Author: missionspaul

Preaching with accuracy

Acts 18:26 “… and Apollos began to speak boldly and fearlessly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained more accurately to him the way of God [and the full story of the life of Christ].”

Apollos needed the full version. He needed the facts about the cross, resurrection, ascension and the Pentecost story.

Apollos needed Priscilla and Aquila in his life and we all do.

He was a good communicator already but he needed some mentoring. He needed fine tuning. He needed to be held accountable.

This good preacher needed someone to come alongside and critique his messages and bring positive criticism.

Church problems happen when we don’t advocate such mentoring. This means there is a need for vulnerability and transparency. We become a weaker Church if we cannot improve and how can we improve if we are not corrected?

Today my prayer is as I go out to preach is that all over the world preachers will preach with boldness and without fear. But they will preach accurately the ways of God having a full knowledge of the story of God. May it be so in your Church today.

The passion of Peter Griffiths and those he worked with.

Acts 18:25 “He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.”

Apollos knew the way, he knew the facts about Jesus and he knew the need for repentance. But it wasn’t what he knew that was the key to his influence, it was what he had. He had “great fervour.” The Message says “fiery in enthusiasm.” The Amplified says, “and being spiritually impassioned …”

May God continue to give me this passion. That is my prayer this morning.

Passion opens the door for achievement – whether it be in business or in discovery, great leaders, record breakers, they all had passion. Commitment will automatically follow passion, you won’t have to try to keep going. Passion will cause you to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11

When Jesus overturned the money tables in the temple offended that it wasn’t being used as the house of prayer that it should have been, the disciples later remembered the Psalmists words “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

We understand the word passion to mean: A powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.

Yet walk into churches today, speak to Bible believing Christians and you don’t have to go too far into the conversation with some of them to know that there is no powerful emotion for Jesus there is no compelling feeling for Him.

They have become “neither cold nor hot” God says in Revelation 3 “I wish you were one or the other and not lukewarm”.

But as I sit here asking for more passion I am also aware it means suffering and submission as like Jesus’ death on the cross. So it is not only about the excitement of the heart but it is about the bended knee.

Next to me is The Axe and the Tree, a compelling read by my friend, Stephen Griffiths. You can purchase this by typing the following into your browser:

http://www.elim.org.uk/Shop/Products/498661/The_Axe_and.aspx

I have read this book a few times now. It is full of passion. It is passionately written. Stephen is a son of the late Peter Griffiths, the Principal of the Elim School and a British missionary with his wife, Brenda, at the time of the murder of our Elim missionaries in what is now Zimbabwe.

Yesterday morning, the 23^rd, I remembered the tragedy and the book helped me. Our missionaries carried passion in their souls and it took them to Rhodesia and it was passion that brought them to their knees in surrender.

This story even though it is 39 years later is still impacting, still stirring, it is still passionately moving.

Let me give an excerpt of what happened on this day, the day after the surrender. The Griffiths family were on furlough in the UK at the time.

Stephen writes, “We got up early on Saturday 24 June 1978 to travel together as a family to Surrey. My father was going to speak at the Elim Bible College graduation, in the Surrey village of Capel.

The sunlight came flickering through the trees as we drove through the green countryside of early summer. I leaned my head back against the car window, staring up into the vault of blue overhead. It was a summer’s morning to fill the heart with a numinous joy.

As we drove up through the grounds, we expected to see the spreading lawns of the college splashed with colour; students, their families, and friends strolling on the grass anticipating a day of celebration. But the lawns were deserted. Pulling up close to the main entrance, we were curious and amazed to find that all was quiet. On graduation day we expected noise and movement and laughter. A student stepped out of the shadow of the doorway and quickly stepped forward. “I’m here to take you straight to the Principal’s office,” he said, an unexpectedly solemn look on his face.

We followed him in a small family knot, increasingly bemused. Here and there we saw one or two people as we made our way through the building but they drew back or turned away as we passed. The door to the Principal’s office was opened and we saw Wesley Gilpin, the Principal, standing behind his desk. My father advanced towards him, smiling, with his hand outstretched, and we followed him in.

Without preamble the Principal said, “Pete, I’ve got some bad news for you.”

My dad’s face changed and he said abruptly, “They’ve killed Phil.”

Very gently the Principal said, “I’m sorry, Pete. They’ve all been killed.”

With those words, my father staggered as if he had been punched, falling down backwards with the shock. My mother stood, shaking all over as if she had a fever, saying, “Why are we still alive? Why have we got life and they’re all dead?” I was traumatized both by hearing words which didn’t make sense at first and then seeing the reaction of my tough, capable father who had coped with so much. The room rocked and swayed and a strange buzzing rang in my ears.

The summer light drained from it, the day passed in a colourless blur of faces coming into view and fading away again. Broken fragments of sentences. Joy Bath’s face, normally so animated and full of fun, running with tears as she stood enfolded in my parents’ arms. Treading carefully, unsure of feet and balance in the weightless atmosphere of shock, I was intensely aware of each movement and moment.

