Joining Paul on Purpose

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" Paul replied, "Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." (Acts 26:28-29)

Sometimes the church forgets its purpose. I recently heard someone comment, “I don’t care whether they ever join us, we need to reach out and serve people in our community.” I know what was meant—that we need to build relationships and demonstrate our value to neighbors before they will consider the claims of Christianity—but that’s not to say we don’t care whether people join us. Even after two years of unjust imprisonment, when given a hearing before the Roman Governor and visiting King Agrippa, the Apostle Paul pleaded, not for his own freedom, but for his hearers to experience the freedom found through faith in Christ. That was his purpose, and it remains our purpose: to encourage all people to convert to Christianity, to join us in God’s Kingdom.

“Heavenly Father, amidst this busy season of delight and distraction, focus our hearts on the purpose for which You have called us and the reason You patiently wait to remake the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.”

CONVERSION TABLE
1. Ratio of an igloo’s circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi 
2. 2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton
3. 1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope
4. Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement = 1 bananosecond
5. Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram
6. Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knotfurlong
7. 16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone = 1 Rod Serling
8. Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon
9. 1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz
10. Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower
11. Shortest distance between two jokes = a straight line
12. 453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake
13. 1 million-million microphones = 1 megaphone
14. 2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles
15. 365.25 days = 1 unicycle
16. 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds
17. 52 cards = 1 decacards
18. 1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 FigNewton
19. 1000 milliliters of wet socks = 1 literhosen
20. 1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche
21. 1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin
22. 10 rations = 1 decoration
23. 100 rations = 1 C-ration
24. 2 monograms = 1 diagram
25. 4 nickels = 2 paradigms
26. 2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital = 1 IV League
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The Lord grant you a great measure of joy this week! 
 In Jesus,
 Pastor Kirk