Is God Listening

 An Answered Prayer

Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 1

As we begin this study into the first Book of Samuel, we should understand that we do not know by whose hands the Holy Spirit used to author the books of Samuel. We can believe that Samuel probably wrote some of the books that bear his name, but no one knows for sure who the writer was.

If we rightly divide the Bible, we know that the Books of Samuel were written to the Israelites, but we also know that all the Bible is written to the Church.

The Books of Samuel gives us a historical record of the transition of the nation of Israel from the era of Judges to the era of Kings. 

This book gives us a record of the birth and the establishment of the monarchy.

We also know that these things were done in rebellion to Jehovah God!

The era of Judges became a corrupt era, and the era of the kings would not be much better, in fact we could say it was worse in many ways.

We do know that each king was to rule and serve under the authority of Jehovah God, just as the Judges were to rule according to the Word of God.

We will see how the sovereign power of God moves events to bring about His purposes and to work out all things for the good, the good of all those who follow Him.

God can make some good come from any dire situation!

This study of the first Book of Samuel begins with prayer just as throughout our lives we need to begin each day with prayer.

Prayer is the source for receiving all things of God!

Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, "yet ye have not, because ye ask not". 

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, "and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts". 

We can see that all things are available through prayer, but our own actions are the greatest deterrent to the answering of our prayers.

In this first lesson we meet Hannah, the barren wife of Elkanah and we need to pay attention to how she prays.

*****1Sa 1:1  Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite: 

1Sa 1:2  And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 

We first met Elkanah who was the father of Samuel. He lived in Ephratah, an old name of Bethlehem. (Bethlehem Ephratah)

This is the same place where Jesse and his son David was born, but more important it is the same place where Joseph, a descendant of David, took the Virgin Mary for the Lord Jesus to be born in a stable, because there was no room for him in the Inn.

This was the very first sign that the world did not want to make room for our Savior.

The world still does not to make room for the Lord Jesus Christ, but this will not stop the return of Christ.

Even today the world still rejects the Lord Jesus Christ and still refuses to make room for the Lord Jesus and His Church.

Elkanah was a Levite in the same line as Heman the singer, but it does not seem that he performed any usual Levitical duties.

We immediately see that he had two wives which was his rebellion against the Word of God.

God still says a marriage is between one man and one woman in the way He created them!

God does not change even if the world changes.

The world is always wrong when it goes against the Word of God.

This is not my opinion; it is simply Biblical Truth.

All children are important to this world!

We have no idea how all those aborted babies could have changed our world for the better!

Children were important to the way of life of the Hebrews and Hannah his first wife was barren.

No doubt that Elkanah felt it was more important to have many children than to obey the Word of God.

We always seem to forget that God will provide our needs if we stay true to Him.

This was just as important to the Jews as it is to the Christian today.

Obedience is the greatest quality we can show to our Heavenly Father!

Obedience to God may be considered:

(1) as virtual, which consists in a belief of the Gospel, of the holiness and equity of its precepts, of the truth of its promises, and a true repentance of all our sins.

(2) actual obedience, which is the practice and the exercise of the several graces and duties of Christianity.

(3) perfect obedience, which is the exact conformity of our hearts and lives to the law of God, without the least imperfection. 

This last one is peculiar to a glorified state, though it should be our aim to always be obedient to the Lord.

As all true Israelites did, Elkanah went to the Tabernacle to worship three times a year as directed by the Word of God.

The Tabernacle was located in Shiloh at this time, where it had been since Joshua led the children of Israel into the Promised Land.

*****1Sa 1:3  And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. 

Elkanah came from a priestly family that were to become the ancestors of skilled musicians who would serve in the Tabernacle and later the Temple.

Elkanah was a bigamist! 

Elkanah had conformed to the culture where he lived instead of remaining in the culture that God had decided for him!

It is bad enough when the world turns carnal as it has today, but for the priests to do the same things again as we see today, it shows us just how wicked our societies have become as they had in the time of Samuel.

Elkanah had lost his faith in the Lord!

Bigamy and polygamy are transgressions against the Lord just as much as any other sin.

We seem to forget that all sin has only one punishment. 

It separates us from our Holy God!

Marriage is to be between one man and one woman, their sex determined at their birth, and together these two become one flesh.

Two people of the same sex cannot become one flesh!

This union is the way God has chosen for the human race to continue and the values of human life to be learned!

All the great values of life are to be found in the union of the husband and wife and established in the family they establish.

Every family is to be a "type" of the Church family!

Gen 2:23  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 

Gen 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 

Because of what Elkanah had done, Hannah was in deep sorrow and broken hearted and there was strife in the home that was unnecessary.

Though the family remained devout, it is obvious that Elkanah the family priest had lost his faith in the ability of God to take care of his family.

Elkanah had joined in the immoral society that was around him just like many who call themselves Christians have done today.

Jdg 21:25  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. 

God expects us to separate ourselves from the ways of the unbeliever!

2Co_6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

It seems today that the family has just about disappeared in America because marriage is no longer the foundation of the family.

A marriage must remain the union of one man and one woman the sex they were assigned at birth by God Himself!

People are so confused they do not know if they are male or female and people would rather to just live together without being married because they do not want the responsibilities of family.

People are afraid of making a commitment!

Men in America have grown pathetic!

We should understand that a broken heart is the cause behind many of the problems we see in America today.

Just as Hannah suffered in deep sorrow and a broken heart, we see many more today suffering because we do not see ourselves in step with the world.

Thank goodness I have no desire to be in step with this world!

I would rather seek to be in step with the Word of God that I can trust!

Like Hannah, I place my faith and my trust in the Lord of all the Heavenly Host.

God is the Lord of all the Heavenly Hosts, the angelic armies.

God is also the Lord of the human hosts, those who now live in glorified bodies in Heaven.

It is the Lord Jesus who will very soon subject all those who oppose Him!

It is the Lord God of Heaven who is the Supreme Ruler of all His Creation!

We should notice that Eli, the High Priest of that day, had two wicked sons and we see their names mentioned in this passage, Hophni and Phinehas who were themselves priests, but they used the priesthood to do evil, wicked, and immoral things.

It was now time for Elkanah to make his offerings to the Lord.

Out of the sacrifice of these peace offerings, we should know that the greatest portions went back to the one who offered them, and was eaten by him and his friends or guests, before the Lord.

Out of these portions, he shared with his family as the master of the feast.

He gave a double portion of this meat that had been sacrificed, to Hannah.

*****1Sa 1:9  So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. 

1Sa 1:10  And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. 

We see that Hannah actually lived a life of misery, and her misery peaked at the time of this festival.

All Hannah knew to do was to take her misery and her burdens and give them to the Lord.

This is a fitting example for us all!

I love to pray at the altar of God at the end of each service. 

It just seems that I am a little closer to God surrounded by so many others who love of the Lord.

Hannah went to pray in the Tabernacle.

Her soul was full of bitterness and her eyes were full of tears. This was a broken woman!

Hannah was so desperate to be a mother that she made a vow unto the Lord.

Every child needs a mother and a father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

To be without a mother or a father is terrible enough but every child need Jesus!

These things cannot happen in a home where there are two men trying to be a family, because Christ is not in that home.

These things cannot happen in a home where there are two women are trying to be a family, because Christ is not in that home.

Hannah made a vow to the Lord.

*****1Sa 1:11  And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 

We might understand why Hannah prayed this prayer but should also notice that this vow was the vow of the Nazarite, which is a complete separation of our lives from the world and to give our life to the Lord.

No doubt this is a vow of repentance, but Hannah had a condition that the Lord would give her a son and she would also give this son to the Lord all the days of his life.

