“Some believed…Some believed Not”...the Wayfarer 3/28/16

“Some believed…Some believed Not”
3/28/16

“And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him unto 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.

And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.”

(Acts 28:23 & 24)

After a long and arduous journey that began with accusation in Jerusalem, Paul finally arrived in Rome to fulfil a mission given him that could not be ignored.

That beginning happened after his own conversion on the road to Damascus, when a sinner beyond comparison, was touched by Jesus, and became a sinner saved by grace, that went on to be one of the greatest tools ever used by God to preach the gospel taking it to all the known world.

After that conversion, and, having met the requirement of baptism, he returned to Jerusalem, where he was a well-known persecutor of Christianity, to preach for Christ instead of against him as he had done in the past.

There Christ himself told him that he would not be well received in Jerusalem, and that it was needful for him to go elsewhere to preach his message. He was told in fact that that message was to be given to the Gentile because of the refusal for the Jew to comprehend and accept that message.

After attempting to preach the gospel in Jerusalem, he was to be beaten, and was bound until finally reminding his detractors that he was a Roman citizen entitled to a hearing, a fair trial instead of the treatment given the subjugated by the occupiers.

The Jews failed to immediately quash his testimony only because a centurion reminded his captain of the necessity of treating him as a Roman.

The Sanhedrin, the high council, was called in to examine him and he was given the chance to defend himself whereupon they again were divided between the Pharisees and Sadducees whose beliefs were so different that agreement was impossible on the matter.

The mission given him began with the protection of our Lord, and the giving of that mission, that would lead to many more examinations and trials before reaching that final destination in Rome.

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

(Acts 23:11)

It took much time, many perils, much pain endured, and a complete exhibition of the purity of faith to arrive at that destination given him as his ministry for Christ began.

In the process of getting there, he was given the opportunity… and took that opportunity to preach the gospel to heathen peoples, civilized and uncivilized peoples, the great and mighty of the time, and the lowliest of the low as well.

Paul’s greatest desire, like that of the other apostles, was that the Jewish people would hear and accept the gospel of the Messiah having come in the person of Jesus.

In Rome, once again he was heard by the leadership of the Jews, only to be rebuffed and refuted by many he sought to bring that message to!

His final thought for that leadership, which, given him by God, to that leadership is given as follows:

“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,

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

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.”

(Acts 28:25-27)

After having endured so much to take that message to Rome, Paul found an uncaring and unrepentant people among those he most loved, to whom he wished to bring his message; that same message of redemption through repentance given by Christ, that still today, is rejected by so many.

At this point it would have been easy to decide to quit, to say “enough, I have done as commanded, but to no avail.”  It would have been easy to have lived the rest of his life pursuing only the things offered by the richness from which he came, with no further thought to the mission given, as it could have been considered completed, though not accepted.

Instead he chose to continue that mission despite that refusal to listen, telling the Chiefs of Jewry that the mission must continue despite them.

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

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

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,

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

(Acts 28:28-31)

Paul refused to give up! He made his point clear to the Chiefs of the Jews, that the gospel was in fact the truth, and would not be quashed by any who might attempt to do so.

He further told them that their very refusal to hear that truth demanded that it be given to others who would hear, see, and understand and believe in faith as was demanded by God.

Those Jews, those who refused to listen, did so because of the lack of comprehension, the lack of the ability to grasp what was given by Christ, choosing instead to ignore that taught by Him for the teachings given them by their own kind that continued to subvert and pervert the meanings of all they claimed to believe.

They preferred to argue and reason among themselves looking for reasons for their disbelief!

The same holds true today. Too many are deceived, clinging to what is taught by men in the place of what is taught by our Savior.

They too choose to follow those teachings which subvert and pervert the simple message of redemption through repentance preached by our Lord in favor of all the teachings that allow them to continue that subversion and perversion.

Just as Paul refused to cease teaching the truth, living that truth, giving that truth to all who would hear, and took that message far beyond the confines of Rome itself, so too is it necessary for those teaching and believing that truth to carry it to those who will hear, see, understand and accept it today.

Just as Paul took that message beyond the comfort zone of his own people, it is necessary to do no less today.

Just as each of the apostles carried that message to the unwilling to hear, and did so without fear of man, but in fear of failing God, so is it the mission given those who truly believe to take that same stand now.

Just as Christ fearlessly proclaimed the love of God for all, and the availability of that love to all, while dismissing the teachings of mankind that then subverted and perverted the very precepts of hat love, so now, must it fall to any claiming to follow Him to do the same in the face of those same subverters and perverters today.

It is not our function to be believed and accepted by all. That will not happen because far too many falsely attempt to change the meanings of Christ’s teachings to meet their own definition, as did the lawyers, Pharisees and Sadducees of His time on earth.

It is our job to expose them for what they truly are by preaching the truth, the whole and unchanging truth of that which was taught and lived by Christ, and the fact that redemption through repentance is still the only means to attain the promised Kingdom.

It falls to us to take that word to ALL, not merely to the believer, and those professing belief with their mouth while ignoring the teachings through their lives, more interested in tolerance of evil, than the eradication of it, more interested in the equality given through the law of man, than the equality of love, given by God, that is to be desired and pursued despite the persecution for doing so.

The time has come for us to preach the kingdom of God, and teach all those things which concern our Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence and allow no man, no law, nor threat to forbid it.

I close in the prayer that there are still those among us, willing to meet that requirement set forth in the great commission by Christ, who will find that same steadfastness and strength of character and faith that was given through the example set for us by Paul.

I pray for those showing that faith, and strength, facing both the minor irritations of small persecutions of attempts to assassinate their character and intent of mission, and even more for those facing the major implications of the persecution of those seeking their imprisonment and very lives for doing so.

I pray that those subverting and perverting that message open eyes, open ears, open hearts and truly understand, accept, believe and begin to preach and teach those things needed, not those things convenient.

I pray that I have that same ability to endure exhibited by Paul, and take the message of redemption through repentance wherever it will be heard; that I have the strength and wisdom to recognize the futility of wasting it on those unwilling to hear, accept and comply with all of those teachings, not just those they wish to hear and promote for whatever agenda they may pursue instead of that of my Savior.

I remain that same simple sinner saved by grace through that selfsame message of redemption through repentance. I pray to remain that staunch soldier in the service of my Lord proclaiming HIM from the field of battle with Lucifer himself and all those he uses to promote his theft of souls through subverting and perverting that message, until the defeat of that old enemy, or until my portion of the battle is completed, and it is enjoined by those who follow until that defeat.

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

Even so come, Lord Jesus!

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For 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