Objective: To show how God sovereignly overruled in human affairs to accomplish his purposes, and how a prepared testimony is of great value.

In this seminar we shall focus on three important specific incidents in these chapters.

1. Acts 21:17-36 Arrival and Arrest
1.1 The Meeting with the Elders 21:18-19
The verses before us describe an historic meeting. The meeting between James and Paul was fraught with risk and possibility. A meeting not only between the two halves of the Christian Church, Jewish and Gentile, but of two variant views of salvation. Was salvation through faith or works of the Law?

1.1.1 The Presentation of the Gentile Believers 21:18
The Elders of the Church in Jerusalem were brought face to face with Gentile believers, fruit of Paul's labours in distant lands. "The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present." The Church in Jerusalem had grown strong. It now numbered several thousand, many of whom had once been priests. Unlike Paul they had held onto their Jewish traditions, and were probably seen by fellow Jews as simply a Messianic Sect within Judaism. Quite an intimidating audience. That all the elders were present suggests they had formed a kind of Christian Sanhedrin, or 70 senior elders, most of whom Paul would not have known.

1.1.2 The Retelling of the Gentile Story 21:19
"Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry." Carefully and logically Paul recounted the thrilling story of the three great missionary journeys. The names rolled off his tongue like a roll call of the nations - Salamis, Paphos, Perga, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and not just places but people. Thousands upon thousands of people saved by grace through faith, baptised by the Holy Spirit into the one Church of Jesus Christ. And not only places and people, but the stories Paul must have retold of prison and shipwreck, or persecution and opportunity, of miracles and magicians, from Mars Hill to the Hall of Tyrannus. Never before had these Christians in jerusalem, with their narrow parochial interests heard the like.The Meeting with the elders dissolved into,

1.2. The Myopia of the Legalists 21:20-26
1.2.1 Their Implied Disinterest in Paul's Work 21:20
"When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law." That little word "then" is very significant. It suggests they gave a few half hearted "praise the Lords" then changed the subject to "Now brother lets talk about something that's been bothering us about your ministry" They were more concerned with how they could answer criticisms from fellow Jews in Jerusalem. They saw the presence of Gentile believers as a liability. They were not that interested in world evangelisation, in being world Christians but their own narrow parochial concerns. I am personally committed to Stoke being a church with a ministry in our parish but at the same time having a world wide vision. You know that I had to miss the confirmation service in order to help Garth Hewitt with the tour of Churches in Israel and Jordan. One local minister thought I should have cancelled the visit to help with the service here. Thankfully the Bishop shares with us at Stoke a wider perspective. The visit not only brought blessing and encouragement to the struggling churches we visited, it helped me personally to clarify some of my own priorities, such as evangelism and discipleship. There is here not only disinterest in Paul's work but also,

1.2.2 Their Improper Discussion of Paul's Walk 21:20-26
They turned at once from the thrilling story of Paul's missionary adventures and success to a criticism of his neglect of their petty religious rules.

1.2.2.1 Pride Exhibited 21:20b
"Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law." That word "zealous" is ominous in this context. Notice it is not zeal for the Lord but "zeal for the law." Paul uses the same word in Galatians 1:14 to describe what he was like before his conversion.

"I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers." Later in Galatians he writes, Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you [from us], so that you may be zealous for them. The pride exhibited.

1.2.2.2 Presumption Expressed 21:21-22
Notice the presumption that the lies were true in 21:21. If the Christians misunderstood Paul, the Jews misrepresented him. "They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs." Its hard for us to grasp how upsetting these fears were to the Jews. On the news recently there were reports that Germany was going to deport Soviet Jews who had left Russia but didn't want to stay in Israel. The German authorities are bowing to pressure from the Israeli government to send them back. I wonder whether the Germans are acting out of guilt for the Holocaust. The Orthodox Jewish lobby in Israel is arguing, "how could Jews want to go back and live in Germany after what they did to us?" Circumcision was just as emotive subject in the first century. It was a symbol of Jewish national identity and brought back painful memories of atrocities committed against their great grandparents in the time of the Maccabees. In 170 BC the Temple had been plundered and from 168 the Jews persecuted. Listen to how it is described in the Apocrypha 1 Macabees 1:59-64.

