Good morning, here comes Monday! I used to see Monday as a real drag. The start of a new week and the start of a week where I was doing something I didn’t enjoy and I didn’t believe in. Praise God for a job and a purpose that is both enjoyable and has a purpose to enrich and change lives. Serving God is like serving in no other way.
Last night I saw God assemble and unbelievable group for our first home ‘Whisper’ study. Margie and I have been praying every day for a month, that God would bring the people He wanted, not us. He did just that. How do I know that? Its simple, there’s no way we could have ever assembled this group on our own! First, it was all ladies, never saw that coming. Second, we had ages ranging from 30 to 93, another surprise and what a grand spectral view of life this group offered! Moreover, it was different backgrounds, different denominations and most importantly much different seasons of life. What a joy it was to sit around the den and talk about hearing the voice of God with these ladies. Encouragement abounded. I am thankful to God for this group.
This morning I’m in Acts chapter 22 and after the cliffhanger ending yesterday in chapter 21, we get to see what Paul tells the angry mob. The angry mob had assembled in protest of Paul teaching the Gentiles throughout the region the Word of God which was a no-no in Mosaic law. We’ve always heard that old habits die hard and there’s never been truer words spoken concerning the Jews and them holding onto the Law of Moses.
Paul starts out addressing them in perfect Hebrew which quiets the crowd quickly. Now remember that this crowd is ready and willing to kill him on the spot, so this is Paul’s defense for his life before this angry, bloodthirsty mob. Acts 22:1 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” Paul then shares his entire testimony, his life story. He starts out with his rearing, background and education. He wants them to know that he is one of them. He knows them, their culture and their laws. To be this relatable, God has given Paul the perfect credentials for a missionary that would need to serve this people. He grew up and was educated at Tarsus. Tarsus was the Greek center of learning in that day. The finest university of the day was at Tarsus, not Athens. Considering Paul’s intellect, its very likely that Paul attended this university. It would be like telling people that you went to Harvard or Yale. He goes on to tell them that after that he studied in Jerusalem under Gamaliel and learned “the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.” (Acts 22:3) He apprenticed in Jerusalem under a learned and respected Jewish scholar that has a seat on the Sanhedrin. He knows all about the Mosaic Law. He goes on to tell them about how he persecuted the followers of “the Way” to prison and death, both men and women alike. He killed Christians and now is one. He then goes into depth about his life-changing personal encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. Paul is pouring out his life’s story. God’s story in his life.
This is a great segway about OUR personal testimony and the power it has to others. Many would say, ‘well nobody wants to hear my story, I mean I’m no Paul, I’m just a regular ol’ Joe.’ Not true. If you’re a child of God and profess Christ as your Savior you have been gifted with a life story that shows the hand of Jesus Christ. Each one of us have a special story that reveals the face of God. Someone out there needs to hear your story. God has perfectly built each one of our stories to help someone else. Your story can change a life. Tell your story, the story of how God has saved you. Tell your story, the story of how He has sculpted your life into what is today. Tell it often, it has the power of God within it. I never, never tire of hearing of peoples lives and how God has changed them. This is what Paul is doing here and the angry mob is quited to a whisper as they listen.
But the silence doesn’t last, this crowd cannot be subdued, their anger, bitterness and intolerance is not of God, it is of man. As Paul gets to the part of his story where he has preached to the Gentiles, the crowd erupts again. The captain of the guard could not understand Hebrew so after Paul’s address he still doesn’t know what Paul is guilty of. His solution? To flog Paul and find out. To beat it out of him. As he is strapping Paul in to be whipped Paul says, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” (Acts 22:25b) You see Rome was ‘very civilized’ and like today all arrested were afforded a trial before being condemned and punished. The guard recoils not knowing that Paul was Roman citizen. This is a big deal. He could get in big trouble. He hurriedly schedules a trial for Paul to be heard and loosens him.
This is where Acts 22 ends. In Acts 23 tomorrow, Paul will go before the council and again argue for his life and Jesus will of course come up in his speech. Jesus was such a part of Paul’s life that he couldn’t speak without telling about Him. Is Jesus so intertwined into your life that you can’t tell people about yourself without telling them about Him? I’ve often heard it phrased this way, “if you were arrested and accused as a being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Paul was convicted of being a Christian and man was it ever evident!
I pray that your personal 5 minutes in God’s Word this morning is rewarding, enlightening and speaks wisdom into your heart. Wisdom that you can take with you wherever you may go today. Wisdom that can speak His Word into the life of others and show them His goodness and love.
My friends, speak of Him in all you do today. Blessings.
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