“When I have a convenient Season”...the Wayfarer 4/6/14

“When I have a convenient Season”
4/6/14

“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.”

(Acts 24:25)

There is yet another old Hymn sung in churches all around the world that is dear to me, one that held particular meaning to me a morning long ago in 1962 along with still another of those Hymns heard that morning as invitation was given to come to an altar that I had previously most studiously avoided approaching despite a known need to do so.

I was young, had plenty of time, and had plenty of things planned for my day, and any additional time spent in that church would only have been inconvenient and a delay of those plans.

That morning was different, and at last I found that what was inconvenient for me was the only time that would ever be convenient to my God and the only acceptable day if I were to ever approach that altar and gain any hope of the promised love spoken of by that preacher whose name is long forgotten, but whose message burned so deeply into my mind and soul that I could no longer delay what I knew was needed to ever achieve that love.

If I had but a single penny for every time I heard, “Preacher, I don’t have time to go to church, I’m too busy, have too much to do.”, or heard the statement, “I don’t have time to talk right now, other matters are more pressing and we’ll just have to do this another time.”, I would be a very wealthy man by the standards of most today.

It is inconvenient for all the busy ones concerned only with the wealth and cares of a body ignoring the needs of a soul to find that short amount of time needed to reap the reward of eternity in the presence of God instead of the separation that will occur because of that perceived inconvenience of simply hearing and accepting the TRUTH.

Felix trembled that day, because of having heard that truth, but he still did not want to be inconvenienced by that truth, hoping instead for the same things that are hoped for and sought by those still seeking those things.

“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.

But after two years, Porcius Festus came into Felix room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.”

(Acts 24: 26 & 27)

Felix was more than willing to call Paul to him and speak to him in hopes of being given money, as are so many today perfectly willing to listen to all the feel good philosophers promising blessings only, never once giving indication of what is truly required to receive any true blessing. They too are interested only in how much money is to be made… both those doing the “preaching” and those doing the listening to them in hopes of finding the promised “blessings” without ever paying the required price preached by Jesus, repeated by Paul, and that long ago preacher I heard that day that finally showed me that my convenience was not what truly counted.

It is inconvenient to face the truth that there is a requirement for the promise of that love that is available only through Christ and through hearing and heeding that same message preached by Him, carried by Paul, and that preacher so long ago, and hopefully carried effectually through my own efforts to reach the reachable and teach the teachable:

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Just as Paul was bound, and remained in those bonds, so too are all who attempt to assure the passing on of this message. We are bound by the fact that it is inconvenient, not politically or socially correct or acceptable to a people seeking only the same things sought by Felix, who think there may be some more convenient time to consider their souls, but have only time to consider their immediate wants as they see them that are only to be delayed by ever hearing that truth.

Festus, too heard Paul, he too refused to release him although he knew that the accusations of crime were false, but it was inconvenient to simply release him to continue to spread that message he gave, the message that love was available, but that it required that comprehension of sin and repentance that none wanted to hear then, and none wish to hear now.

Eventually Paul was brought before King Agrippa for final determination of what was to become of him.

Unchanging, unwilling to admit to crimes not committed, unwilling to cease proclaiming the truth Paul then proceeded to extoll the exact same message given him to the king as well. He clearly and calmly gave his testimony, clearly and calmly gave them the reason he was compelled to give that message and to whom it was to be given.

The story of his conversion is well known, as are most of the words spoken by Christ to him demanding the service to which he was compelled to give.

“And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

And I said, Who art thou Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness of both these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee.

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in me.

(Acts 26 14-18)

Take note that there was a requirement to recognize and turn from sin, from darkness of the teachings given by man, to light and what was promised by God if only that repentance preached was given.

There was no statement by Christ, nor by Paul that that promise of eternal life was to be universal if Satan were still followed and repentance not given, God and the very substance of that love denied by denying the need of that repentance.

Snippets of scripture are used to justify sin, to include snippets of Paul’s own writings, taken out of context, out of the unity provided by the entire book, that library of books called the bible, by far too many still finding that the truth as given through that book is inconvenient to their “lifestyle”, inconvenient to the progress they tout, inconvenient to the equality they claim.

There will never be a convenient time for them to consider their souls, only their wants that they find more important than the needs of that soul.

They will continue to seek that love, those blessings promised, and continue to deny that there is a requirement that must first be met, while twisting words of Christ, the apostles, and preaching everything but the truth because of the inconvenience of that truth.

Paul stood firm in the face of even the most powerful of men, preaching the same message preached to the least powerful and least influential, as did Jesus when ministering to the same world, equally unwilling to hear that message given.

After having heard Paul’s testimony, Agrippa responded with the title of that hymn I heard so long ago, that opened my eyes, and allowed for me to realize the need for forgiveness, the need for the repentance given then, and still given now that is a requirement, not a request.

His response is recorded forever in the words that burned themselves into my memory then, and are too often repeated today:

“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”

(Acts 26:28)

Almost is not enough. Close is not enough. The soul is not a horseshoe thrown, and points given for how near the stake it falls.

Either the reachable are reached, and comprehend, the teachable taught and understand and comply with the requirements given, or they become the lost spoken of in all the churches who fail to recognize that they are indeed reachable and teachable, if we too, “open their eyes”, and turn them from the darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance by becoming sanctified through the faith in Jesus required.

They must understand that it is the forgiveness, not of men, not of those self-righteous, that chase them away, but the forgiveness of GOD that must be sought and found, and may only be done so as individuals through the repentance required by GOD not man.

They must comprehend that their convenience is not the convenience considered by God, and that it will never be convenient to repent until understanding and accepting the Truth, which then gives them a Way to the promised Life.

Neither nation, nor individual will be blessed nor honored until the truth is found, followed, and obedience is given to the needs of souls above the wants of bodies and minds as defined by what is convenient to GOD, not man.

I close in prayer that others find the ability to respond as did Paul to Agrippa that long ago day described, and as I may still do today;

“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.”

(Acts 26: 29)

I remain as I must, a simple sinner saved by the grace of God through the faith in my Savior, that same Jesus preached by Paul to Agrippa and all who chose to listen then. Not greater, not more righteous than any other, but recognizing  still today that need for constant examination, prayer and repentance  because of the bonds of this flesh suit I must wear until released from it to exist as was intended, without those bonds, having been made perfect only through Christ Jesus.

I remain also that soldier chosen to carry that same message given to an unwilling world to whom that message remains and will remain most inconvenient indeed!

2 Timothy 1:12 ¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen 
the Wayfarer