Now you can see why there was panic among the Jewish brethren that thought Paul was telling Jewish converts not to circumcize their sons. But what is saddest of all is that the Christians in Jerusalem thought Paul might indeed be guilty, and merely rehashed what they had heard. Afraid that the lies were true and secondly, that the trouble would continue 21:22. "What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come."

It is evident that the Church at Jerusalem saw Paul as a troublemaker. The last thing they wanted was a riot, so they wanted proof, visible proof that Paul was a good law abiding Jew. Fear and half truth are not worthy motives for anything. Jesus said, "Perfect love casts out fear". They were far from perfect in their motivation. The Pride Exhibited; the Presumption Expressed

1.2.2.3 The Proof Expected 21:23-26
We can see how mature and magnanimous Paul was in seeking conciliation, willing to go along with their childish theatricals, playing to the crowd. As F. F. Bruce neatly put it "a truly emancipated spirit such as Paul's is not in bondage to its own emancipation". Which to the layman means if say you have been delivered from alcohol addiction, you can still accept a drink when offered without making your host feel embarrassed by your refusal, and without going on about your victory. The proof expected of Paul was exacting (21:23-24a)

"So do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law."

Paul was asked to publicly associate and sponsor four Jewish believers who were terminating a strict Nazarite vow. This was exacting and also expensive (21:24) Money down the drain. There is no evidence that complying did the slightest bit of good. To obey was likely to cause Gentile believers to stumble, to refuse would confirm the Jewish believers worst fears. Mercifully there were exceptions (21:25)

"As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."

Exacting, expensive and endured (21:26) "The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them."

Appeasing legalists is futile. Prejudice is never satisfied with truth. The Myopia of the legalists gave way to,

1.3 The Madness of the Fundamentalists 21:27-36
Paul is assaulted and arrested.

1.3.1 How Paul was Assaulted 21:27-31
1.3.1.1 Maddened Indignation 21:27-28
When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, Shouting, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place."

1.3.1.2 Mistaken Identity 21:29
(They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.) Its ironic that this was the charge when Paul was himself undergoing purification so that he wouldn't defile the Temple. But then again they were in the mood for a good hanging, and it didn't matter too much whether the facts were straight. I don't know whether you have ever felt like a foreigner, an outsider. Although I found Jordan a good deal safer than many of the places we visited in Israel, on a couple of occasions when people realised I was English they asked whether I sided with George Bush or Saddam Hussain? It was made pretty obvious which was the correct answer. "Neither" was not an acceptable answer. Then at the border check point there was a sign above a door for foreigner's. For a moment I thought it was for foreigners, that is anyone without a UK or EEC passport, then I realised I was now the foreigner, the outsider.

In the Temple by the steps leading from the Court of the Gentiles into the Court of the Women where the Nazarite ceremonies were performed there was a barrier four and a half foot high and warning notices placed at interval. Two were discovered in Jerusalem during archaeological digs in 1871 and 1935. One still had traces of the red paint used. In both Greek and Latin, it reads "No foreigner may enter within the barricade that surrounds the Temple and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death."

The Jews defended the sanctity of their Temple with such fierce zeal that the Roman's themselves refused to interfere, even on behalf of a Roman citizen who broke the taboo. The Asiatic Jews could not have found Paul in a more convenient place to raise a mob against him.

The Passion of their Indignation 21:30
The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut.

The Purpose Behind their Indignation 21:31
While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. How Paul was Assaulted. Then we are told by Luke,

1.3.2 How Paul was Arrested 21:32-36
1.3.2.1 Bound by the Romans 21:32-33
When the Romans took Palestine, one of the first things they did was build a massive four towered fortress right against the walls of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was high enough to give lookouts a panoramic view of the entire city. Everyone walking in the temple was easily seen and could be tracked. Jewish soldiers today sit on top of the wailing wall on guard to protect the Jewish worshippers on the one side and restrain Moslems on the Temple Mount. That is where the riot began.

