21/08/13

When God gives you a mission He puts you on it

Acts 22:26 - When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

Paul was a man on a mission. When God chose him he was given a harvest which included the gentiles (lost sheep), kings (rulers/administrators) and children of Israel (spiritually little in the Lord) and these he dedicatedly served, this we see through his letters. When time came for his ultimate mission to go and preach to the ruler of the world at that time - the Roman emperor, God had set all things for Paul.

Paul was born of mixed parents a Jew and a Roman. He was born Saul which means 'desire' but by his way of life after coming in the Lord he was called Paul which means 'little'. He was a very learned Jew, learned in the ways of the Jewish laws and that to from the top most respected teacher during his time and this man Paul made the greatest impact against the Jewish teachings. He showed them how wrong they were in their understanding of the laws of Moses and the books of the Prophets. God even gave him the last push when the time came for him to go to Rome to witness before Caesar.

The moment Paul was arrested by the Jews and was about to be dealt according to the law of the Jews, God bought the Roman centurion in the picture and he saved Paul from the hands of the Jewish local council, later Paul's nephew lands unexpectedly at the right time and right place to overhear some Jews plotting to kill Paul and with the help of the centurion he is taken to the district level council before the Roman representative Felix.

There the Lord causes the worst of person to represent the Jewish council and contest against Paul, his name Tertullus itself meant 'tripled hardened'. The man who sat in the judgment seat Felix even though being a Roman knew about Christ yet he did not show favour towards Paul since he was a corrupt person and wanted money from Paul. He put Paul in house arrest for 2 years but did not restrict Paul from doing his work; in fact Paul had soldiers guarding him through this time while he met people. God allowed him to continue his ministry even in his period of being arrested.

If one was in Paul's place one would have thought why did God not do a miracle and save Paul from prison like He did with the other Apostles before. We would have thought God had started to love us less or had forsaken us.

We need to understand we are men on a mission like Paul when we take up the Cross of Jesus Christ. God will make all things that are necessary for us to complete our mission in Him. He will bring the best or even the worst persons in our live, at that time we may not understand but then we will realize without those people we would not have been successful in our mission. Each one played their role towards our mission.

Let us be like Paul surrendering to the Lord and trusting in Him in all things, at all times. It is only when we know this we can rejoice in the Lord and be strengthened with His joy knowing we are quicken in our mission even when things are bad around us.

Let us walk in the righteousness of the Lord and let the Lord takes charge of all things around us. Let us be assured our God will complete what He has started in us.


[ Prayer Starter ]
You are Living God. For You Lord past, present and future is visible at the same time. Time is not a factor to You. Lord, You alone know what is best for us and when You have given us a mission, You will surely help us to complete it. You will provide Lord all that is needed for us in our mission. Lord we pray your people know they are men on a mission and that they do not worry or be anxious of how they will accomplish their mission in You...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Acts 9:11-15
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Acts 21:29-33

Acts 22:24-30

Acts 23:11 - And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

Acts 23:12 -24

Acts 24:1 - And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus [meaning triple hardened], who informed the governor against Paul.


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