The Bible College graduation service went ahead. Although others offered to take his place as the speaker, my father felt he should do it. He had already planned to speak from Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi: “It is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”[i]

Tears ran unchecked down my father’s face as he recalled his friends and colleagues one by one and spoke of their determination to follow their Lord. A graduating student recalled, “I can see him now … his bloodshot eyes seemed to be alive with grief and hope. He paused for a long time, looked into our eyes again, and asked us if we would be faithful to the Lord Jesus whatever the cost. As we knelt to pray we were sobered but determined. His was one sermon I will never forget.”

That’s it, isn’t it?

Whatever the cost, will we be faithful?

Are we determined?

Do we have zeal?

Is there passion within?

Will this passion compel us to love and will it bring us to our knees in surrender if that is required?

Will you say YES to these questions as I ask them myself also?

 

 

Meanwhile

Acts 18: 24 “Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.”

Meanwhile:

At the same time as you are doing what you are doing, whether you are in success or struggling when perhaps the centre stage is the whole stage and you see no one else or nothing changing remember this word: Meanwhile.

You see in another place, far away perhaps, someone can be travelling towards you. God can have trained someone to come to help you.

Meanwhile … Apollos.

You don’t see it all.

You are only part of God’s story not the other way round.

In His story He has many people and He moves them into place.

You may lose a friend, a loved one.

You may be struggling in that job, in that place.

But it may not be how it is for much longer.

There are things happening right now that you do not even see or could possibly imagine.

Things are shifting, circumstances are changing for other people, preparations are taking place, do not give up hope.

You are part of the community of God who believe in this:

Meanwhile!

Strengthening

Acts 18:23 “After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and travelled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.”

Paul decided not to sail but to go by land and visit the churches. The purpose was to make those disciples stronger.

I have a new friend, he is a Pastor but also a fitness trainer. I like him a lot. But 2 days ago I didn’t like him too much as he gave me a fitness session. I haven’t had a personal fitness session before. It hurt. It hurt the next day too. I felt my body ache in places I didn’t think it could ache. His name  is Reenu and he wants to try and renew my body!

The exercises he gives me are meant to strengthen my body. This finely toned body of muscle challenges me by saying that his body used to look like my body and that I can change!

In 2 weeks time I will once again submit myself to 3 Pastors who will gather around me to challenge my vision, my plans, my spiritual well-being and the hours I spend in work,rest and play. I created this group 4 years ago because I wanted to be the best I could in what was then a whole new chapter for my life.

A few days before this I will have a one to one with my boss who will go even further in stretching my thinking and who at the moment is getting me to imagine what could possibly be.

In all 3 of these scenarios at times it is uncomfortable being vulnerable, but it has to happen in order that I become stronger.

Every day the Bible strengthens me as I read the beautiful Scriptures. But I need people, I always have. Over the years some have left me and I have had to move on from some but new friends come and they impact me positively.

Let me just leave you with 2 questions today:

Who strengthens you?

Who do you strengthen?

 

Which place are you in?

Acts 18:22 “When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.”

 

Luke has become very quiet on the activity of Paul though this would probably have been a journey of over a thousand miles and be a period of up to 1 year. He just mentions the places. Maybe that is all that was needed. Maybe the places alone indicate the importance of what was in Pauls mind or certainly the activity of what was taking place.

Let me illustrate:

“It was a Gethsemane moment” meaning it was a place of decision in my life.

“I knelt down at Calvary” meaning I surrendered to the importance of the cross of Christ.

“It was an upper room experience” meaning it was a time of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Places are sometimes enough to indicate activity or the importance of what is going on in a persons life.

He landed at Caesarea, named to honour and flatter the Caesar, a harbour city of which everyone had to come through to proceed on their journey. Man’s finest hour was all around. Power, praise, man’s success, wealth and prestige. Some people who land here think they have arrived, they have reached the top, there was no place higher. Paul landed but he hadn’t arrived. He had to go up, there was another level.

He went up to Jerusalem and greeted the Church. Throughout the gospels we read of how in order to go to Jerusalem ‘Jesus went up’. But Jerusalem was the place of the death of Jesus and the desertion of the disciples. It was the place of surrender and restoration. Going up to Jerusalem was actually going down to submission. Paul went up but he went down and we are led to believe from previous verses he laid the offering of his cut hair from the Nazirite vow in the temple fire. He went up to lay his life down.

He went down to Antioch where he had first been sent out with Silas almost 3 years ago. A reminder he was a missionary. He had been raised from the Damascus Road to GO. We all need reminding of our purpose, the reason why we are here, what our life should be about. We are sent.

So maybe Luke didn’t need to write about the activity, maybe the place is good enough.

Caesarea, the place of the power of man. Leave it.

Jerusalem, the place of the offering of your life. Surrender it.

Antioch, the place for the purpose of your life. You are sent.

 

How you do it is so important for when you do it.

Acts 18:21 “But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.”

When you leave do you make it easier for those you leave?
Paul left the Ephesians with a promise.