The Commander Claudius Lysias "at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done." No mob however enraged is a match for disciplined troops. With shields in place and swords drawn, perhaps 200 Roman soldiers were deployed into the outer court, arresting Paul and placing him in protected custody. Bound by the Romans, Paul was still,

1.3.2.2 Hounded by the Rabble 21:34-36
Their frenzied disorder 21:34
Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.

Their fanatical desire 21:35
When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers.

Their furious demand 21:36
The crowd that followed kept shouting , "Away with him" The Jerusalem that had murdered Jesus and martyred Stephen now mobbed the apostle Paul. The tragedy of the story? For me it has to be the silence of the Jerusalem Church. So far as we can see they did not lift a finger to help Paul in his hour of danger and need. May that be a sobering cold shower to us. What are we doing for fellow Christians in places like East Timor or Iraq? We need to show in what ever circumstances we find ourselves this week that our experience of liberty in the Gospel of grace through Jesus Christ, is stronger than all the threats of legalism and fanaticism, and fundamentalism that the god of this world can throw at us, or our brothers and sisters. Let's move from Paul's arrival and arrest to his defence of the faith.

2. Defence of the Faith Acts 21:37-22:29
Paul is in protective custody. Paul's friends had misunderstood his plans. (21:1-17). The Church had misconstrued his message. (21:18-26). The Jews had maligned his calling (21:27-32). As you can see Paul was a very popular person. Just at the point when most of us would have given up, rolled over and died, Paul went on to the offensive, and asked the Roman Commander for permission to speak to the crowd. Notice he spoke cultured Greek to get the Commanders attention, and then spoke Aramaic (spoken Hebrew dialect) to get the interest of the Jewish crowd. He didn't just think about what he wanted to say, but had in mind who his audience was, and how he ought best communicate. How he would get the most positive response. That he didn't get to finish his speech doesn't matter. He managed to explain the three basic parts of his personal testimony. What he was like before he met Christ, how he met Christ and what had happened after - The before, during and after.

1. Paul's Former Conduct 22:3-5
2. Paul's Wonderful Conversion 22:6-16
3. Paul's Special Calling 22:17-21

2.1 Paul's Former Conduct 22:3-5
Read 22:3-5. All through this opening section Paul identified with them.

2.1.1 Born into a Jewish Family 22:3
Paul identified with their common heritage. Tarsus of Cilicia was a popular location within the Jewish dispersion. Paul had been born into a Jewish family, but wanted to stress he was also,

2.1.2 Bred within the Jewish Fold 22:3
Paul identified with their city and their religious authorities. He had been trained by no less a figure than Gamaliel. Born into a Jewish family and bred within the Jewish fold.

2.1.3 Bold for the Jewish Faith 22:4-5
Instead of accusing them of rioting he commended them for being "zealous for God". He admitted that he had persecuted followers of the Way to their deaths. He had their attention. Paul was more Jewish, more religious, more fanatical than most of them had even been. He had their attention. Paul's former conduct.

2.2 Paul's Wonderful Conversion 22:6-16
Read 22:6-11. It is difficult to imagine a comparable crowd today quietly listening to this kind of testimony. But these people expected miracles to happen, and were no doubt fascinated to hear what happened to Paul while on official Sanhedrin business. Paul's testimony was not about how he found Jesus, but rather, as is so often the case, of how Jesus found Paul.

2.2.1 How Jesus Confronted Paul 22:6-9
The people listening would have known the official version of events. That Jesus had been an impostor, had been crucified and that his disciples had stolen the body. Paul had himself believed the story when he had been persecuting the church. But Jesus was very much alive and in control. Paul had been blindly persecuting Jesus through his followers, so Jesus blinded Paul. Blinded by the very light of the world Paul was so intent on extinguishing. How Jesus confronted Paul.