Hannah had rededicated her life to the Lord and then she made a baby dedication for her first baby.

If we put this in perspective, we can know that this is exactly what Father God has done for each and every believer.

He has given His Son Jesus to every believer all the days of His life which is eternal, forever.

The key to Hannah's prayer was faith and obedience, and then the vow to give her firstborn son.

The key to our relationship with God the Father is faith and obedience, and we receive the vow of His only begotten Son Jesus the Messiah.

Hannah says she is God's servant, His handmaiden.

God does not ever forget His servants and being a servant of God is not like being a slave, but we should keep in mind that the Lord Jesus Christ when He died, He paid for each one of us with His blood and should He ask us to be His slaves then we should be His slaves.

But Jesus says I will make you my brother or my sister and you will be part of my family and my friend.

Like Hannah we all desperately need the Lord!

We desperately need the Lord to meet our needs!

We desperately need the Lord to remove our burdens!

Hannah spoke from her heart, and we must also do the same.

Hannah's prayer was short, so a prayer of need does not have to contain many words, but only the words that are necessary because God listens to our heart.

One thing was sure, Hannah expected an answer to her prayer, and this is the faith we need in all our prayers.

Many of our prayers are an utterance of our agony and the Holy Spirit will even help us to pray these prayers.

Hannah's lips were moving but her prayer was silent and Eli the High Priest and Judge of Israel was watching her.

*****1Sa 1:12  And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. 

1Sa 1:13  Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 

1Sa 1:14  And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 

Instead of being an understanding priest, Eli immediately became a judge.

It is so sad when many Christians act this way in the Church.

We are not called to judge; we are called to witness.

Eli's main calling was the priesthood, but he failed in this just he failed to be a father to his sons.

Why did Eli think this?

Because of the motions of her face and body.

Because of her passion.

Because of the fervency of her prayer.

A true priest would have seen the truth.

A judge would think evil of her.

When we pray, we do not have to be heard by those around us! 

God said to get alone with Him, and we can do this even with a crowd of people around us.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

No doubt Eli had heard many a prayer and a great many would consist of many words and many boastful words.

The difference being the prayer of Hannah was answered!

The Temple of Hannah was her heart.

The ruler of the heart must be our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Co_6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Hannah informed Eli that she was not drunk. 

In fact she had not been drinking wine nor any other strong drink, all these things available in Bible times.

Not every word for wine means alcohol when used in the Bible!

In fact, most of the time when we see the word "wine", it means grape juice, fresh or not so fresh.

The Lord Jesus made the freshest of grape juice in His first miracle of the New Testament. Check me out.

*****1Sa 1:15  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 

1Sa 1:16  Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

Are we wrong to judge Eli? We are wrong to judge anyone.

It is the Word of God that will be the Judge of all people.

Hannah believed it was the will of God for her to be a mother and she was right!

We must always pray according to the will of God, and then we will know that He hears us!

Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 

Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

Hannah told Eli she was simply pouring her heart out to her God.

We must never judge according to the appearance of things.

Joh 7:24  Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 

One thing is certainly true, when we act like the Lord Jesus Christ, then we will certainly be misunderstood in this world!

Tit_2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

If we are not seen as being peculiar to this world then, maybe we need to renew our relationship with the Lord!

Hearing these truths, Eli gave assurance that God would hear her prayer.

Every prayer that God hears, will also receive an answer even though it may not be the answer we are seeking.

God will never go outside His will for us to answer our prayers!

Hannah boldly said to Eli that she was a handmaiden to God.

Handmaiden meaning a servant to the will of God for her life not some worthless, wicked woman.

What was Hannah to do? 

When we leave a prayer of this type, then we should walk away at peace with ourselves and at peace with God, because we know He heard our prayer and we know if He heard our prayer, He would surely answer that prayer.

*****1Sa 1:17  Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 

1Sa 1:18  And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. 

We must understand that to make a prayer of any value there must be definite objects for which we plead.

Many times we spend our prayer time talking about many subjects, but our soul is not concentrating on our main subject, and God will not see us as being serious.

Our prayers should concern the plan God has for us!

We are wrong to go to God telling Him what blessing we are designed to have.

God has a dump truck full of blessings ready to give to us, but we must be serious about the will of God for our lives, until we go home to be with the Lord.

We must be searching for the "Grace" of God for our lives.

Grace being God's Riches At Christ Expense!

Hannah walked away after finishing her prayer no longer sad, content that she had poured her heart out to God who had His ears open to hearing her.

*****1Sa 1:19  And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. 

1Sa 1:20  Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD. 

There were some reliable results from Hannah's prayer. God heard her prayer and that prayer stayed with Him as all prayers do.

The prayer of Hannah stayed on God's mind, and we know every child of God are of equal in importance to Him.

Whatever part of Hannah that kept her from conceiving a child was now healed!

We should have no doubt that God has been answering prayer from the beginning of human history!

The very reason God saves us is to answer our prayers!

Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 

Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 

Our duty as Christians is to continue to pray all the days God will give to us!

Mat 6:5  And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 

Mat 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 

Mat 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 

Mat 6:8  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

We should be specific in our prayers!

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Our prayer life is the most important gift from God we have, after our salvation and is part of God’s Grace.

God empowered the body of Hannah to have children.

Samuel was her first child, but he was not her only child.

The name Samuel means "God heard".

Hannah may have had some doubts about Jehovah, but those doubts no longer existed!

Samuel was God's gift to Hannah, just like every child is a precious gift to that mother who conceive that child. A gift from God.

So many of these precious gifts have been destroyed before they were ever born, and God has every one of them with Him in Heaven today.

God knows our needs, but God will always listen to us when we are gripped by sorrow or a broken heart.

Now God still hears all our prayers, but it is good to know that we can touch the heart of God.

We look at Heaven as being above the stars, but it is also good to know that the Lord is close enough to hear our prayers even when we pray like Hannah, our lips moving but the words are silent to those around us.

We rob ourselves of this great privilege of prayer if we keep back anything that we could have asked for!

Jas_4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

Now we may not get everything we ask for, but it will because God knew it would not be right for us, but we will surely never get what we think we want if we do not ask for them.

When we pour out our hearts with "thanksgiving" we will receive the things that are in the will of God for our lives!

We need to thank the Lord God for what He has done, for what He is doing, and for what He will do!

Rom 15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

Amen.

Faith Is Still the Key to the Gospel

 Paul's Ministry In Rome

Book of Acts Chapter 28

The Apostle Paul made it to Rome simply because the Lord God of all creation decided that Paul would be a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ in Rome.

The Book to the Roman Christian Church had been written three years before the arrival of the Apostle Paul.

Many people wanted to see the man who wrote this great epistle.

Of course we know that it was the Holy Spirit who gave Paul the scriptures to use.

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Many times Paul had to dictate the words that were written down by some other Christian.

Paul was treated with respect probably because Julius the Roman Centurion had been saved by the advice of Paul during that great storm.

Paul was bound by one chain to one guard but allowed to stay in a house that was rented for him.

Paul used every opportunity to spread the gospel even to the many guards as they relieved each other.

No doubt Paul was well known to the Roman guards also because of the things that happened on this trip to Rome.

**How did Paul reach Rome? It was because of his faith in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

**It was an answer to his prayers!

This may seem a strange way for God to answer a prayer, but the ways of God are unknown to the world.

Isa_55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

The promise of God was much more than just fulfilled. Paul had much to witness through his trials and his work to get there.

Paul had been through great trials, but he had been saved by great deliverances from those trials.

