Friday, July 19, 2013

May be the Hand of God


Acts 26:30-32

What seemed to others as one big mistake may be the hand of God arranging circumstances?   After Paul’s defense before King Agrippa, we have the King asking Paul this question: “In such a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”  Then we have Paul’s exchange; “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am – except for the chains.”

“Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”  (Acts 26:30-32 ESV) 

Did Paul make a bad call, or was he about the Father’s business?  If you’re familiar with the Scripture it’s a no brainer, or is it, for I have no doubt Paul was a man who put on his pants one leg at a time or robe if you prefer, and he had channel One (The Enemies’ Channel) feeding him lies about what the Romans would do to him.  Yes, Paul had thoughts, emotions, and the will to choose just like you and I but he also had learned to listen to channel Two and hear the voice of the Spirit of Truth and to believe that God was able to not only use him to share the gospel with both Jews and Gentiles, but to share the gospel with you and me.

Look at what happens to a man who is willing to surrender to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus; Paul broke his dependence on what he could do for God, and placed his hope on what Christ would do in Him.  He makes this clear in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

Paul, being lead by the Spirit of Truth, gives us a road map on how to navigate the highway of this life.  He calls it a “Shield of Faith” in Ephesians 6:16, and he tell us that in all circumstances to take it up, and that it has the power to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.  And we have been warned by Jesus in John 10:10, that the enemy of our soul has come to steal and kill and destroy.  Most of the writings of Paul were written in a prison cell in Rome; it was probably in Rome that Paul wrote this letter to the Ephesians, and this verse could be titled: “I am who God says I am!  “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”  (Ephesians 2:22 ESV) He also addresses this in Philippians 3:20-21, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
(Philippians 3:20-21 ESV)

He also gave us this insight while in a Roman prison, “I can do all things through Christ” The Scripture that acknowledges this is in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” He also shares this truth in his letter to the Ephesians in 3:16.

So the next time your actions seem like you made an unbelievable mistake, take a deep breath and let God show you how He is simply making a new opportunity to expand the kingdom of God.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

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