2.2.2 How Jesus Commanded Paul 22:10-13
No longer able to guide himself Paul was given precise instructions on where to go and what to do. Jesus gave Paul time to think about what he had been doing. Notice how Paul introduces Ananias. Paul refers to him as a devout Jew, one who kept the law, one who was highly respected by all the Jews living in Damascus. Ananias calls Paul "brother" and attributes Paul's experience to "the God of our fathers". In so describing and quoting Ananias, Paul is giving every reason for his listeners to accept his salvation experience as authentic. How Jesus confronted Paul, how Jesus commanded Paul, and thirdly,

2.2.3 How Jesus Commissioned Paul 22:14-16
This verse is not teaching baptismal regeneration. That baptism saves us. The literal translation is "Having arisen, be baptised and wash away your sins, having previously called upon His Name." We are saved by calling on the name of the Lord in trust. We give evidence of that faith by being baptised. From 9:17 we know that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was baptised. This would indicate that he was already born again. It is the "calling" not the baptism that effects the cleansing. Read 22:15. This is the job description of every Christian in the world. To tell what God has done, and that is precisely what Paul is doing here before Roman Commander and Legions, before Jewish Sanhedrin and Zealots. They listened intently as Paul described his former conduct and his wonderful conversion. But that was not enough. Paul had to explain why he was there in the Temple, the cause of the riot. It all had to do with,

2.3 Paul's Special Calling 22:17-21
Read 22:17-21. Paul was about to explain what God had done among the Gentiles through signs and wonders, as he had related to the Church, but the mob was less patient. Paul had uttered a no no word. "Gentiles". One word. That was all it took for the powder keg of venom to explode. It was anathema to imply that God was interested in the spiritual welfare of the Gentiles. But this kind of prejudice is still around today.

In Jordan recently at one Church we visited they wanted to censor Garth Hewitt's songs because he used the word "Shalom" which is Hebrew for peace. The Arabic word Salaam was OK, but "Shalom" was unacceptable. During our visit we had the privilege of working with Peter Crook's the Dean of St George's Cathedral in Jerusalem. He has written a book about his experiences as a IFES student worker in Lebanon... For Peter, that one word "believer" in Arabic, which means "Moslem" probably saved his life. What words instil similar emotive responses in the Czech Republic? Gypsy? Does the Church mimic the world and ostracise them, or does it treat them as created in the image of God? Obedience to Christ is never easy. Issues such as these should drive us back to God's word. Well, Paul got to share his personal testimony. We shall never know if anyone was converted from that mob or from among the Roman legion, but I like to think so. Certainly its record here in the Book of Acts has been used by God to change the direction of many, many lives.

The idea of preparing and sharing our personal testimony was not simply Paul's idea. You remember the story of Peter in the court yard of Ciaphas. He had the opportunity to give his personal testimony on at least three occasions, but he flunked it, and denied Jesus. He denied even knowing Jesus. It was therefore with poignancy and out of deep regret that he could write to the Churches years later,

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (I Peter 3:15)

You have a testimony. It is unique. It is your story. The story of how you came to know Jesus Christ. Thinking about it, praying about it, writing it out, updating it is the best way to be prepared to give it. The goal should be to explain how we came to know Jesus in such a way that another person could also. The number of occasions, when we are given the opportunity, to testify to what God has done in our lives is endless, whether by invitation or initiative. Sadly we are usually not ready to take them, or we are ill prepared when we do. "If only I had said......"

To be really spontaneous we must be prepared to seize the opportunity. That is why I want us to take time today to do something very significant. If you've never before thought about your testimony, here's your opportunity. Write down the salient key points under the same three headings used by Paul - before, during and after. Recap Paul's testimony outline.

3. Paul Rescued from the Plot Acts 23:12-35
It is not always easy to see that "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom 8:28). Someone can be guaranteed to quote that verse at you when ever your horizon looks bleak and foreboding. We are ready to believe, of course, that some things work thus, but that this is true of everything, without exception, is much harder to accept, and still harder to understand. And yet so it is, and unless we believe in the Providence of God, that is the power he has to foresee and provide and overrule, we shall increasingly find the Christian faith so hard as to be impossible. A marked feature of the Book of Acts is the strong hostility shown towards Paul which was present from the day of his conversion.