Paul had written:

Rom 1:13  Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 

Rom 1:14  I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 

Rom 1:15  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The story of Paul's imprisonment had gone before him.

Rom 1:9  For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 

Rom 1:10  Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 

Rom 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 

Paul had made that prosperous journey.

Notice that this was not a onetime prayer, but Paul prayed without ceasing.

We should notice that the Church was already established in Rome before Paul got there.

*****Act 28:14  Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. 

Act 28:15  And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. 

Act 28:16  And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. 

Paul was anxious for his fellow Christians to be exposed to the dangers that are out in the world.

Those dangers to Christians still exist today!

According to records, Paul arrived in Rome in the spring of A.D. 61, and he dwelt two years in his own rented house and it seems that Paul went back to the mission field again and his beheading came at a later date.

After three days’ rest, Paul called the chief of the Jews to his residence.

We should be able to see that there is nothing and no one in this world that can stop the spread of the Gospel.

It is our Holy God who will decide if the Gospel has gone to all the places, He has intended for it to go!

*****Act 28:17  And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

The Apostle Paul had entered Rome, the then capitol of the world, as a prisoner.

His first step was to contact the Jewish religious leadership.

Paul turns himself for the last time to his Jewish people with an explanation.

For the rest of his short life he reached out only to the Gentiles!

Paul wanted them to know that under Roman Law, he was innocent, and he was not charged for breaking Roman laws.

Paul said he had not committed any wrong against the nation of Israel and he would be free if not for false accusations.

Paul had been dealt an injustice by his own nation, just because he believed in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he believed in the truth of all the Scriptures.

Paul had a great desire to reach Rome, to evangelize this wicked city, but mainly to ensure the spiritual growth of the Christian Church.

Discipleship seems to be the missing ingredient in most churches today, along with worldly compromise coming from the pulpits of most churches.

It was not much different in the days of the Apostle Paul; it is just more widespread.

We should notice that even after the ordeal Paul had been through, he still did not rest but went straight into the work of the Lord.

**We could say that Paul's coming to Rome was an answer to Paul's prayers.

Paul was a prisoner in the company of criminals.

The story of Paul's imprisonment had gone before him from this came sympathy from God's children.

Some powerful Roman officials now had great regard for the Apostle Paul, including Julius the Centurion and many soldiers.

Paul had now experienced the truth of God's promises and we all should take notice.

Paul had shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ while this terrible trip was taking place.

Paul was an innocent man seeking only to please God.

Notice how much that Paul tried to be like the Lord Jesus who was also innocent of all charges, who spent all his days reveling the Gospel and the truth of God, because he is God.

In those first three days Paul had secured a private home even still being bound to a Roman soldier.

He had now had his meeting with the Jewish leaders in Rome and gave his testimony.

*****Act 28:18  Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. 

Act 28:19  But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. 

Act 28:20  For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 

Paul knew how valuable it would be for a Christian presence in Rome.

From Jerusalem came the Law of God.

From Rome came the law of Satan.

Some say that this is still true.

You have to make your own personal trip to the cross of Jesus to understand these things.

Paganism still has a long reach but so does the Gospel and the Gospel will go to where God intends it, and the Gospel will succeed in the way God intends it.

Everyone will get an opportunity to hear the truth of the Gospel because this is the will of God!

We are all called to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ in this evil world that is not getting better but just the opposite, it is getting worse.

Can the Gospel change the world? Sure it can, but Satan has a strangle hold on this world and he is in his own last days, and he is spreading more evil and more wickedness and even more immorality, before his time expires and he is locked away for a thousand years.

This world should stop long enough to witness the truth of God unfold day by day, but the lies of climate change along with the immorality of the homosexuals and the transgender movement, and the threat of war and the collapse of the monetary systems keeps the world rulers occupied.

Satan is a defeated foe, but no one ever said the Devil was stupid.

Paul was an innocent man and Paul defended himself before a Jerusalem mob, a chief captain of Rome, the Sanhedrin Court, Felix, Festus, King Agrippa II and now the Jews of Rome.

How did these Jews respond?

*****Act 28:21  And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. 

Act 28:22  But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. 

Act 28:23  And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

Paul received an open invitation to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was the Lord Jesus Christ who had brought the Kingdom of God to Earth, just so He could take all believers to Heaven to present them to His Heavenly Father.

Mat 9:35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 

Mat 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 

Mat 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 

Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. 

Mat 10:7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The Apostle Paul was just one of those laborers!

Paul focused his preaching on the Word of God alone.

There is nothing in this world that can be used to save the soul of the lost except its wickedness!

What truth is the Gospel based upon?

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

Paul preached that it was the same Lord Jesus who would return to take His children home to Heaven.

As are normal, some believed the Word of God, and some rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

As they began to leave. Paul could not allow them to leave without a warning from the same truths of the Word of God.

*****Act 28:24  And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 

Act 28:25  And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 

Act 28:26  Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 

Act 28:27  For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Act 28:28  Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 

Act 28:29  And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

We see the same things that happen today. Some people believe and some do not and there is no third choice.

Notice how Paul speaks with the same thoughts that God had given to Isaiah.

One of those thoughts reads:

Isa_49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

What was wrong with these elders and those members of the Sanhedrin Court?

They heard the Word of God every Sabbath, but they did not try to understand what God was saying and none of the elders tried to explain it to them.

Only in the time of Ezra do we read where he made sense of the Word of God.

Remember the Jews had killed most all of God's prophets because they rejected the truth of Jehovah God.

We need to take the time to study the Word of God ourselves and to study is much more than to just read the Bible.

Notice how Paul tells these people that it is the Holy Ghost who gave Isaiah the words he had written.

What was the biggest problem with these Jews?

Their hearts had waxed gross! 

These people had become so involved in carnal and temporal things they had become hardened to the Divine and Spiritual things.

We can see again that nothing has really changed in nearly two thousand years.

Even, here in the Bible Belt, we know that many have become dull to hearing the Word of God and I am sure the patience of the Lord is wearing thin and when His patience reaches a certain amount, He will return to take His Church out of this world.

2Pe_3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Then Paul said to these Jews, if you will not believe what the Lord has said, then the Word of God would go to the Gentiles and many of them would believe.

Paul said this is one part of the Bible you had better understand because your salvation depends upon it!

These Jews could not understand that Jehovah Himself had proclaimed that His ministers were to turn to the Gentiles when the Jews would not listen.

This was not something new, God had made the Word of God to be understood before He began His creating of this universe.

This is something the Holy Trinity had decided before time began!

Look in the Book of Genesis for the words "let us" and see that the Holy Trinity was been involved in the truth of God since our Creation.

Paul simply told these Jews that the Prophet Isaiah, a prophet these Jews admired, had written that these things would happen so, now the Jews only include a portion of the Book of Isaiah in their own Scriptures.

This is also the same today. People just remove the parts of the Bible they refuse to believe, how foolish!

You see if the Gospel cannot touch the heart, then it will not be accepted.

These people had a heart of rock and not a heart that could be reached by the true Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is from the heart that this grossness reaches the mind.

Jer_17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Anyone who willfully rejects the truth of Jehovah experiences a judicial blindness and rejection by Jehovah.

All those who deliberately choose to remain blind to the truth of God and who reject the Lord's understanding are given over to a justified punishment which is also written down in the Bible.

When you reject any part of the Word of God you will be rejected by the Writer who is God Holy Spirit.

Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 

God gave Noah 120 years to preach to the world but not one was saved beyond Noah's own family!

Not much of the world is listening to the Word of God today!

Those days of Noah are upon us again today.

Mat_24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Luk_17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

There is nothing stronger than these things that are said in the Scriptures.

