God the Holy Spirit ended the recording of “The Acts of the risen Lord Jesus Christ by the Apostles through the power of God the Holy Spirit” without what we would call “an ending.” Why? Because “The Acts of the risen Lord Jesus Christ by the Apostles through the power of God the Holy Spirit” is continuing through us—the saints!
When the Lord says, “You must stand before Caesar” it is certain—even when the trip contains unexpected circumstances, events, or stops along the way. Remain a faithful witness for the Lord, no matter how long the delay!
Jer. 29:11 (NASB) “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
Agrippa, and most unsaved people in our world, are thinking, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?” The fact is that it isn’t easy—it is physically and spiritually impossible apart from the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
We may “turn over a new leaf,” “make a fresh start,” or any number of attempts to change using human-strength, but only the power of God can break through the sin-hardened heart and redeem the condemned soul by grace through faith to give eternal life.
May we never feel shame or inadequacy for seeking counsel. Apart from God alone, no one knows it all! The US President has advisors of many types in the Cabinet Officers and his personal advisors. Presumably, he receives a multitude of counsel, but he alone is responsible to make the decision.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. (Phi. 2:14-16 NASB)
Paul wrote to Timothy, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. (2Tim. 2:8-10 NASB)
“Other people’s plans” cross paths and intersect quite often. Sometimes we feel powerless in those situations, but our God remains in control!
Within the “art and science” of witnessing, we must permit the concise Gospel nugget recorded in Scripture to guide our thought-process: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1Cor. 15:3-4 NASB).