"And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day.  And on the next day we departed and came to Caesarea; and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.  Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses.  And as we were staying there for some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.  And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own hands and feet, and said, 'This is what the Holy Spirit says:  In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

Philip is one of the seven men chosen to be a deacon b the early church.  There is a den of God fearing people surrounding him in Caesarea.  Philip's daughters are all prophetesses.  His friends seem to have the same spiritual gift.  One of them, Agabus, finds his way to Paul and gives him some potentially bad news:  The people in Jerusalem will bind you up and deliver you to the Gentiles.

This wasn't actually bad news - it was good news.

It was good news because Paul had vision.

Paul already knew that his life would be full of pain.  That was the extent that he was willing to go for sacrifice.

But the good news was realized when he heard that he was to be delivered to the Gentiles.  That was Paul's target audience!  That was who Paul was looking for to tell about Christ.

Imagine, the people that hate Paul were going to punish him by sending him to the people he was already looking for.

Maybe we should try to discern what God thinks before we determine what is good or bad news for us.