Why is the Lord Jesus Christ rejected?

1) Hardening their hearts to the truth.

2) Deafening their ears to the truth.

2) Closing their eyes to the truth.

2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

Psa 52:3  Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. 

The Lord Jesus explained it this way:

Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

Joh 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 

Joh 3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

It is tragic that the Word of God is so easily rejected by those who believe what the world is saying, when few politicians will even get near the truth themselves.

*****Act 28:30  And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 

Act 28:31  Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. 

Though these things bothered the Apostle Paul, he continued to serve the Lord.

Paul received anyone who wanted to know the truth, but it was also during this time that Paul, by the same Holy Spirit as Isaiah, authored more books of the New Testament.

Till the day Paul died he preached the coming of the kingdom of God and all things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was confident that the message of the Gospel is all we need to reach Heaven's Gates.

No one in Rome at this time tried to stop the Apostle Paul from preaching the Gospel.

Most of the Jews wanted nothing to do with Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ that he preached.

All those Jews now are believers because they are in the Hell that is also the truth of the Gospel along with all unbelievers at that time.

Everyone in Hell now fully believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is too late for them.

Paul spent as much time making disciples as he did preach the Gospel. This is something that seems to be forgotten today in most churches.

The Book of Acts began with a few believers and this hand full of believers continued to serve the Lord, and the Gospel had now made it to the Capital City of the entire world.

Sometimes the Gospel has flown freely and sometimes the Gospel has been silently counterfeited by false teachers who have infiltrated the Church.

The Word of God is sometimes added to and sometimes parts of it have been deleted.

The Gospel has never been stopped and neither is this possible!

Mortal man cannot stop the Word of God.

If we open the Word of God today, we can see how it perfectly describes this world we live in today.

Believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved!

Reject the Gospel and see the wrath of the All-Powerful God.

Amen

The Providence of God

 Protection in a Stormy Voyage

Book of Acts Chapter 27

We seem to forget that when God gives us something to do, that He will keep us safe until we have accomplished what He gave us to do. This does not mean we will not suffer. 

The Lord had told Paul in a vision that he would testify in Rome and nothing in this world could stop this from happening, as long as Paul put forth the effort to do so. Paul would never quit on God even though it nearly costs him his life many times.

What had God told Paul? That he would be a witness for the Gospel in Rome.

Act 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.

It is at this point that Paul should have realized that he was going to Rome under the providence of God, and nothing in this world could stop this from happening.

When Paul appealed his case to Caesar, Festus had no legal choice, but to send Paul to Rome because this was Paul's right as a Roman citizen.

We sometimes make good plans for the things in our lives, but our plans will always be what the Lord has planned for our lives, and we will always be better for it.

We sometimes seem to forget the power of God.

I believe this is why this story is in the Bible.

Jehovah God controls all aspects of what happens to us as we live upon this earth.

We read of a great storm in the Mediterranean Sea and just how powerless we are as humans to endure such things in nature.

Now we already know that God does not cause the terrible things that happen in this world, but He does not always stop them from happening when He certainly has the power to do so.

Paul would make a safe journey to Rome though it would be a rough journey.

Paul was traveling with hardened soldiers and men of the sea, who did not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Maybe God allowed all these things to happen just so some of them would recognize that there is a God and He was the God of the Apostle Paul and some of them would be saved.

Unlike Jonah who was running away from God, Paul was running to God, but both were under the control of the providence of God.

God will have His way with us!

God will also test us in many ways!

As Christians we must trust that God will do as He says He will do.

We must know that God does not ever make a mistake. (Not Ever)

God does care for us.

1Pe_5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

So far, Paul's keepers had made the right decisions on this trip to Rome.

Those captains of those ships had also used their knowledge of the Seas to do the right things.

Where they would fail is when the man of God, Paul, gave good advice and they ignored the Word of God, but God still did not allow even one man to lose his life.

There were certain times of the year when the Mediterranean Sea was more dangerous than at other times.

This proved to be true, as Paul sailed toward Rome as a prisoner but still a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Act 27:14  But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

As Christians in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will find that the winds are not always favorable to our Christian journey.

We may find many fair havens.

These fair havens may not meet the desires of the world but are just a refuge from those storms.

Many will leave these places just because of their distance from the world when they are the safest places to stay.

To the Christian, our fair haven is the Bible believing Church.

When we are driven to a haven such as this, let us be content because the Church exists by of the "Grace" of God.

It is the ways of sin that are too easy, not the path of God, but the path of God leads to Heaven the fairest of all havens.

Paul never admits to being a sailor because he was a land man with no knowledge of the seas, but he did have the mind of Christ.

We find that men of the sea (the world) do not like land men (Paul the Christian) to interfere in the affairs of the sea (society).

We can find many types of biblical learning in these things of the Apostle Paul, and we can see how they affected all the books that he wrote led by the Holy Spirit.

A Euroclydon would be a typhoon like wind. This wind from the south could at times turn to be from the north with the same destructive power and it is these storms that last so long such as the fourteen days in this lesson from the Book of Acts.

A Euroclydon is now called Levanter but has the power of a typhoon.

These winds would not carry this ship in one direction but would be tossing them backward and forward.

*****Act 27:15  And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 

There was no way to control the direction of the ship so they just allowed the ship to go wherever it would go. 

The ship was out of their control and was in the hands of God.

This is what happens when we try to leave Satan's control for the hand of God.

This ship was in the hands of God before the storm, but they did not recognize it. 

Remember, God told Paul he would preach in Rome.

We should understand that danger is always a test of character!

The impulse of self-preservation is so strong, it will defeat itself and many will die that could otherwise be saved.

Paul was safe because the Lord had said he would remain safe.

Paul was the valuable property of the immortal Jehovah God.

Paul had resources of strength and comfort that those around him did not have except maybe the Christians that traveled with him such as Luke.

Paul now became a comforter and an adviser to all this ship.

The promises of God will always be fulfilled!

*****Act 27:16  And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: 

Act 27:17  Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 

Clauda was a small island off the southwest coast of Crete and one of the last places they could still recognize as the storm became fiercer.

Those things called “helps” were big ropes or cables passed under the ship and secured on both sides to keep the timbers from separating.

This also means this was an old ship as ship building had already improved a great deal at this time.

These quick sands were huge sand banks on the shores of the Gulf of Sidra on the coasts of Tripoli and another on the coast of Tunis or Carthage. These were a known source of danger to mariners because of their shifting sands and cross currents.

Remember this ship had left Fair Havens because of a southernly wind but they had sailed close to the shorelines to avoid as much of those winds as possible.

It was a rough voyage.

*****Act 27:18  And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 

Act 27:19  And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 

On this second day they set about throwing the cargo overboard.

This cargo was probably corn from Alexandria Egypt to Italy and its load would have been very heavy and its removal would have made the ship much safer.

For this ship to throw its tackle overboard, then we can believe this ship was taking on water and in danger of going down early in this storm.

It also shows us the experience of the captain of this ship.

Even Paul and those with him helped to throw these things overboard, because the danger of sinking was so great.

They were now on their third day of this storm.

Paul had tried to warn those in charge of the coming danger.

We know that few are listening to the Christians today. 

Few are paying attention to the dangers that lie ahead as we approach the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1) We as Christians will also suffer through these things but financial gains will not be of much value in the last days.

2) We as Christians know that if our ship goes down, the body in which we dwell, our souls will be saved.

3) We as Christians know that no matter how far we drift, God knows where to find us. Sometimes we may even be immortal until the promise of God is fulfilled as was Paul.

4) When we as Christians are praying, it may be more important than all the work of the ship’s crew. Paul was pursuing his duty as a Christian.

