“We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.” (Acts 21:4 NLT)
Have you ever had someone prophesy over you? How did it affect you? Did what they said in their prophecy happen?
Recently, as I was reading through the Book of Acts, I came across some verses that I’ve likely read dozens, if not hundreds of times, yet, what I saw had escaped me on every other reading. So, what did I see? As Paul was on his way back to what would prove to be his last visit to Jerusalem, he visited some of the churches he’d helped to establish. On two separate occasions different ones prophesied that Paul should not go to Jerusalem – that God had made it clear to them that he should not go to Jerusalem.
The first stop was at Tyre, then when they stopped at Ptolemais, a prophet named Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound his own hands and feet, then said: “The Holy Spirit declares, ‘So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.’”
Pretty impressive reasons not to go to Jerusalem, right? Not for Paul! Acts 21:15 says: “After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem.” What’s my point? Sometimes God will speak to us with such certainty that even when dear friends who pray on our behalf and God makes it clear to them that something they perceive as harmful to us is coming if we maintain our course, if God has made His will clear to us, even the angels of heaven should not be able to dissuade us from carrying it out.
It reminded me of how quick we are to “rethink” what God has told us when the sands of people’s opinions shift around us. The Lord will make His will known to us, and when He does, we can’t allow the enemy to use even very good-intentioned, believing friends to prevent us from carrying out God’s will.
Paul had certainty, not only of what the Lord had revealed, but that the prophecies that were given about his future were exactly right, but it didn’t change his mind or cause him to divert his course. I believe there are at least two lessons here for us.
First, we have to take the time and make the effort to hear from God for ourselves. There’s no doubt in my mind that Paul labored over days, weeks, perhaps years before he had a clear word from the Lord. It wasn’t a hasty decision for him to go to Jerusalem, but he had certainty, not only WHAT he must do, but WHY he must go, and he was willing to pay whatever price to carry out the will of God.
If you think about it, it’s not like Paul hadn’t already suffered, beatings, stoning, harsh treatments of many kinds, but they were just the precursors of what was to come. He was happy to preach to whomever would listen, but the Lord had let him know early on that he would have an audience with kings and royalty who also needed to hear the Truth of who Jesus is and what He accomplished on the Cross.
That’s the second truth with which we must wrestle. Who’s MY audience? Who are the ones with whom the Lord has appointed me to share the Truth? I love Ray Comfort and he has an impressive ministry. I’ve learned from him and admire him, but I’m not him. God didn’t call me to be Ray Comfort, but to be Ed Hager. Likewise, God didn’t call you to be anyone but YOU and to follow the demands of God on YOUR life, no one else’s.
God’s will for you is for YOU. The path He’s chosen for you is yours to walk, not anyone else’s. Regardless of what anyone tells you regarding what God told them to tell you to do, believe what the Lord tells you Himself. Therein lies the certainty for which you can give your life.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 