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Christianity, Devotional, Evangelism

The Will of the Lord Be Done.

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Walking Through the Word™ Project 2025

July 19, 2025

Acts 21:1–14

The Will of the Lord Be Done

“When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The will of the Lord be done.’” — Acts 21:14 (NIV)

Paul’s journey to Jerusalem was more than just a physical voyage. It was a spiritual tug-of-war between obedience and concern, between love and purpose, between the urging of friends and the calling of God.

After saying a painful goodbye to the Ephesian elders, Paul continued traveling, stopping to connect with believers in every city. In Tyre, the disciples, moved by the Holy Spirit, told Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Then in Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus acted out a warning—binding himself with Paul’s belt and declaring that Paul would be bound by the Jews and handed over to the Gentiles.

Everyone begged Paul not to go. They weren’t being selfish—they were afraid. Their tears were real. But their interpretation was off. God had revealed what would happen, not so Paul would avoid it, but so he’d be prepared for it.

Paul’s response is both human and heroic. “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

The people finally stopped pleading. They released Paul to the only thing greater than their fear: the will of the Lord.

Well-Meaning People Can Misread God’s Will

The people around Paul were filled with the Spirit, but they still misunderstood God’s purpose. They assumed danger meant “don’t go.” But faith doesn’t always avoid suffering. Sometimes, it walks straight into it.

We all have people in our lives who love us, but that doesn’t mean they always understand what God is asking of us. Their advice may come from a place of affection, but not necessarily from a place of faith.

Obedience Means Moving Forward Anyway.

Paul didn’t ignore the warnings—he listened carefully. But he interpreted them differently. He knew suffering lay ahead, but he also knew it was part of his calling.

Obedience sometimes means heading directly toward hard things, not away from them. Faith doesn’t demand a safe route—it simply demands a surrendered heart.

Don’t Let Tears Talk You Out of Truth

The people around Paul were weeping. They loved him. But Paul didn’t allow their emotions to pull him off course. He stayed rooted in what he knew to be true: God had called him forward.

In today’s world, we’re told to avoid discomfort, avoid risk, avoid pain. But the Spirit leads us into places where our comfort zones can’t go. Sometimes we must walk forward with compassion in our hearts and resolve in our steps.

Let your friends cry. Let your heart ache. But let the will of the Lord be done.

Let’s pray:

Lord, give me ears to hear Your voice above the voices of fear, even if they come from people I love. Help me discern between caution and calling. Give me a willing heart to obey, even when the path is costly. May Your will be done in my life, no matter what it takes. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Articles about Christianity, Bible Study, Churchy stuff... you gotta laugh., Devotional

Don’t Dabble with the Details

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🚶‍♀️ Walking Through The Word™ Project 2025

📅 July 01, 2025 – Acts 10:1–23

🪶 “DON’T DABBLE WITH THE DETAILS”

God gives Cornelius specific directions:

Send men to get Simon Peter, who is staying with Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.

Let’s back up a bit …

Before God gives Cornelius directions. He also gave Peter instructions.

Peter was told to stay with Simon the tanner.

📜 Then God shows Peter a vision — not once, but THREE TIMES — and tells him:

👉 “Don’t call unclean what I have made clean.”

⏳ At that same moment, Three men show up at the tanner’s house asking for Peter.

Peter is told by the Spirit to go with them — because GOD sent them.

Why Does God tell Peter to go? Let’s break this down a little further.

Peter is still contemplating his vision of seeing Three blankets come down from heaven, full of clean and unclean animals.

God says: “EAT.”

Peter nearly rebukes Him: “I’ve never eaten anything unclean.”

God says: “What I SAY is clean, IS clean. Don’t argue.”

And then — boom — three “unclean” men show up.

Yes the Gentile men coming for him, a Jew, were unclean. However God was showing Peter in the vision that all three men He now called clean.

Instead of rebuking the men, he invites them in, lets them stay the night, and he leaves with them the next morning.

🧭 THESE WERE THE INSTRUCTIONS:

Stay with Simon the tanner.

Not Simon the blacksmith.

Not Simon the fisherman.

SIMON. THE. TANNER

Next…

The Gentiles were told go to the Simon the tanner’s house.

Ask for Simon the one they also call Peter.

And Last,

Peter GO with them.

📣 THIS WAS HUGE.

Jews didn’t eat with Gentiles — let alone travel with them or invite them into their homes.

God was setting the stage for people like YOU and ME to eventually be included in God’s plan for salvation.

🌪️ BUT WHAT IF…

Peter had said,

“Yeah, no thanks. I think I’ll go stay with Simon the fisherman instead. That just makes more sense to me.”

