Category: Devotions

Locked-in and locked-out

Acts 28:27 “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

Paul sees that he has been sent and Israel was his first love, he desired so much for them to hear the gospel and he has been rejected, but it wasn’t so much him but the fact that they were rejecting Jesus which caused the pain in his heart.

The reason why they would not hear or see or understand is because their hearts had become hardened. Not that they knew this. If you had asked them then they would say their hearts were open to God. They were worshippers and held to the laws of God. They were not Gentiles, unbelievers. But they were locked-in. They were closed off from any further revelation from God other than that of Abraham and Moses. It is still possible today. We can hold to a revelation of God, an experience, a moment in time, a move of God’s Spirit that was so special and historical that it changed our lives for ever and we live in that experience for the rest of our lives. In order to honour that moment, to honour God, to preserve His move and word then we continue to focus solely on what happened, everything we do is from that point, it is our filter and everything has to pass through it. Anything new is rejected. What happens unbeknown to us is that the beautiful experience has become a calloused place in our lives. It has trapped us and we now no longer hear and see and understand what God wants to do today.

We need to unlock our heart. We need to change our prayers. We need to use new vocabulary. We need to search again. We need to focus on something new of the nature of God. If our God is a Holy God who demands our repentance and our submission then perhaps it is possible we can become so locked in to that revelation that it hardens us to the truth that He is a God of grace, love, mercy who enjoys being called “Daddy” (Abba Father).

If we ever become locked-in then we will be locked-out from progressing in knowing God. This is what happened to God’s people in Isaiah’s day and of Paul’s and it is still true today. Let it not be us.

 

Rejection of the next move

Acts 28: 26 “‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

As the leaders of the Jews began to walk away from Paul in disgust, he quotes the prophet Isaiah. It is from chapter 6 where Isaiah has finally said ‘Here I am send me’ and then God tells him that the people will reject him. Paul sees that he has been sent and Israel was his first love, he desired so much for them to hear the gospel and he has been rejected.

There is an aspect of the ministry/missions life where as you go there needs to be no surprise when you are rejected. It is part of the course. How many more would say ‘Here I am send me’ if there was a guarantee of revival success? How many want an Isaiah ministry? The people are going to listen but they will not hear, they will look but they won’t see.

Is this because the presentation of the gospel was faulty? Is it because Isaiah/Paul or whoever is not gifted enough? Should this be a sign that they are finished now, that they should come home? The answer is of course NO.

The hardest thing is to try and show people an aspect of God they did not know when they are locked in to a revelation of God that is steeped in their culture generationally. Mono-revelatory people of God often reject the next revelation or move of the Spirit. Rejection hurts more when it comes from people of God than those who never knew Him.

What did Isaiah do? What will Paul do? What will you do?

Truth makes it possible

Acts 28: 25 “They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet …”

We are coming to the end of Luke’s account of Paul’s life and ministry.

Would it end with revival? No it didn’t even end with unity. The Jewish leaders were arguing so much that it was wise for them to leave. Paul’s gospel had divided the camp. We will find out what Paul says in the next few verses but he chooses to quote Isaiah 6 where the prophet speaks judgment on God’s people. Paul says this is that. The Holy Spirit was right back then, but it was for now. “We are the generation experiencing what He said to Isaiah all those years ago.”

The gospel is not acceptable if it calls out the wrongdoing of people.

The gospel divides if it doesn’t stay in the middle of the road accommodating everyone’s views.

The gospel is received if it is a message of love but not if it is a message of instruction.

So people disagree and people leave and the results for Paul on that day are poor, only some believe. No revival. No big harvest. No outpouring.

So why did Paul speak the way he spoke if he knew this may happen?

What do you want?

Do you want to please as many people as you can? Is that success for you?

If you stick with what you know is truth people may disagree with you and it may well be the best thing for them to leave you but you will survive the losses, the truth sets you free from the pressures of pleasing everyone. There are times in your life when you will find truth is indeed your best friend.

Face it. Deal with it. Move on.

Acts 28:24 “Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.”

Even a super-apostle finds there are times when people think he is not telling the truth! So that encourages you and me who swing from those who are convinced and follow and those who refuse to believe what we are saying is true.

A few days ago someone wrote to me and told me they believed I was lying over a certain matter. I was obviously telling the truth but faced with the frustration of not knowing how else to convince the person who would not believe. People either look at you with disdain because they think you are manipulating the truth or with sympathy because they think you are misguided. But what do you do when people will not believe you?

Jesus instructed us to shake the dust off our feet when we left a town that did not welcome or listen to us (Matt 10:14). When his disciples turned away and refused to follow him, Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to do the same (John 6:66).

1. There will be people who will not believe you. Face it.
2. This is not a sign that you should alter your course. Deal with it.
3. It is important to know who is really with you. Move on.

 

Dates and Diaries

Acts 28: 23 “They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.”

You will have seen how we have just finished the first World Conference for Elim leaders.

The date had been set 10 months previously.

It gave the 102 delegates from 32 nations the time needed to get their visas amongst other things to be in the UK. Sadly there were many who couldn’t get their visa and were not here.

They had time to prepare themselves in prayer to come. It gave them time to talk to their own leadership teams about what questions they should bring with them.

It gave time for the number of leaders who were coming to be totalled.

We had time to prepare the necessary arrangements from transport to accommodation to the churches who would host them at weekends and to the arrangements in the conferences. We were ready. We all were because a date had been set.

When the leaders of the Roman Jews told Paul we want to know more about the ‘sect’ he could have immediately launched into a defence of it. But a date was arranged.

