The End of Purpose

Acts 21:14

 

14So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

 

A prophet by the name of Agabus came to the house of Philip the evangelist who was one of the seven ordained deacons. Agabus gave a very disturbing prophecy that the apostle Paul would soon meet the end of his earthly ministry for Christ. Luke and the others who were present with Paul asked him not to go to the place where he was to be bound and would die. Paul's response was that he was ready to be bound and die for the cause of Christ. Once Paul accepted the prophecy given, those around him did too.

 

It had to be a very sobering evening. But you cannot stop the will of the Lord. For Paul would come to the end of his earthly purpose knowing he did what the Lord asked of him when he met Him on the road to Damascus. The closest revelation we've likely had of this since 66-68 A.D. is the night Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached his sermon, "I've Been to the Mountaintop" at the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) head quarters in Memphis, TN on April 3, 1968. The prophecy he gave came directly from the Lord. Dr. King's life ended on April 4th via assassination. Some of you reading this witnessed the news report. But can you imagine being with Dr. King the night before giving that sermon?  He said, "I might not get there with you."  Dr. King, like the apostle Paul, believed in the cause of equality and Christ to the point of death. No one around him was ready to accept that the end of his purpose was coming but Dr. King did. He had given his all and had done all he could. I sat here reading the scriptures with tears because it is painful for anyone to see a leader come to the end of their purpose. But at least each of them found what the Lord fashioned for them to do. What about you? You cannot get to the end of purpose if you never know what yours is. Will you inquire of God to find out?