It increases in force in these later chapters. Just as he had been so violently been opposed to Christianity, now he is himself the focus of intense animosity. Yes it is personal, but it is ultimately directed at the one Paul serves, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the message he preaches, ironically called the "Good News." Why is this story recorded in the Acts of the Apostles? Why include this particular episode when Luke has obviously had to be very selective in which stories to include and which to leave out? We must remember that Luke was not only a doctor and historian. Under the illumination of the Holy Spirit he was also a theologian too. One of the reasons for this story's inclusion in the Acts of the Apostles was to reassure Christians that consistently and repeatedly Christian missionary work had not been banned or restricted by the Roman authorities. The Roman judicial system was both objective and fair, dealing with the facts not hearsay. When tested in court the Law had even been used to protect Christians from persecution. Roman law had repeatedly exonerated Christians of all charges made against them. They were free to continue to proclaim the Gospel openly with integrity in the face of hostility. Acts 23 is one of those chapters which chronicles one such confrontation. A confrontation between blind religious fanaticism and with open impartial rule of pagan Roman authorities. There are three parts to this section I want us to concentrate on:

The Conspiracy Formulated 23:12-15
The Conspiracy Found Out 23:16-22
The Conspiracy Foiled 23:23-35

3.1 The Conspiracy Formulated 23:12-15
This was not the first attempt on Paul's life. Paul's life had been in danger from the very beginning of his ministry when he witnessed for Christ days after his conversion in Damascus. In Jerusalem, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Corinth and in Ephesus Jews had stoned him, tried to have him arrested or plotted to kill him. As time went on the amount offered on the wanted posters must have got larger and larger Wanted dead or alive. By chapter 23 they had crossed out the word alive. Read 23:12-15. Notice these people were:
Determined 23:12
Strong 23:13
Malignant 23:14
Devious 23:15

3.1.1 They were Determined 23:12
This was a solemn oath which placed them on a hunger strike until Paul was killed. They were volunteering like Japanese Kamakazi pilots, or Tamil Tiger suicide bombers like those who assasinated Rajiv Gandhi last year. They were determined.

3.1.2 They were Strong 23:13
They numbered forty. More than enough to overpower both Paul and any average Roman guard. Determined and strong

3.1.3 They were Malignant 23:14
That they were willing to inform the chief priests and elders of their plan shows how far the malignant cancer had spread through the religious establishment of the time. Determined, strong and malignant

3.1.4 They were Devious 23:15
They asked the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of Judaism to set Paul up on the pretext of a further round of questioning, so that they could assassinate him on the way. Here we see religion at its worst. Earlier in Acts 21:38 the Roman commander mistook Paul for an Egyptian terrorist leader. The word used is "Sicarii" which was a Latin word meaning "dagger men". These were violent assassins. Whether the men mentioned here in verse 12 were of a similar group we don't know. They were however clearly happy to take the law into their own hands. They were prepared to murder those regarded as heretics in the name of God.

We have here co-operation between extreme fundamentalism and the established religious authorities. Quite an indictment. If it sounds all too incredible, then remember the amazing parallel with the affair over Salman Rushdie. The Ayatolla Komanie, a Moslem religious leader issued a Fatwa, a death penalty against Rushdie, and groups of Moslem fundamentalists pledged themselves to assassinate him in the name of Allah. The conspiracy formulated.

3.2 The Conspiracy Found Out 23:16-22
Read 23:16-18. The defeat of this plot was a combination, as is so often the case, of supernatural grace and natural means.

3.2.1 God's overruling fulfilling his promise
Both Jews and Romans would unknowingly contribute to God's Sovereign will. Nothing, absolutely nothing would thwart His promise. Re-read 23:11.

3.2.2 God was working through providential circumstances
Paul's young nephew happened to be in the right place at the right time to overhear this plot. He told his uncle, who asked the centurion to allow the commander to hear. It is a testimony to Paul's character that the commander paid attention to his nephew. This story raises several important questions about the relationship of church to state, Divine sovereignty and human responsibility. For example,

When is it right for Christians to seek the help of the police or the civil authorities? Shouldn't we just pray for God's protection? Paul shows us here there is nothing un-spiritual about seeking help from the police or authorities. They are instituted by God to uphold law and order, protect the innocent and punish evil doers. Several passages teach that. Romans 13 is just one. There have been three occasions in my ministry when I have turned to the police for help. Once when two drunks were disrupting a service, once when a lady turned up at the door in the middle of the night with a knife, and once when a man tried to attack my family. Three occasions when like Paul I have sought the protection of the law. Human law at its best is evidence of, its an expression of God's law and order. The conspiracy formulated. The conspiracy found out.

