The good news of God’s grace

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Always With Me

iAmSon

Today is Tuesday the 19th of May, in the seventh week of Easter.

iAmSon sings, ‘Always With Me’. Can you make these your own words of prayer today?

I can make through the day

When you're with me on the way

In my heart and mind you'll stay

I can make it through the night

When I'm clinging to your light

You will make the darkness bright

For you are always, always with me

For you are always, always with me

In the calm and in the storm

When it seems I'm all alone

It's your hand I find to hold

In each hour of unrest

When it seems I've nothing left

You speak peace in every breath

For you are always, always with me

For you are always, always with me

In the morning, in the evening

When I'm waking, when I'm sleeping

When I'm arriving, when I'm leaving

You will have me in your keeping

Even from my mothers womb

Never hidden from your view

I was always known to you

When I fade away in death

You will catch my final breath

You will take me to my rest

For you are always, always with me

For you are always, always with me

3:20

Today’s reading is from the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 20:17-27

From Miletus [Paul] sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. When they came to him, he said to them:

‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I did not shrink from doing anything helpful, proclaiming the message to you and teaching you publicly and from house to house, as I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus. And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. But I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace.

‘And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. Therefore, I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.’

5:29

This is a moving and heartfelt farewell account, with mentions of tears, imprisonment, faith, the good news of God’s grace... first of all, notice what is staying with you from hearing the passage.

Paul refers to himself as “a captive to the Spirit”. Is this something you’ve ever said of yourself? Notice what this idea stirs in you...

As you listen to the passage again, try to get a sense of Paul’s “holy indifference”; his openness to lay his life in the hands of God.

8:21

Acts 20:17-27

From Miletus [Paul] sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. When they came to him, he said to them:

‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the entire time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I did not shrink from doing anything helpful, proclaiming the message to you and teaching you publicly and from house to house, as I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus. And now, as a captive to the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me. But I do not count my life of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace.

‘And now I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom, will ever see my face again. Therefore, I declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.’

10:21

How might you “testify to the good news of God’s grace” in the way you live? Speak with the Lord about this now, as one friend speaks to another.

12:24

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen