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| |  | Michael Fox CPCC,
founder of m�agine!,
is a professional
coach and trainer,
author and creative artist, whose work has been featured throughout
the world.
Michael is a
Certified Practitioner
of the
Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator.�
Do you know someone
who might benefit
from our weekly email?
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That must
have been embarrassing...
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The apostle Paul was heading home to Judea for the first time in some four years. In his possession were contributions made by Greek Christians in Asia and Europe on behalf of Jewish Christians in Judea, men and women suffering from famine. Not long before he set sail, Paul wrote to the churches of Rome:
I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things (Romans 15:25-27).
Paul, by intuition and by revelation, knew that trouble awaited him in Jerusalem. The apostle's ship docked briefly at Miletus--near Ephesus, Paul's home of three years. There on the beach Paul met his beloved friends, the elders from the Ephesian church; he confided in them of the fate he feared awaited him at journey's end:
And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me...And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face (Acts 20:22-25).
The old friends prayed, they bade farewell; they wept aloud; they embraced; they repeatedly kissed: "grieving especially over the word which [Paul] had spoken, that they would not see his face again" (v. 38).
Fast forward to Jerusalem.
Paul's apprehension was realized. He was arrested in Jerusalem. In addition, forty of his countrymen vowed neither to eat nor to drink until they killed the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul's sister, however, discovered the plot and reported it to the authorities. The Romans showed kindness to Paul, a citizen of Rome, and thwarted the conspirators' intention. Paul was delivered from Judea, vindicated in Rome before Caesar, and released.
A few years later, Paul returned to Ephesus and, presumably, was reunited with his old friends, the elders of the congregation, to whom he had declared on that previous visit, "they would not see his face again."
Well, that must have been embarrassing.
How might you find it encouraging that the Apostle Paul, to whom the gospel of Christ was revealed by the Spirit, enjoyed no greater prophetic insight into his future than we do today? That the Apostle Paul struggled with the same uncertainty and attendant anxiety as you and me? What's the learning?
Postscript: For years Paul had desperately tried to get to Rome on behalf of Jesus' gospel. For years he was hindered. He finally made it, not as expected, but as a result of the opposition and adversity he faced in Jerusalem. He anticipated death in Jerusalem; he, instead, was delivered to Rome. What's the learning?
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Michael Fox
m�agine!
530/613.2774
407 Myrtle Drive
Farmerville, LA, USA 71241 |
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In addition to personal and professional coaching,
m�agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching,
employing its proprietary models
--Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength--
as well as
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator� curriculum
published by CPP, the People Development People.
Michael's books include
Complete in Christ,
Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook,
and Biblio�files.
Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details.
For additional information, visit our website at maginethepossibilities.net.
Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching.
On the flip side, if you are able, please inquire about opportunities
to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford coaching fees.
View our archives!
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