3.3 The Conspiracy Foiled 23:23-35
Read 23:23-24. The Roman commander thought the situation so serious he took action:

3.3.1 Immediately. Paul was to be delivered secretly at night.
3.3.2 Impressively. Paul was to be delivered securely by 470 soldiers.
3.3.3 Impartially. Paul was delivered with a letter to Governor Felix.

In the letter the commander:
Explained the recent proceedings 23:25-28
Exonerated the rescued prisoner 23:29-30

Clearly God was protecting Paul, but notice the kind of people God used. Antonious Felix the governor of Judea was no angel. The emperor Claudius had appointed Felix governor of the troublesome province of Judea in 52 A.D. Felix's brother was one of the emperor's favourite ministers. The brothers had once been slaves, then freedmen, then high officials in government. They had not achieved such startling promotion by being nice people. The Roman historian described Felix like this, "He held the power of a tyrant with the disposition of a slave."

If you read on to chapter 24:22-26 you discover the kind of ruthless leader he was. Felix held Paul in prison for two years, his case in limbo for three reasons. He hoped for a bribe, he used Paul as intellectual entertainment, and wanted to please the Jews. This was the man, judge, jury and executioner before whom Paul now stood. It was surely a case of Paul going from the frying pan into the fire. Yet God was very much in control. Re-read 23:11. Just before this latest trial of fire Jesus came and stood beside Paul and spoke these words of comfort.

"As you have testified.....so you must also testify..." This was as much an assurance as an imperative command. Someone once said "Man is immortal until his work is done." God was going to get Paul to the capital city Rome and thereby extend the kingdom of God through the entire Roman Empire, and God was going to use a band of Jewish assassins, and a despotic Roman governor to help Paul on his way. Between these two powers, religious and civil, hostile and friendly, Jerusalem and Rome, Paul found himself trapped, unarmed and totally vulnerable, with no power but the Word and the Spirit of God. Luke seems to offer him as a model of Christian valour.

The source of his courage was his serene confidence in the truth. Above all he knew that his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was with him and would keep his promise that he would bear witness, some day, somehow, in Rome. That is encouraging to realise, when we begin to doubt that all things could possibly work together for good in our lives.

Let me ask you, have you an assurance of what God wants has planned for your life? In your reading of the Bible has God shown you any principles that are relevant or applicable? If so write them down, if not start reading. Goals need to be specific enough for you to know whether you are reaching them. If you don't set yourself goals, the world around will just as surely impose its own. If you want to find out what the worlds agenda is for you then simply make a list of all the mail you receive over the next month. Note what kind of unsolicited phone calls or junk mail you receive. What kind of values do they assume? What kind of life style are they trying to impose on you? What are they trying to sell you or get you to join? What do they want to do with your time, your energy, your money? On the attached sheet there are five ways to help you influence your coming week. They are written by a psychologist. They are not overtly Christian, although one of his books is published by SPCK. I like the 5th suggestion particularly. "Do it, delegate it or ditch it"

This story shows that you cannot necessarily control what is going to happen to you this week. What you can do however is determine how you are going to respond to it. You do not have to be moulded by the world's values. You do not have to passively accept what the world throws at you. God has a better plan for your life. His promises are sure. The loving plan of an omniscient, that is all knowing, an omnipotent, that is all powerful, and an omnipresent, that is all present, Heavenly Father.

William Cowper was a contemporary of John Newton the ex-slave trader. He and John were responsible for writing many hymns together and produced a collection known as the Olney Hymns, named after the village in which John pastored. It was in the days when Anglican churches did not sing hymns on Sundays, so these were sung at mid week meetings, much the same as the attitude of some to contemporary songs. William Cowper was one of the finest poets of his day, yet he often suffered from deep and intense depression. Perhaps that is why he could write like this.

"God's purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour.
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain."

This Seminar draws heavily on material from FF Bruce, John Stott and Warren Wersbie, to whom I am deeply indebted.