Pure Presence
“ For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” Acts 27 : 23 - 25 KJV Rhetorical narrative of the presence of the Lord is vague and virtual until the real experiences of trials and the challenges of life are unveiled. And for the companions of Apostle Paul enroute Rome from Caesarea, it was a tempestuous wind called Euroclydon that brought the experience of the pure presence of God. Prior to the storm, Paul was just one of the prisoners; he became a preacher with the abiding presence of God afterwards. When we are limited by the polluted presence of the gods in position, prosperity, and privileges, we are tempted to make empty boast of the power to steal, kill, and destroy in order to sustain relevance. King Sennacherib ...