It is wise to slow a conversation down and arrange a date in the future to meet because it gives both sides time to prepare.

Some people have nothing in their diary and are therefore not prepared for anything. Some people’s diaries are too full and therefore have no preparation time for the event. Dates and diaries are essential and when used correctly can help to shape our lives efficiently and more effectively.

Learners ask questions

Acts 28: 22 “But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”

They should be praised for wanting to know Paul’s views. They had heard damning reports about this Christianity and they sought for the thoughts of Paul.

“What are your thoughts on this matter?” If only more people would ask that question.

Instead of passing judgment on what they do not know: “what do you think?”

Instead of carrying out certain actions: “what do you think?”

Instead of pretending to know everything: “what do you think?”

Never get to a place or a position in life when you do not have to ask that question.

Success is not being able to answer every question but it is to be able still find the question and ask the right person.

Ask someone today, “what do you think?”, you may grow through that answer.

Lies or truth

Acts 28:21 “They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you.”

Were they lying? It would be strange that the mob from Jerusalem had not contacted their friends in Rome about this disturbing man called Paul, who they believed should be put to death.

Were they telling the truth? Had they not heard from Jerusalem because the mob there knew they wouldn’t win in such a stronghold for Roman citizens so didn’t inform the leaders there? Did the Roman Jews returning from Jerusalem miss this whole debacle? Did they return before it all commenced with the attacks against Paul?

We have all known people who feel justified to lie. What they want outweighs how they get it. Similarly we all know times when we feel justified not to believe what is being portrayed as the truth.

I wonder how Paul is feeling as he hears this. Does he believe them or not? Does he care?

If Paul was in a panic in prison then what they said would matter.

If Paul needed help from anyone no matter who they were then what they said would matter.

If Paul was crying out to God for a change of circumstance then what they said would matter.

But he wasn’t.

Paul was at peace, he was where God wanted him to be. And so are you, you are strategically placed today, so whatever man says to you it doesn’t really matter whether they have a hidden agenda or not, whether they are lying or telling the truth, you are where God wants you to be.

Paul only looked to God for help not man. The help Paul wanted was open doors not from house arrest but open doors for the gospel. And so do you. You don’t need any man to help you. Your help comes from God alone.

Paul didn’t need a change of circumstance; he wanted to optimise every circumstance. And so do you. You don’t need to be lifted out of a situation you simply need the creative keys to make something of it.

So don’t worry what man says, whether they are hiding something, you don’t hang on their every word but the Word of God who leads and guides you every day.

Declare loudly what you know

Acts 28:20 “For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

Paul found that within his limitation he had opportunities of being certain of the need for the gospel.

What is the ‘hope of Israel’? Paul on trial before Agrippa says in 26:6 “And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today.” It is Jesus, He is the hope for Israel. The Message says “It’s because I believed it and took it seriously, committed myself heart and soul to what God promised my ancestors”

When the Church is contained, its voice can still be heard. How does the suffering Church carry on when the enemy presses in on them? I have seen it but Revelation 12:11 says “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” If you are limited today, pressed down and contained you need to declare loudly what you are certain of.

Written perhaps only 100- 200 years after Paul’s speech in his trials:

I believe in God, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Holy Catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

That’s what I’m certain of. This is what is of most importance. It is Jesus.

Battling with circumstance for the calling on your life.

Acts 28:19 “The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people.”

Because they did that

I had to do this

But not for the reason they think.

 

They objected because they wanted to see Paul put to death.

Paul had to appeal to Caesar using his Roman citizenship which gave him the right to do so.

The reason being was not to better himself or even preserve his life so that he could enjoy it but because Paul was called to take the gospel to Rome.

 

Because they did that

I had to do this

But not for the reason they think.

 

What has happened to you? What stands against you? (For Paul it was the Jewish mob) For me it is ….

Are you now even more determined that you are willing to change? Are you compelled to take the opportunity to reposition yourself? (For Paul it was his citizenship ticket to Rome) For me it is ….

What is of utmost importance to you that means you will not let go of it? (For Paul it was the gospel) For me it is ….

 

It doesn’t matter if people understand you now, they will later.

 

 

Examinations

Acts 28:18 “They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.”

I have never met anyone who likes examinations.

Whether that be an exam regarding a subject of learning or a driving test perhaps we enter into those arenas with nervousness that at that moment we will forget everything we have learned and fail the test.

But then there is the examination like what Paul faced. This was not a test about his learning but about his conduct and outlook. Man scrutinising man. The Romans had been handed a list of accusations of Paul and they were looking deeply at each one. To fail this examination would have meant death by the hand of the Jews. Paul was not guilty he had done nothing wrong.

In the year 2001 I had been taken to an employment tribunal by a member of my staff who was bringing a false charge against me because I had no other option but to remove him from office. The scrutiny I faced was something I had never experienced in my life before. After 9 months of the case continuing the day came when the judgment was passed. It was that I had done nothing wrong and the case was dropped. I remember walking away from the court that day and how my feelings were mixed with relief and thankfulness but a whole lot of relief too.

We know that one day we will be examined by our God. The judgment seat of Christ will be where we give an account for our lives here on earth. How we lived our lives, how we loved others and Him. Whatever happens on that day (and I hope no one is behind me in that queue listening to my examination!) we know that there will be no death as a punishment. We will survive that examination because of the sacrifice of Christ and how much more will we rejoice and be thankful for the shed blood of Jesus on that day!

But we know there is another examination for those who have rejected Christ. Our task on this earth is to make sure we do everything to let people know that they do not need to take this examination. That today they can opt for the examination that guarantees freedom with no death. Amen!