5) When we as Christians are in such danger, we will always be more at peace than those who do not have a relationship with the Lord.

6) We as Christians may lose the sight of the natural sun and the star, but we will never lose sight of the Divine Son of God and the Star of Bethlehem.

It is extremely dangerous to ignore the warnings of God!

All of a sudden, they were sailing in almost total darkness.

*****Act 27:20  And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

Act 27:21  But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 

We can say without a doubt that this ship, this crew, and Paul did not know where they were.

They were desperately lost at sea.

Again, I can imagine that many lessons in typology have been taken from this passage.

It was only natural that a sense of hopelessness would come over the crew of the ship, but also just as true that Paul and those who traveled with him did not feel this hopelessness.

God always knows where his children are located, and God is always in touch with His children, no matter where they are located!

Many days had now passed, yet this storm was still raging.

This is the same thing that sin does. Sin begins anew every day and has no end without the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the way died to pay the debt of all sinners.

 The man of God, the Apostle Paul had the answer to hopelessness!

The Christian should have courage in all situations!

The trials of life will not break us down if we truly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ!

1) Paul first proclaimed their failure in listening to the Word of God.

Paul had warned that if they continued to follow the course of pleasure and greed, they would run the risk of loss and doom, of hurt and damage, but worldly people always have their own wrong answers.

Paul led by the Holy Spirit had warned those in charge of the ship.

Act 27:9  Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, 

Act 27:10  And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. 

2) Paul proclaimed God's promise.

God had promised that all on board would be saved if they would obey God's messenger.

This is all we have! We have the Word of God to be given to all the world and it is the Word of Truth.

Jehovah God is the only true God all other so-called gods are false!

This ship sailed with the idols of false gods, and they had done nothing to save this ship and its crew.

Paul proclaimed his faith in God's promises. 

Paul could not have known that no one would lose their life if not for God the Holy Spirit giving him this knowledge.

*****Act 27:22  And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 

Act 27:23  For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 

Act 27:24  Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 

Act 27:25  Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 

Act 27:26  Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. 

God knows what lies ahead in our daily walk in this life!

3) Paul stated that we all must have faith in the promises of God.

God had spoken to Paul using the many methods He chooses to speak to us, and we can trust the promises that God makes to us.

None of His promises have ever failed!

4) Paul proclaimed that these trials are necessary to prove our trust in the Lord our God.

We all have to listen to the Word of God and make that decision to trust what God has said!

The proof of true faith is enduring until the end of these trials.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Mat 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 

*****Act 27:33  And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 

Fourteen days and nights had passed yet the storm seemed to have no ending.

During the night some of the crew felt like they were close to land so they began to take depth readings and sure enough the water was getting shallower, and they cast out four anchors out the rear of the ship.

In all honesty anchors should be from the front of the ship except under certain conditions.

Why are anchors at the front of the ship? When a boat lies on its anchor, it faces the tide and/or wind. The forces can be fairly high, and so it is necessary to present the minimum cross-sectional area and minimum drag, which is the front of the ship. Therefore, holding the bow up to the tide or wind is the best policy.

This is the same for your fishing boat and your pleasure boat.

Some of the crew attempted to flee by escaping in the ship's boat.

A ship's boat is a utility boat carried by a larger vessel. Ship boats have always provided transport between the shore and other ships.

In the early days of shipping this boat would be used to gather drinking water and to ferry people to the shore.

This little boat could not have brought safety to these men, and they would have died unnecessarily.

Paul brought this to the attention of the Centurion and his soldiers.

What we see is when danger is imminent sometimes it is the Christian that needs to step forward after all we do know the truth and the Lord will never forsake us.

*****Act 27:34  Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 

Act 27:35  And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 

Act 27:36  Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 

I can tell you after going through this cancer treatment that eating will sometimes become a duty for survival.

Sometimes we should eat whether we feel like it or not, just because we need our strength for what lies ahead.

This is always true of that food that is the Word of God!

God takes loving care of our souls, but He expects us to take loving care of our bodies!

When Paul gave thanks for this meal, Paul showed that is always time to ask for a blessing even if it was a meal eaten in a hurry.

Once the ship was anchored it was only a matter of time before the ship would break up if this storm did not cease its destructive power.

Once the new day arrived and they could see, they took up the anchors and ran the ship aground where the ship did break up.

In the end by trusting the man of God and the Word of God all those on this ship were saved.

*****Act 27:37  And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. 

Fear is something we will all deal with from time to time, but God did not give us the Spirit of Fear. 

So when we are afraid, we did not get that feeling from God.

2Ti_1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

This is what most men on this ship saw in the Apostle Paul and it is our example for when things go terrible wrong.

The trials of life will sometimes cause great fear, but we must remember the Lord and the Word of God, and these great examples recorded in the Word of God.

Another thing we should notice there is never a time that we should not ask God for a blessing when we are about to take a meal.

As the messengers of God, we should take charge during these type situations if they arise.

We must believe and trust the Word of God!

We must focus everything upon God's Word and God's Promises!

This is the only way any of us can be saved!

Amen

No Such Thing as Almost a Christian

 Paul Before Agrippa

Book of Acts Chapter 26

Chapter 26 begins with the Apostle Paul in the hearing room of King Herod's palace in Caesarea, standing before the Governor Festus, King Agrippa, and his sister Bernice.

We will see that Paul will give a complete description of his calling.

When we repeat the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are giving to the world the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is what the Lord Jesus asked us all to do.

We cannot be ashamed of the Gospel!

Paul will also give his own testimony and things that concerned his own calling.

Christianity always appears in person.

The Lord Jesus uses human beings as His voice upon this earth and as His legs to take the Gospel to the world.

Christianity must be heard. 

Paul gives his own testimony! We cannot give the testimony of someone else.

If we have nothing to say out of our own conscience, then we cannot be a witness for the Lord.

Our salvation may be between us and the Lord, but our experience in the Gospel is to be in full view of others.

Paul said, “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

Before Paul was known, he was first called Saul and Saul had been on his way to Damascus to do terrible things just as before we were saved, we were on the wrong road with the wrong purpose in life.

It is the Lord Jesus who brought about a change in Paul, just as He has brought about a change in each and every Christian, no matter where they are located.

Paul said, "I have seen the Light of the Lord Jesus".

It is the Light of Jesus that allows us to see the filth that was in our lives, and that is in this world.

To be a Christian is to have mental illumination and liberation.

Paul said it was on this day on the road to sin that he met the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Jehovah God.

*****Act 26:19  Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 

Act 26:20  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 

Remember, a Godly vision is much different than a dream. Dreams may seem real sometimes, but in a Godly vision all the characters have names, and the characters are real people, and it is as if you were dropped into the middle of something happening that was real because it is real.

God allowed those in these visions to see a future happening that was real. Dreams are just dreams good or bad and some bad ones are called nightmares.

Paul knew he had a Godly vision when he was on the Damascus Road.

This was Paul's call into the ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul was obedient to God's call!

The Lord's call was not up for discussion to Paul, and neither should it be to us.

Paul's call was from Heaven, and this is the way we should all see it.

That call from Heaven should override any calling we may think we have in this world!

Paul's vision of the Lord Jesus Christ was so real, that he knew he had seen the Lord Jesus in person just as the other Apostles!

There is no need to seek another's opinion, when we are called of God, we know and understand it is reality!

All the charges against Paul were unjustified because Paul was obedient to the call of God.

We must never break any law when we are obedient to the Lord!

When we are faithful to the Lord we are on the right path, and we will be doing what the Lord wants us to do!

Our job is to let Christianity speak for itself!