The three men show up at the Simon the tanner’s house and… well, there’s only one Simon. So it must be him.

They convince this Simon to go back with them to Caesarea.

He thinks he’s off to teach a leather-working workshop.

The servants of Cornelius are super confused, but just go with the plan.

A couple of days later, the men arrive with Simon the tanner at the home of Cornelius.

Now Cornelius is confused, “…wait, what?” Is this even related to what I was praying? He assumes everything is going as planned.

The next day Simon ends up giving a full-on TED Talk about hide-stretching techniques.

Cornelius starts a Vocational school and they name it:

👜 HOLY HIDES™ – “Leatherwork with Legacy.”

🏛️ Caesarea becomes famous for its handcrafted goods.

Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit is standing outside, like: “Uhh… this is not what I had in mind.”😳

This is where a previous pastor would say, “ARE YOU WITH ME NOW?”

And I’d be sitting there thinking:

“Umm… actually no. What are you even talking about?”

And that’s the point. If you’re confused — GOOD.

That’s what I WANT you to feel right now.

Because …

🚫 ONE DETOUR from God’s instructions…

🚫 ONE “I think I know better”…

…and suddenly the whole mission turns into something completely different. In this case, from discipleship to craftsmanship.

📌 If God has told you to do something specific —

➡️Even if it doesn’t make sense.

➡️Even if no one has done it before.

➡️Even if it breaks religious tradition…

✨It’s probably Him.✨

✅ DON’T DABBLE WITH THE DETAILS.

✅ Follow His instructions closely.

✅ Don’t circle back and say, “Well, God said this, but I figured I’d do that instead.”

You could end up leading people down a path they were never meant to travel.

Remember to always:

📝 Follow God’s instructions.

🎯 Stay on God’s Path.

🙏 Trust Him on the journey.

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Walking Through The Word May 1, 2025. Luke 22:54-71

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“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, once boldly declared:

“Lord, I will go to jail with you. I will follow you.”

But when things turned dark and Jesus was taken to the high priest’s house, Peter didn’t follow closely. He kept his distance. Watching.

When someone asked if he knew Jesus, he denied it.

When asked if he was part of Jesus’ group, he said he wasn’t.

Then someone called him out—You must have been with Him… you’re a Galilean!

Peter snapped:

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

And before the sentence had even finished, a rooster crowed. Jesus turned and looked at Peter. And in that moment, Peter remembered exactly what Jesus had predicted.

Denial. Rejection. Distancing.

They never feel good.

Once, while working a job, I listed that workplace on a medical form. When the provider called during business hours, the person who answered the phone said they didn’t know me—and that I didn’t work there. I never got the message. When I finally followed up, I was told they had tried… and were told I wasn’t an employee.

People distance themselves for all kinds of reasons:

Fear. Pride. Convenience. Even malice.

It’s on them—but it still stings.

Sometimes, your biggest fan can become your most silent critic.

They gush about your work. They want to be part of your mission.

Then, in a critical moment, they vanish.

They don’t call.

They act like they’ve never met you.

Again—it’s on them. But it still pokes at a tender place in your heart.

They’re supportive in private, but distant in public.

Just like Peter.

When confronted, they may gaslight or deny. Loudly. Emotionally. Hoping you’ll stop asking questions.

It’s on them.

But that doesn’t erase the sadness when you see what’s really going on.

I imagine when Jesus turned and looked at Peter, His eyes held sorrow.

He knew Peter would deny Him. He had said so. But knowing it didn’t make it hurt less.

Jesus understood that Peter loved Him—

But in that moment, Peter’s reputation mattered more than his love for Christ.

Here’s the Good News:

God will never deny, reject, or distance Himself from us.

He loves us—and He’s not afraid to show it.

In the unexpected ways things work out…

In a word from a stranger…

In the eagle on the fence, or the cardinal at the patio door…

God shows up.

And He stays.

Just like sitting down with a dear friend over a great cup of coffee—

God is always ready and waiting to spend time with you.

Church Issues in America, Devotional, Ministry Issues in America

Selling Trust for Silver.

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Walking Through The Word™

Luke 22:1-30

Selling Trust for Silver

We’ve all experienced being sold out.

And if we’re honest, sometimes we’ve been guilty of it too—choosing profit over people, convenience over character.

If it happened to Jesus, it can happen to us.

“Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.” (Luke 22:3)

Pride, jealousy, offense, contempt, and unhealed resentment—these are all ways the enemy slips into a situation.

