The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. John 1:9-10.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19.

As I read our chapter, Acts 23, I can’t help but wonder why the Jews in Paul’s day were so determined to kill him. And then I look around at our present world lying lost in the hate of the fallen one, the prince of this world; all he knows is hate and discord and condemnation and pride. That makes the love of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, so remarkable in its sharp contrast. Remember the Roman commander had the Council of the Jews brought before him to hear their charges against Paul. And Paul speaks…Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you white-washed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” v. 1-6. And that started an uproar between the groups because the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits. And because of that some of the Pharisees begin saying there is nothing wrong in Paul. The commander again intervenes and takes Paul to the barracks, v. 7-10. But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage, for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” v. 11. The Jews form a conspiracy under oath that 40 of them will neither eat nor drink until they have killed Paul. This was overheard by Paul’s sister’s son who reports it to the commander. He does the only thing he can, he has Paul moved, v. 12-22. And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter having this form: “Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings. When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council; and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment. When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you.” So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. But the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks. When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. When he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, “I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to kept in Herod’s Praetorium. v. 23-35.

Do we flourish in hate? Do we flourish in condemnation or pride? Does our world? And yet, we learned in our Friday Zoom Retreat this morning, listening to a video by John Ortberg in Morocco about flourishing needs we have that only Creator God can provide. And we took that further as we looked at our planet displayed on our screens and shared and expanded our understanding of how vast and different are countries of men geographically, historically, ancient or new; and we saw where Morocco is that Ortberg was visiting, and from there other continents and countries, and the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, and all of that that we inhabit is one planet! Our planet holds everything we need physically. Do we still not recognize Him today who made it and us? When we consider all that the Son, Creator God, has done in creating and sustaining everything, can we live into the flourishing love He provides for our good and choose to turn away from hate and its awful emptiness? Not only did He create and sustain all things, but He chose to live among us as one of us, born of a virgin, and fully divine because His being is divine and eternal. And He did that so He could show us the Father’s love for us, Love given even to loving us by showing us the death of His body born of us by the virgin – so He could put to death our sins on His Cross – and be raised again to put death itself – and our fear of death – to death once for all. Who can understand why anyone would choose hate, enmity, discord, lies…when we truly come to understand all that Jesus, the Christ, did for us, and is still doing, that no one else could do? Why did Paul persist in following Jesus? Why do any of us? Paul tells us…Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God…that is…the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations…but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. Colossians 1:25-28. Our truly flourishing need. Not just yours and mine, but all humanity. Can we deny that need is needed in all of us? Can we trust Creator God to know and carry out His plan of salvation for His children dearly loved in His timing and His will? They couldn’t then because they thought they knew everything about God. Do we think that? Do we miss all that God is doing because we see only what we want to see? It’s a beautiful plan and so needed and one day we will truly understand. It begins today as we turn to Him and accept Him in us leading us in His Love and His Wisdom and His Truth of who we truly are and Whose we truly are. It takes time but what a journey we live with Him! I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, but I want to follow Him and live into all He is showing me today at the same time! It’s too wonderful and glorious to miss!