We must allow the Word of God to do its job!

It is the Word of God that has the answers to all our questions and all of life's questions!

We may think that our Godly experience is something between ourselves and God, but this is not true.

Paul never thought this because our relationship with God is to be shared with others!

Many times our testimony is the beginning of our conversation with those in the world.

If we are ashamed of our conversion, then we are ashamed of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Those who have met Jesus Christ and have turned away, are running from their call into the ministry!

We cannot eat the Word of God one time, and this be enough.

We must sit down daily at the table of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2Co_4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

When we dine with the Lord, we are refreshed with His never-ending strength!

When Paul was allowed to speak his defense was that the truth of this world is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord is serious when He calls anyone for reasonable service to the Gospel!

*****Act 26:21  For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 

Act 26:22  Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 

Act 26:23  That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. 

Do you know why the queer movement, the trans crowd, the abortion industry, and many others do not believe they have to change their ways to be saved?

Because they look into the Church, and they see the so-called Christians and they do not see changed lives.

Now it is true that we cannot make everlasting changes to our lives because it is the job of the Holy Spirit who comes to live in us at salvation.

He has regenerative power, but we must be willing!

It is that changed life that shows the power of God!

We cannot neglect proclaiming the works of repentance!

Isa 55:6  Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 

Isa 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 

Isa 55:9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

You, without the Lord God of the Bible cannot accomplish anything worth speaking of!

There is no salvation apart from a life of righteousness, that righteousness according to the Word of God!

Religion, ritual, ceremony, church membership, baptism, worship attendance, heritage, good parents, morality, and many other things are meaningless, without a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is faith and repentance that shows our love for Jesus Christ!

Who would want to be in a Church where you do not have to change your wicked ways? Not me!

This is saying that the Word of God has no meaning!

Who wants to go to a Heaven that is just like this world? Not me!

This is saying that Christianity is just like all the false religions of this world.

Why was Paul being persecuted? Because he was obedient to the Lord's call to preach the truth.

The world does not want to hear the truth!

What was the message of the Apostle Paul?

That men and women, queers, abortionist, drunks, immoral people, transgenders and all the lost should repent, turn to God, and do good works as described in the Word of God.

Paul was the Lord's witness in teaching these things.

Paul had this same message to the lowest of humans upon this earth and those who sat on thrones!

Paul added that they need look no further than himself to see that God takes care of His children.

God cares for us even when no one upon this earth does!

As true believers, we can always count on our Lord God!

God does sometimes allow trials to come into our lives to make us tougher in facing the reality of this cruel world.

The Lord Jesus Christ also suffered on this earth at the hands of cruel men, as our example of the suffering we may have to go through.

Paul did not select his audience, he witnessed  to those who stood in front of him at any given time.

He showed respect to the king for his position, but the message of Jesus Christ did not change because he was a king, or a Caesar, or the title of any ruler, or for any religious man.

No one is exempt from the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Gospel.

What was the truth for these Jews?

Paul bore witness to the Scriptures of the Messiah, the same Scriptures that the prophets and Moses used to say the Messiah would come.

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 

Paul bore witness of the death of our Savior.

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

The death of Jesus Christ was ordained before God created this world!

There was no other way for God to save us, but by His death and He will explain that to us one day soon!

Paul bore witness to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

Jesus Christ had to be the first one to rise from His death.

He was the first fruit, the first in importance to the truth of God!

He never again had to die because another death would have no meaning!

Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 

Lazarus rose from the dead, but Lazarus had to die again and there were others mentioned in the Bible and all these in this court room knew these things.

King Agrippa had never heard the Word of God preached in this manner and Festus could not accept these truths.

*****Act 26:24  And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. 

Act 26:25  But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 

Act 26:26  For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. 

We see that Festus could not accept the truth of the Scriptures. Festus was a Roman and knew truly little of the Hebrew people.

The idea of fulfilled prophecy, the resurrection of the dead, and this crucified Jew, giving light to the Roman world were foolishness to Festus.

Festus had no spiritual discernment because he had no knowledge of the one true God! 

The gods of Festus were all statues and imaginary, with no such power as this Christian God.

All the gods of this world's religions, besides Christianity are all also false gods.

Festus was saying to Paul that old book of writings had no meaning in the Roman dominated world.

The same thing is said today about the Word of God, but the Word of God is alive, and its meaning is truly clear in this world, for we are in the last days and the Word of God will become more meaningful as we get closer to the return of Jesus Christ.

Paul says. No, I am not mad Festus because the truth of God stands clearly opposed to falsehood.

The Word of God is real, the Word of God is fact, spoken in a world where lies dominate our existence, and riches rule our ways.

King Agrippa did have knowledge of the things Paul spoke of and Festus had no knowledge of those things.

None of these things were hidden from the ruler of Israel.

The Scriptures had predicted the coming of the Messiah and at least a few had gotten it right.

The news that what the Lord Jesus Christ had claimed, and His death and His resurrection, had swept through the whole country and Agrippa knew these things.

So Paul gets bolder.

*****Act 26:27  King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 

Act 26:28  Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 

There is a Christian song that is titled "Almost Persuaded" and it was written about these words of King Agrippa.

“Almost persuaded” now to believe.

“Almost persuaded” Christ to receive.

Seems now some soul to say,

“Go, Spirit, go Thy way,

Some more convenient day

On Thee I’ll call.”

“Almost persuaded,” come, come today;

“Almost persuaded,” turn not away;

Jesus invites you here,

Angels are ling’ring near,

Prayers rise from hearts so dear;

O wand’rer, come!

“Almost persuaded,” harvest is past!

“Almost persuaded,” doom comes at last!

“Almost” cannot avail;

“Almost” is but to fail!

Sad, sad, that bitter wail—

“Almost,” but lost!

So, what is a Christian or who is a Christian?

To be religious is one thing, but to be a Christian is much much different.

This is where the false Church has its problems.

There are many who belong to the Church, but they are not Christians.

In fact, my opinion or your opinion is irrelevant!

We have to go to the New Testament, the Word of God to get this answer!

A Christian is that person who has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as the basis if his faith and the rule of his life!

The Lord Jesus Christ is our foundation onto which we shall build upon!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Law according to which we think, and we feel.

When we adopt Jesus Christ as the law of our thoughts and our feelings, then we must be Christians.

To be a Christian is to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ in His ways, not the ways of the world!

The Jews deny that Jesus was the Messiah so, they will always deny Christians are anything of value to God.

To the Jews those who followed Jesus were "the Way", or "that Way".

Should we be known as Christians?

When we study the Lord Jesus Christ and all that He is, and all that is said about Him, and His relation to God and to man, and see that these are the traits we need in our own lives, then we will see that we ought to be Christians. To be more like the Lord Jesus Christ.

These are the same things that were ordained by God from the beginning of creation!

When God said, "let us make man", I believe God meant, "let us make Christians".

Gen 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: 

The image of God is the image we see in the Lord Jesus Christ!

We are not made to be gods!

We can be made in the image, our character, like our God.

In respect to intelligence.

In respect of His moral nature.

In respect to righteousness.

In respect to true holiness.

In respect to life eternal.

We are to do our absolute best, to be like the Lord Jesus Christ in all His ways!

To King Agrippa, to become a Christian would seem to be a demotion from his current status as king.

This was the most critical moment in Agrippa's life, and he answered with "almost", as he was beginning to close his ears to the words of the Apostle Paul.

You see, when we are offered an opportunity to meet the Lord Jesus at Mount Calvary, we will have to make a discission about our destiny.

We cannot say that King Agrippa was almost a Christian because that person does not exist!

