Author: missionspaul

Acts 9: 30
“When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.”

Feng-Shan Ho.
Irena Sendler
Hugh O’Flaherty
Giorgio Perlasca
Chiune Sugihara
Georg Ferdinand Duckwitz
Frank Foley
Aristides de Sousa Mendes
Dimitar Peshev
Who are these people? Why are they listed?

What do you do when you hear of someone’s life, ministry, credibility about to be or is being torn to shreds? Do you join in? Are you a defender of people of the faith as well as defender of the faith?
Will you be a protector? Will you shield others?
The Church leaders took Saul to the coast and sent him by boat to Tarsus. He was out of there. Out of the threat to his life. They took it on themselves at cost to themselves to preserve Saul.

So what about the names above? Well if I mention the next name then you will immediately know:
Oskar Schindler.
All the above people helped Jewish people escape the Nazi holocaust. They all gave their own story. They all sacrificed and out their lives at risk because they believed the threat was wrong and that these people needed preserving.
So look around to you today. Who is being attacked? Come to their defence. Invite them home, to a safe refuge, to a place where they can recover.

Acts 9: 29
“He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.”

People kill because of hatred.

Hatred is bred by ignorance to differences.

Ignorance is fuelled by pride in one’s own position.

Today is not unlike the days of Saul.

The questions are:
Do you have reason to hate?
Are you open to differences?
Are you absolutely right?
The answers will determine whether you would ever kill someone, their credibility and their ministry.

Acts 9: 28
“So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.”

When your STAY is established then your movement can flow.
If you can rest then you can work. In fact many know the theory that the best work comes out of the best rest.
If your home is at peace then you can spring forward into your work every day. If you come back at the end of the day to a home of peace then your work has truly ended till tomorrow.
Many workaholics are so because they have no rest, they have no stay. They have a house but it is not where they like to stay. Having a place to stay also gives a confidence in work. Home can build you up or tear you down. It gives or it takes. How would you describe where you stay? How would you describe you in that place?

Acts 9: 27
“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.”

When everyone else is saying NO will you be strong enough to say YES?
When the wisdom of man says to go with the majority, will you side with the minority, even if you are the minority?
Can the story rest on how you will respond? Can you change the story simply by being present?
When the Church rejects will you accept?
Are you a child of fear or a son (or daughter) of encouragement?
Will you believe the stories or is your approach mixed with cynicism?
Do you believe the Lord still meets people on Damascus roads?
Do you believe the Lord speaks today?
Do you believe persecutors can become proclaimers of Christ?
Are you one who can lead someone into the destiny that God has given?
Will you defend? Will you believe the best? Will you push others instead of you? Will you speak up? Will you silence those who are convinced of an incorrect position?
Just a few questions!

Acts 9: 26
“When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.”

Fear kills mission. It stops the Church growing. It decreases the number of disciples. It creates exclusivity. It breeds unbelief.
Some mission people have never witnessed to a single person of their faith in Jesus. Some mission people are not on target to lead anyone to Christ. The sole reason is fear. When fear resides then the original plan is silenced.
Kill fear today and let the mission continue.

Acts 9: 25
“But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.”

Sometimes we need people to help us get through. We can find ourselves trapped by a plan of the enemy. We can become stuck. No matter how hard we try there is no way out on our own. We need people. Invest in others in such a way that they want to be with you, becoming your followers and when you need someone these same people will open the way for you. What you sow you reap.
Saul’s followers had an ingenious plan, hide him in a basket and lower him through the city wall. Great ideas are often found within groups of people.
So don’t do life on your own. Appreciate your friends and let them carry you at times.

Acts 9: 24
“but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.”

You may have great plans and strategies. You may have a clear vision and know just exactly what you want to do or much more importantly what God wants you to do. However, what good is that if you have no idea what the enemy of your life is planning to do? How will that benefit you if you walk blindly into the snare of those who are against you? If you don’t know the pitfalls, the roadblocks, the dangers how will you know whether you are too near the edge of those things that can bring you down?

Saul learned of their plan.
The plan was that they would look out for him exiting the city and then when no one was watching capture him in order to kill him. They were relentless, they had people watching day and night. He was trapped inside Damascus. Knowing you are trapped is the best thing that can happen if you are indeed trapped. There is no hope for the ignorant.

Acts 9:23
“After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him”

Days of growing more and more powerful. A whole season. Many days in fact. Then it came to an end. The period of peace and openness turned to fight and closure.
Recently our workers in Nepal found that their lives were turned around almost overnight. For 9 years Nepal has been open to the gospel and we have planted many churches and sent missionaries. But last month 7 workers were arrested for gospel outreach and it has become very difficult for missionary work. But this is what missionary work involves and Saul was experiencing this for the first time.
We are all missionaries wherever we are but there are some called to go into very difficult places. One of my missionaries has had 3 death threats on his life but he keeps going undeterred.
Missions work comes in seasons. Seasons of openness and seasons of closure. We need to be prepared for both and above all we need to keep gospel sharing in both.

Acts 9:22
“Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.”

More Lord is a prayer that has been prayed by the many for many years. And in His graciousness the Lord has given us more of Himself to the many.
But maybe what the world needs is more of us. Maybe our prayer should be to give more to Him and more to others. To become better at our conversations with others about Jesus Christ. May it be said we have become more and more powerful.

Acts 9:21
“All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who caused havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

When a person turns around not everyone can cope easily. There will always be people who do not want you to change. They have out you into a box and when you come out the box it causes them to be uncertain, shocked and astonished.
They will try and remind you of your past, “isn’t he the man who caused …?”
They will be cynical of what you are trying to do now, “and hasn’t he come to take them …”
Is that going to matter to you? Will this slow you down?