spirit” is written with a §mall s, but it should be written with a large S. This expression “in the Spirit” is commonly used of the Holy Spirit and not of our own spirit (Rom. 8:9; 14:7; 1 Cor. 14:2 ; Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 6:18; Col. 1 :8 ;j Jude 20). “In spirit” without the definite article is used of our own spirit. Happy is the man who purposes “in the Spirit” and not by the direction. of his own desire. We should pray “in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:18); we should worship “in the Spirit” (Phil. 3:9); we should “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16), but nothing is more important than that we should purpose “in the Spirit.” The reason why “the best laid plans of men” “gang so aft aglee” is because they are not' formed “in the Spirit,” i.e., under His inspiration and guidance (cf. Acts 16:6-10; 20:22 ; 2 Sam. 3:37). There are many who would have us believe that Paul’s purpose to go to Jerusalem was of his own self will and that he made a great mistake, but God Himself tells Us that this purpose was “in the Spirit.” As Paul fromed this purpose “in the Spirit” he said, “After I have been to, Jerusalem, I must also see Rome.” How little he dreamed of the way God would take to get him to Rome and into the very house of the Emperor. If you will let the Spirit mould your purpose you can safely leave the details of the plans to God for Him to work them out. "I must see Rome.” Why, Paul? Do you long for the novelty of travel? Is there a craving to behold the architectural wonders of the eternal city ? Listen to his answer: “As much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel at Rome also (Rom. 1:15). Ah, Paul’s heart was so on fire with the great message of salva
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