We cannot be almost Christians!

We must in every deed become a Christian!

If we believe the Bible is indeed the Word of God, then how can we deny the fact that we need to be like Jesus Christ.

If we reject becoming a Christian, then we are saying the Bible is a book of lies!

How did Paul respond?

*****Act 26:29  And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. 

An almost Christian, is someone who wavers between Jesus Christ and the world.

Paul said; you have to move from being almost persuaded to altogether persuaded, before you can become a Christian.

There are many false notions of Christianity.

Many believe to be a Christian is having a free ticket to sin and then be forgiven but this is not true.

Rom_6:15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

God forbids Christians to intentionally sin and then beg for forgiveness!

We live in a pleasure mad society, and it is this pleasure of sinning that the lost refuse to give up, even though God says that pleasure will not last very long.

Yes, to be a Christian there will be suffering in this life!

Heb_11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

To be become a Christian is by "Grace", a free gift, because it is God's Will that we all become Christians.

That is being like the Lord Jesus Christ in all our ways!

There is a great danger than some with a vast knowledge of the Scriptures may never seek a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

This sounds like King Agrippa.

If we have been on a long journey and finding that we are near to the end brings great comfort, but to almost be a Christian should bring no comfort at all because, it is still rejection of the truth of God!

We should remember the story of the Ten Virgins.

Mat 25:1  Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 

Mat 25:2  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 

Mat 25:3  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 

Mat 25:4  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 

Mat 25:5  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 

Mat 25:6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 

Mat 25:7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 

Mat 25:8  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 

Mat 25:9  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 

Mat 25:10  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 

Mat 25:11  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 

Mat 25:12  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 

All ten of these were virgins, but five of them did not the Holy Spirit (oil) living within them which means they had rejected the truth of God and God had never signed their names in His Book of Life so, He did not know them.

We cannot just live a pure life; we must accept the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ to be a child of God!

King Agrippa died and went to Hell, because even knowing the truth of the Scriptures, he could not give up the pleasures of this world even though they can last no more than a lifetime and usually not near that long.

Amen

Defending the Gospel of Jesus Christ

 Paul Before Felix and Festus

Book of Acts Chapter 24 and 25

As Christians, there may come a time in our Christian life when we have to defend ourselves, by defending the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ, which we need to do all the time.

We should know more about some of the people involved in this farce of a trial of the Apostle Paul.

Farce meaning for the amusement of a crowd using lies which were ridiculous.

Felix was not some great ruler but was an evil ruler seeking to fill his pockets with loot.

He was originally a slave himself, who along with his brother were freed by the mother of the emperor Claudius. He had a brother named Pollus, who was more highly favored by Claudius. It is by this favored position of his brother Pollus that Felix was able to secure his position as Governor of Judea.

**Felix was a monstrous ruler, who was also cruel and despotic. 

A despot means that he was independent of control of other men. Felix did what he pleased in disregard of all laws.

Sort of reminds me of the president and his family that we have today along with many of the Senators and Congress.

Felix was full of greed and corruption. He was known for taking and maneuvering for bribes.

Felix was eventually removed from office because of riots between the Jews and the Syrians which he instigated.

He was saved from the death penalty because his brother Pollus was in such high favor of Claudius.

He was married to Drucilla, the daughter of King Agrippa, which was his third marriage.

Under Felix the affairs of the country grew worse and worse.

This imprisonment the Apostle Paul suffered was because Felix as an unjust judge "was willing," not to do what was right, but "to show the Jews a pleasure". 

**Festus was the successor of Felix as Procurator of Judea.

In just a few weeks the Jews reminded him of the prisoner Paul.

Then he heard Paul defend himself in the presence of King Agrippa II and his sister Bernice, and he did not find that Paul did anything worthy of the death penalty or even of being in prison, and would have set him free if not for Paul's appeal to Caesar.

Festus died after being in this office for less than two years.

**Tertullus was a Roman lawyer who the Jews hired to state their case against the Apostle Paul.

He was a good orator, but he gave the term lawyer a bad name, just as many do today.

He said it was Paul who created those disturbances among Romans throughout the Roman Empire, which was a lie, it was those Jews.

He said Paul was the ringleader of a sect of the Nazarenes who disturbed the Jews in the exercise of their religion, which was also a lie. It was the Jews who disturbed the Christians in their worship.

He said Paul had introduced new gods, which was Jehovah, the same God the Jews worshiped from the same Bible the Jews used in their worship.

He said that Paul had gone as far as to profane the Temple, all these things were built upon lies.

The Jews said they would have had these things over with, if not for the Chief Captain Lysias who put a stop to their actions.

So now let us hear from the Apostle Paul.

*****Act 24:10  Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: 

Act 24:11  Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. 

Act 24:12  And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: 

Act 24:13  Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. 

What were the charges against the Apostle Paul?

1) Paul was charged as an insurrectionist: a troublemaker, he disturbed the peace, he caused sedition, and he caused disorder among the Jewish people.

Many of these same things are said about Christians today even here in America, and even by some so-called church leaders, who say they are God's servants, when they are not and are Satan's servants.

2) They said that Paul was the leader of the sect called the Nazarenes, which was a rebellious sect, another lie.

They did not know what to call believers at this time and even the term Christian was used in a derogatory fashion when it was first used.

Being Christian is the only truth that needs to be used because being Christian is being like Jesus Christ.

Those who are not trying to be like Jesus Christ in their daily life are not true Christians no matter what they call themselves. 

If they go against any part of the Word of God, then they are not being like the Lord Jesus Christ who obeyed all the Word of God!

Christianity is not a sect!

Christianity does not promote sectarianism.

Christianity does promote unity and brotherly love, peace, and quietness.

Christianity does not promote selfishness nor worldliness.

Christianity does not promote self-indulgence, extravagance, wealth, injustice, or disorderliness.

Christianity does promote care, concern, and help, giving and justice, government, and obedience to the law, as long as those laws do not go against the written Word of God!

3) They charged that Paul profaned the Temple of the Jews, another lie.

It is a terrible day when a so-called Christian follows religion instead of following the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Church!

We cannot lean on our own ideas; we must lean on the Lord Jesus Christ and the written Word of God from the "received text".

When we go against the Word of God, we are going against the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only One who can get us into God's Heaven.

Heaven must be important enough for us to seek after the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 

For those who say that the Lord Jesus does not say He is God, how do they explain this passage?

Paul spoke the truth to Felix.

Felix had judged Israel for about seven years.

Paul did not flatter Felix.

Paul did not lie about the accomplishments of Felix.

Paul did say things that acknowledged that his fate was in the hands of Felix, even though Paul knew his fate was in the hands of God.

Remember the Holy Spirit will guide us in the things we are to say.

In truth, Paul had gone to the Temple to worship not to cause a disturbance. 

In fact Paul would never have intentionally caused any disturbance, especially in Jerusalem, especially at the Temple!

The Temple was still God's house!

Paul simply said that five days was not enough time to do all those things the Jewish leaders had said, and it was not.

Paul had only been in Jerusalem for twelve days and Felix could easily check these things for the truth.

The Holy Spirit will not allow us to lie in our defense!

Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ; 

Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 

Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

Paul was innocent of all those charges brought against him and Felix knew this to be true.

Paul said, if it were heresy to worship Jehovah God then he was guilty but keep in mind it was the religion of the Jews to worship Jehovah God and to obey all the Word of God so these elders would be just as guilty as Paul.

*****Act 24:14  But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: 

Act 24:15  And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. 

Act 24:16  And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. 

That Roman lawyer had tried to persuade Felix and those of his court that Paul was the leader of a heretical sect. An unauthorized religious party that caused social disruption.

