The Unknown God Made Known

 Lord, Your Word and ways are so totally amazing!  How Your Holy Spirit worked through Paul's mouth to faithfully proclaim Christ is a wonder.  He matched what the Epicureans needed to know with what their beliefs were.  He was furrowing that field and planting your Good News seeds as adeptly as an Amish* farmer sowing his seed crops.  I don't know about others, but I'm really overwhelmed by what happened when I stop to consider it.

Paul must have had knowledge of the  Epicurean and Stoic's beliefs, legends, background of their culture and thought and so was able to match, point by point, the perfections of Christ to satisfy these needs and thought.  Additionally, Paul was sensitive to Your Holy Spirit's leading and as Paul proclaimed the Unknown [to them] God, Your Holy Spirit guided Paul's words and  convicted the hearts of some in his audiences:  some convicted to mirth and mockery but others to genuine belief.  

We praise You, Father for Your merciful and grace-filled message.  Help us nowadays to be as well prepared as Paul had been.  May we allow your Holy Spirit to guide the actual flow of words we testify to of Your love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and above all, salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Help us to tell the "old, old story" in ever new  ways to meet the needs of the current society in which we find ourselves.  May mankind come to look to You, to seek You until they find You while You may be found.  May we all turn from our evil ways to become holy as You are.  We know that in time to come You will judge the whole earth through Jesus.  None of us will escape.  NOW is the day of salvation.

Thank-You for the life, breath and everything else You have given us human beings.  You are the Lord of everything; the One True God.  Thank-You most of all for Jesus our Savior.

In Jesus name we pray, praise and give You thanks.

                                                           ~ERC  November 2021~

Based on Acts 17:16-34 GoodNews/NIV.

*Absolutely NO disparity is meant upon the Amish.  In fact, I  admire their ways.  See The Amish:  Back Roads to Heaven video (46 minutes).

Listen to, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree by Elizabeth Postan.  Beautiful accapella.