When you make plans are they flexible?
Paul said he would return if God permitted.

When you have arrived at the place where you have always wanted to be do you know it is still temporary and only serves the bigger place of mission in your life?
Paul loved Ephesus. He had wanted to be here for some time, he came and he left.

Decline

Acts 18:20  “When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined.”

(Paul had already decided that God wanted him to go to the Gentiles and not just the Jews. At Ephesus he went into the synagogue, as was his practice and he had good results as the Jews were receptive).

Decline man for God.
Decline time that you don’t have.
Decline need for purpose.
Decline success for obedience.

WAIT is a YES

Acts 18:19 “They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.”

In Acts 16:6 Luke writes, “Paul and his companions travelled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.”

The verse in Acts 16 tells us that Paul most probably wanted to preach in Asia but the Spirit said NO. The major city of Asia was Ephesus and although Luke doesn’t mention it, Paul would have wanted to go there as it was the commercial and cultural centre for that region.

In today’s verse, Luke writes, “They arrived at Ephesus.” The Spirit presumably said YES.

The point is this: timing. We must understand the timing of God.

The Spirit saying NO may actually be saying WAIT. HOLD ON.

How many times do people rush into what they think is what they or God wants for their lives? They jump through the NO or they become so frustrated with the WAIT that they GO.

WAIT may feel like a NO but it is a YES but not now.

Paul had to wait 2 years but he finally arrived in Ephesus.

Are you prepared to WAIT for the best? Or do you want things NOW?

You see, WAIT is a YES so long as you can submit to the NO.

Get your hair cut!

Acts 18:18  “Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.”

Paul decided he would take the Nazirite vow for a period of 30 days in which one of the things he had to do was not to cut his hair during that time (Numbers 6:1-21). This vow was for those who wanted to give time to draw closer to God, for the separation of their life from the pressures of the world and to give oneself wholly to the Lord. After 30 days their hair would be cut and presented at the temple as an offering in the fire.
The Apostle Paul had decided to take this vow. But why?
Let me offer some thoughts from this verse and then tell you why now is the time for a hair cut.

1. Paul stayed in Corinth and living in such wickedness warranted the need for separation to God.

Sometimes to remain in a situation you have to re-consecrate yourself to God to give you the strength to do so.

2. Paul made some strategic decisions and that happened during his time of consecration to God. He would leave Silas and Timothy behind to train leaders and the church whilst he would take Priscilla and Acquilla and go to Syria.

Sometimes you have to know when to leave and who to leave behind. Not everyone can come with you but everyone needs to feel they are fulfilled in the purposes of God. If you leave then make sure those who are left are fulfilling their calling.

Sometimes you have to appoint new people to be your accompanying partners. This can be difficult if you are used to having certain friends who have walked your path for many years with you.

3. Paul sailed from Cenchrea, an important harbour at the time, the place where a church had been planted and where one of the deaconesses, Phoebe, would deliver a letter to the Roman Church (Romans 16:1). Paul decided to end his vow at the place where he would literally distance himself from others.

Sometimes you need to get to the place where it is going to happen. Every chapter needs a new page. Many long for their destiny but don’t make the effort needed to get to the place where they will see what they long to see.

Paul had his hair cut. The vow of commitment had been made. His hair was just a sign of what had happened within. He cut his hair but his heart remained consecrated to God. We need to remind ourselves that our consecration to Christ is certain and for

Commitment, strategy and destiny are all found within consecration. If you have been through this then that is why you can get your hair cut today!

Avoid a beating

 

Acts 18: 17 “Then the crowd there turned on Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the proconsul; and Gallio showed no concern whatever.”

Sosthenes had taken over as the Jewish leader from Crispus and was one of the many who had brought the accusation of Paul to Gallio.

Gallio drives them all out of the court and there on the streets the anti-semitists jump on him and it all becomes a very sad day.

The measure you use will be measured against you.

If you are an accuser, trying to bring people down, if you are a divider amongst people, you may feel justified it matters not, there will come a day when all that you heaped on others will be heaped upon you.

How you treat people really does matter.

It matters obviously for the person you deal with.

But it matters to your own destiny too.

As you know in these daily blogs I am very honest and at times vulnerable. I say this to qualify what I am about to write as I do not want to appear I have all this perfected. There are many times that through my tiredness and lack of thought I have not dealt with someone in the way I should have done.

However, yesterday I received an email about a matter. It was an email full of anxiety and stress about a certain situation:

“……Please forgive me…. I will not blame you if you feel my credibility is in question now…. “

I replied immediately, “Be at peace … It was a genuine mistake which you will rectify …But thank you for how you have expressed yourself in this email …Be at peace and be blessed”

It was so easy to write that. Being nice is easy. Being gracious costs but it is not complicated.

The persons response was delightful, free, forgiven and happy!

Today I can walk confidently in that if I get beaten up it won’t be as a result of me beating someone else up. I am using the correct measures. I am doing it for others and I am doing it for myself.

Sometimes you can avoid being beaten up.