This is almost the same thing that our own government is trying to paint Christians as today!

Paul confessed to only one thing, a genuine worship of the One true God, the same God that the High Priest and all Jews are to worship not some new god and not some false god.

Paul admitted that he was a follower of the Nazarene, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus was a Nazarene, not because of some vow, but simply because He lived in Nazareth for a while.

Paul said he believed all the things written in the Scriptures just as the High Priests were supposed to.

Remember the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, or angels, and some did not believe there was a Heaven or Hell, all these things written plainly and clearly in the Scriptures.

All the words written in the Scriptures are the truth of God!

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

All these things were taught to the Jews beginning at childhood!

2Ti 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

Paul passionately believed in the resurrection of the believer!

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 

Paul's conscience was clear on all these things, and this is the way each Christian should look at the truth of the Scriptures.

God cannot lie!

1Pe 3:16  Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 

1Pe 3:17  For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 

Then Paul explained why he had returned to Jerusalem, which gave Felix the idea that he could bribe Paul.

*****Act 24:17  Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. 

It was important to the early Church that the church in Jerusalem not fail!

Paul had asked all the Gentile churches to try to help this church.

It was because of the Jews, who would excommunicate those they considered offenders from all religious rights and privileges in the communities in which they lived.

They would lose their jobs and in many cases their homes. In some cases it included banishment.

It always included civil punishment! Here are some examples.

Exo 31:14  Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 

Ezr 10:3  Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 

Paul did not return to cause any problems to these Jews!

A strong Christian church would be a benefit to this Jewish nation, just as a strong Christian church has great benefits to any nation.

Christians are some of hardest workers in any nation and they will always uphold the laws of any nation as long as they do not conflict with the Word of God, as we see here in America.

Those offerings of the Apostle Paul, not the alms, had to be offered in the Temple in obedience to the Law of Moses.

Felix wanted to hear from the Chief Captain Lysias to hear his side of what happened.

And after, He did want to hear from Paul again.

*****Act 24:24  And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 

Act 24:25  And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. 

Act 24:26  He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. 

Notice Felix had a desire to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ, but he did not want to hear about repentance.

This is the same story of the transgender and the queer people and most all sinners today.

They want to claim they are saved, but there is no evidence of repentance.

1) Felix and Drusilla wanted to hear about Christianity and the Nazarenes and faith in Jesus Christ, simply because they were curious.

They had no real desire to change the way they lived. They lived in luxury.

2) Since Paul had brought so much money to the Church, then maybe he could pay a bribe to be set free.

Paul shared his testimony and the Gospel with these two, at this opportunity.

We should never miss an opportunity to share the Gospel!

Fearlessly Paul declared the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul declared that faith in Jesus Christ would bring about a change to righteousness and a controlled lifestyle in this world and facing God's judgment at the end of this life, which would be a judgment for rewards or to face God's judgment at the end of time.

1) Faith in Christ concerns righteousness.

2) Faith in Christ concerns self-control.

3) Faith in Christ concerns the judgment to come.

4) Faith in Christ concerns patience.

Felix trembled with conviction!

We can also see where the Holy Spirit also reached out to Felix, but Felix denied Christ at this time and said he would talk more with Paul at a later date, which never came.

This is the way of the world today!

How many who want to know the facts of Christianity, but they reject any message of repentance?

When the Holy Spirit moves in, there will be some changes. If we do not see those changes that are according to the Word of God, then the Holy Spirit has not moved in, because there was no sincere love of Christ and His message.

After Felix rejected the Holy Spirit, the next thing on his mind was that maybe Paul would pay for his freedom.

Felix sold out justice for greed!

Remember Felix was a corrupt official.

We can see this as an example of how this corrupt world is more interested in greed and corruptness than salvation.

We can also see this as an example of how close we are to the return of Jesus Christ.

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

This is why our Senators and Representatives will not give up the bribes of the lobbyist.

This is why they use their knowledge of new laws to take advantage of the stock market.

This is why they can be so easily bribed.

This is why Felix was soon replaced by Porcius Festus!

We as voters need to replace the corrupt government that is in place today in America!

So many are too blind to see these things, and many believe these things cannot be changed, but they can.

It is never too late to follow the ways of Jesus Christ!

*****Act 25:6  And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. 

Act 25:7  And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. 

Act 25:8  While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. 

Notice before Festus even talked to Paul, he made sure the High Priest and those other wicked Jews would be there.

We see nothing has changed as they came with those same lies, they had before.

These things have not changed today.

When the world wants to get rid of a servant of God, they always begin with lies.

Lies control our courts, even when before testimony is given, people still swear to the truth.

The truth does not mean much anymore!

In our world today, there is no incentive to tell the truth and there is no punishment in the telling of lies, and our judges are just as guilty.

It should be today that no judge has a previous life as a lawyer and maybe we could see some change.

Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 

Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

We must never lose our saltiness!

All these things happening to the Apostle Paul never led him to giving up, but he just grew closer to the Lord.

Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 

1) Paul said, He worshipped the same God as these Jews said they worshipped.

2) This is the same God that the Jews had worshipped since they had escaped from Egypt.

3) Paul said that he believed in all the Scriptures, and that he denied none of those Scriptures.

Kings and Governors come and go, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

As Christians we know this is true.

Every human being will stand before God, either at the "Judgment Seat of Christ" or at the "White Throne Judgment", and God gives us the all our lifetime to decide which one of these places we should see Him and God promises to reach each one with the Gospel.

There will be no one in Hell who did not decide to go there.

Everyone in Heaven will have proved that they love the Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul had a sincere belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2Co 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

Paul did all the things he did, in order to have a pure conscience. So many of us fail in this!

Paul struggled to avoid offence toward anyone. So many of us fail in this also.

Paul did all he could to keep a disciple from stumbling in their growth in Christ. We fail in this thing also.

Paul struggled to have a clear conscience toward God and man! I know I struggle with this one also.

Then Festus asked Paul to go to Jerusalem to stand trial in which Paul replied, he could not get a fair trial from people who only wanted to kill him, which was the truth.

*****Act 25:9  But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? 

Act 25:10  Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. 

Act 25:11  For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. 

Act 25:12  Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go. 

The Apostle Paul had come to Jerusalem to bring the offerings to the Church of Jerusalem from the Gentile Churches that had offered to help.

Paul was far from being an insurrectionist, but this was the same charge that was made against Jesus Christ, because this charge would bring the death penalty from the Roman Government and the Jews.

Paul would never incite violence against the government! 

He had not done this in any Gentile city, and he would certainly not do this in Jerusalem.

Our own government say these same things about Christians today, when so-called Christians and some impersonating Christians are the cause of much of the trouble just to give Christians a bad name.

It was the out-of-town Jews from Asia that had stirred up the city, because of their hatred of the Apostle Paul.

They followed Paul from place to place, just to cause trouble for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We may not know who exactly was behind these things, but we know it was Satan.

Those trying to destroy America are also followers of Satan.

Paul was attacked while he was at worship.

These Jews from Asia were too cowardly to show up at court, but the High Priest and his followers who were Sadducees, intended to destroy Paul.

Paul was unjustly tried in the Sanhedrin Court, who followed the lead of the High Priest.

Paul was in the midst of a terrible trial, but he was there because of a righteous deed.

Paul knew God would deliver him because he had seen the Lord in a vision and the Lord told him he would preach the Gospel in Rome.

Paul was in the will of God and God treats all His children the same.

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 

2Pe 2:10  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 

2Pe 2:13  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 

2Pe 2:14  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Praise the Lord for the work of the Apostle Paul, who brought the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Amen