Sometimes it’s not even loud or obvious. A “harmless” comment or a loaded look can be a red flag of incoming betrayal.

Jesus saw it coming… and it still broke His heart.

I believe if we’re paying attention, God gives us insight. That quiet drop in your spirit? The emotional “ouch”? Your body and soul trying to say: Something’s not right here.

And let’s talk about that little phrase: “I’m just kidding.”

Sometimes that’s not a joke. It means, “Oops, I crossed a line and almost exposed myself—let me cover it up.”

God’s Word tells us not to make close friends with those who are unstable or untrustworthy. Love them? Yes. Minister to them? Absolutely. But don’t hand them the keys to your soul and dreams.

An honest conversation can bring clarity. A real friend will lean in and work it out.

A fake one? They’ll get mad, flip it on you, gaslight you, or make you feel crazy for wanting honesty. Not because they care—but because they’ve been exposed.

Here’s the good news: God can still use it.

He doesn’t cause betrayal—but He’ll use it to grow you stronger, wiser, and more aware of both your strengths and your blind spots.

And remember—loneliness is never a reason to accept toxic behavior.

You’re not alone.

God is always near, waiting for you to bring Him your hurt and your hope. He wants to anchor you in the storm so you’re not tossed around in an emotional ocean.

He will never leave you, forsake you, or abandon you.

And He will never—never—sell your trust for silver.

Christianity

Nothing is going to change…until YOU do.

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Such a gentle reminder from the Father.

In a time of wanting circumstances to change, it’s often up to us to change first. When we start to take 100% responsibility for our lives and quit blaming, complaining and making excuses, we have the free time to look at how we contribute to our situation.

As long as we are blaming someone else and complaining about how they did whatever we perceive to be the cause of all our problems, we can’t focus on what God may be trying to tell us.

Sit quietly for a few moments stop thinking about how everyone else is your problem and start looking at yourself. Listen for that small quiet nudge or inspiration and then do something about it. Remember, nothing is going to change until YOU do.

Bible Study, Christianity, Music Video

Grace is… Adoption.

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Photo by Andreas Wohlfahrt on Pexels.com

 

 

 

 

How do you explain what Grace is?  The word Grace is almost as definitive as the word Earth.  How would you explain to someone what all is involved in the word Earth? A word in an exhaustive list that points out one facet of Grace is Adoption.

This song by Hillsong Worship points to one of the things Adoption allows us to believe.

I am who you say I am.

 

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
(Romans 8:14-16 MKJV)

Bible Study, Bible Study Group Activities, Journal activities

10 Minutes of Silence?

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What? 10 Minutes of Silence?

Anyone who knows me might think that this could quite possibly fall under the All things are (maybe) possible with God clause.    I work from home and I do not get to socialize on a regular basis.   Sorry Facebook really isn’t this lover of conversation and coffee…well it’s just not the same as sitting across from the table sipping on some mind blowing concoction of sweetness and possibly nibbling on something that I am certain to fit my macros for the day and talking with another real “in-person” human.

It’s just not the same.

This means when I do get the opportunity to talk, I do.

My cousin, mentioned something she was doing with a Bible Study group that they called “10 minutes of Silence”.   I was intrigued. ( and my husband was hopeful… wink)

She described it as sitting for 10 minutes and just spending time with God.  No pen, no paper, no electronic device. Just you and God and possibly something to drink.

After her video I grabbed my coffee, timer and went out on the porch.   Set the timer for 10 minutes and sit back to sip on my coffee.   When I looked up I saw Butterflies!  Lots of butterflies in my Mimosa tree.

Who knew this was happening? It was beautiful.  Each bloom seemed to have a butterfly on it.  It was like a Golden Corral buffet during the $1 off lunch special.

I have NEVER seen this happen and I’ve lived in this location for over 20 years.    Sad…I’ve been just less than 20 feet away from this spectacular display of God’s creation for over 20 years.    Kind of makes you wonder about what else God is doing just outside of your view.

   Just because you can’t see God’s handiwork going on, doesn’t mean it isn’t going on.

Needless to say I sat back in silence and just watched this live display of art.  In fact I actually hit the snooze on the alarm when it went off for another round of silence.

What’s going on in your world that could be just outside on the proverbial porch?

Go sit, be silent, and see.

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For those who like to journal, turn this into a week or even a 30 day activity. After your silence sessions write down the events, thoughts, and scriptures that came to you while you were spending time with God.  Note changes along the way.  When you first started was it uncomfortable to sit still for 10 minutes?

God bless you on your journey.  This activity for me was a game changer.

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