According to a study done in 2008, Japan is the 5th least religious country worldwide with reports stating that nearly 65% of the country is nonreligious. With the recent natural disasters, I can't help but think God just opened a door that was previously shut. I feel like God is about to do something in Japan. This is a huge opportunity for missionaries to go to Japan and spread the gospel through building relationships by rebuilding the nation.

If you're reading this, please take the time to pray for those in Japan, the missionaries in Japan, and those that God is going to send to Japan.

Hillsong United - Take Heart.mp4

Acts 21:10-14

Acts 21:10-14

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

"I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." -Paul

Again we see Paul's faith. Had he followed common sense and earthly logic, chances are Paul would not have gone to Jerusalem. Instead, Paul went with what he felt called to do by the Lord despite knowing what was ahead of him.

As humans, we are beings of worry. We worry about the unknown, about things we cannot control. Worry and the unknown conflict with our faith and ability to trust in God, especially in those tough and trying moments. As Christians, we can look to Paul as an example of one living in faith. Sometimes the unknown is scary but in the case of Paul, the known might be even more frightening. Later in chapter 21, Paul got beaten and arrested. He knew this was coming and He still obeyed the God.

The more I read the Bible, the more I realize how little my faith really is..

Our God - Chris Tomlin - Passion 2010

Acts 20:13-38

Acts 20:13-38

13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Reflections - Relating to Paul

1) v22 I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.

When I read this, I was convicted of my own lack of faith. In the entire book of Acts, Paul followed God's command regardless of where he was called or how little sense the calling made. Paul was a man that was obedient to the Lord - even to the point where his life was at stake. Paul lived for something greater than worldly pleasures or even comfort. He lived for the glory of God. In contrast, I like my comfort and I like my stuff. I don't believe that God has necessarily called me into a life of discomfort but He has definitely called me to be obedient like Paul - unconditionally.

2) v24 I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Again, Paul was a single minded man. His life goal was solely to make the Lord known among the people of that time. I sit and think about my goals for the future - get a job, graduate pharmacy school, get a real job, get married, settle down and have a family. In each of those things as well as every step necessary to get there, I will have the opportunity to testify to the good news of God's grace. Back in high school, I thought I would be bold and pray for the opportunity to witness and spread the gospel that very day. The entire day, I expected someone to come to my door and ask about the gospel. Later that day, I went out for dinner and I felt God tug on my heart.

"Look around. You wanted an opportunity to spread my message? Here you go."

Frozen, I sat in my seat. I won't pretend like I've lived like this since then but one thing is clear to me - my life is my mission field. Every day, I will have opportunities to interact with people and share the good news. The real question is whether I'm willing to act upon my convictions like Paul did.

Reflections - Paul's charge to the leaders of the church of Ephesus

3) v28-30 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.

This is Paul's charge to the leaders of the church - watch over the flock that God has given you, be shepherds of GOD's church in which He purchased, and stand guard against "savage wolves". In verse 28, it says that the Holy Spirit has "made you overseers". We didn't anoint ourselves but rather we were anointed to oversee the church. This had nothing to do with us or any qualifications but rather a calling from God to do so.

In verse 29, Paul charges the leaders to be "shepherds of the church of God which he bought with his own blood." This reminds me of Colosians 1:16 (...all things have been created though Him and for Him). We are called to watch over the church but while we do so, we should not forget that it is not our church. The church belongs to God. This has very large implications for us as attenders and/or leaders of the church. The best analogy I can think of is renting an apartment. A good tenant consults with the apartment owner before doing any changes. If you want to change the locks, drill holes to hang a poster, duplicate the keys, etc you consult with the owner because the place isn't yours. In the same way, we should consult with God when making decisions regarding His church. I know during my times as a leader both in high school and college, I usually made decisions that made logical sense. It wasn't until later that I began to consult God in my decisions. It's something I still struggle with but no matter how much sense something makes, God's opinion matters more.

v29-30 Paul talks about "savage wolves" in the church. Even in the gospels, Jesus talks about wolves in sheep's clothing. To see this many warnings in the bible must mean that it is a both a serious but yet common issue. We are to stand guard against false doctrine and actions that do not glorify God. The scariest part is that such things can come from people within the church. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul talks about following God above following a specific leader and I think this is partly why. We should test what we hear and see against the Bible, the ultimate authority, before we just go and live by what we hear.

4) v32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."

Paul was a pretty famous guy. He went around and spread the gospel to many nations. God used Him to bring many people to faith. Paul kept it real though. He realized that he was not the source of this. Here in v32, he commits the leaders to God. He cites God and the word of his grace as the sources of growth and inheritance into the kingdom of heaven. If we are to grow as Christians, if our fellowship is to grow into one that seeks and glorifies God, if our church is to grow into a place that is the bride of Christ, it will be because of God and the power of His word. We are nothing. God is everything.

5) v35 "‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ "

Paul quotes Jesus here. How convicting a passage like this is. So often, we desire to receive. What does going to church on Fridays do for me? How does serving as a leader benefit me? How does implementing my ideas over someone else's ideas gratify my desires? Wake up call - it isn't about us. Jesus gave...and gave...and gave...and continues to give and yet we have nothing to offer Him. What does He do in response to how little we have to offer? He keeps giving. In the same way, we are called to give all that we are to Christ. In our fellowships, we are called to serve and love.

Do you see trials as obstacles or as opportunities to experience God's presence?