None of these things move me...

 22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:

23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. (Acts 20:22-25)

Paul was a true man of God. He stood in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds on many occasions. He loved God. He loved God's people. 

Any way that he could find that did not break scripture to reach out to people, he was willing to give it a try. 

18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (1 Corinthians 9: 18-22)

What an attitude! 

In our opening passage in Acts, if you follow the story over several chapters, Paul had been told by God that he was being sent on a mission to the gentiles to bring them into the fold. As such, the Jews (who were already angry at his conversion) were ready to kill him for trying to convert the Gentiles to worshipping the one true God. This did not sit well with "God's chosen people." 

But Paul had heard from God. In fact, early on, he was told "how great things he must suffer for my names sake." (Acts 9:16).

Paul knew that Jesus had given his all for us. He also knew that, in following Jesus, we must give our all to him. No matter the sacrifice. No matter the cost. If we go broke, that's okay. If we are beaten and imprisoned, that's fine. If we die, thy will be done, Lord. 

Whatever level of our lives we are dealing with, ALL levels must be submitted to God. 

We cannot serve Jesus on Sundays and Wednesdays, but the rest of the time is ours. It doesn't work that way. 

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?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

We don't get to choose ANYTHING! Our job as Christians is to do 3 things:

1) Listen (Pray and seek his will) 2) Hear (Find his will) 3) Obey (DO what his will is for all situations.) 

We don't belong to ourselves. We are his. 

As Christian leaders, we are to seek out a fresh word for those we minister to. We cannot just regurgitate a sermon from years ago. Those we are helping to feed deserve (and God requires) fresh manna from heaven. 

As husbands and fathers, we are to seek God in all situations and be willing to sacrifice ourselves (lay down our lives) for them in every way. It doesn't matter how hard I have to work to care for my family. It doesn't matter how many hours I have to work, how many jobs I have to do, to care for my family. They are my family and my responsibility. It is all a labor of love. And this doesn't negate my responsibility as spiritual leader of the home. 

God spoke to Paul about much of what he would have to suffer. In fact, on several occasions, he was told by different people that if he went to Jerusalem, he'd wind up in chains. But, Paul was trying to be used of God to win the bride of Jesus. "None of these things move me," he said. 

Jesus paid his all for his bride. Paul was willing to join him on his quest. We should be willing to die in caring for our bride and in trying to win the bride of Christ. 

When Jesus gives us a mission, we will be tested. Many times, things will come up that point out the possible negative effects of staying the course. When we come to those crossroads, we have a choice. 

Do we stay the course and suffer the affliction that may come, knowing that we are in the will of God. Or, do we leave the course and choose "the easy way." The easy way won't take us to heaven, but we can choose it. The easy way means to cater to our flesh and disavow our mission from God. The easy way may make it easier to live here, but it means hell for eternity. 

May we all take Paul's attitude when we are looking at the possible consequences of launching out in faith for Jesus. May we look at them, shrug our shoulders, and say, "None of these things move me." 

None of these things will sway me from the course that Jesus has set for me. 

  

God's power is not a lottery ticket. It's a necessity for our lives.

Mark 16:16-18

King James Version

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Acts 2: 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

I'm not the only one to notice this, but there's something missing in the church today. Jesus and the Apostles prayed for multitudes and they were healed, delivered, set free, changed immediately. In fact, the normal standard for the time was complete and immediate healing. 

Now there is a school of thought that says that the gifts of the spirit were for only the Apostles and those that they personally laid hands-on, but no further. The scriptures above disprove that theory. In Mark, it says, "these signs SHALL FOLLOW THEM THAT BELIEVE." That's everybody that believes. It doesn't say the signs will follow "you and all you lay hands on and nobody else after that who believe." 

And to further destroy the argument, in Acts 2 the Apostles teach that the promise (what promise? The promise of the Holy Ghost! Acts 1: 4-8) is unto you (that generation), and to your children (next generation), and to all that are afar off (all following generations) even as many as the Lord our God shall call (until the Lord returns at the end)." So the infilling of the Holy Ghost and the gifts of the spirit that come along with it are supposed to be a part of the church until Jesus returns! 

That having been said, what's wrong with the church? We get together and we sing, clap, dance, praise, worship, hear fireball preaching, etc. But, it's very rare (in the western world) that we see the Lord "confirming the word with signs following." (Mark 16:20). 

Yes, there are examples of the Lord blessing people with healing, deliverance, finances, etc, in our services, but it's different. In scripture, nearly all healings and deliverance happened immediately- yes that means instantaneously. Rarely was it not immediate. 

Now, when it happens, it's usually a process of repeated prayer and time. Immediate healing is rare.  We go to church. Go through at least part of the service. Feel the spirit's moving. Go up for the preacher (and sometimes a few fellow saints) to pray for us. Feel the touch of the spirit. And go home believing for, but not seeing the healing we're needing. Our faith grows some because we felt the touch of God. We see some improvement over what it was. But, the problem persists. It can sometimes take weeks or months to be completely healed of the problem. BY then, if we testify of the healing to an unbeliever, they- in their minds- can say "it happened naturally over time. The prayers had little or nothing to do with it."

Yet, the same preacher that prayed for us, can go to a third world country that's full of abject poverty and see blinded eyes opened, limbs replaced, cancerous tumors disappear, demons cast out (they don't refer them to a psychiatrist to be given medicine for their mental issues), etc. 

Why? Why is there such a big difference in results between the affluent countries and the poor? 

THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO BELIEVE. We have doctors and medicines and psychiatrists. So, we treat God as a lottery ticket. We go up and buy our ticket: "I'll take a chance on prayer. If God heals me, great! If not, I can always go to the doctor." That's why we don't ask for prayer for a cold. We know we can buy Nyquil. Why ask for prayer when it's a simple medicinal fix? 

I'm not against doctors in principle. Luke in scripture was a doctor. But, you don't hear of Luke taking his bag to sick folks homes and only calling in Paul to pray if his medicines didn't work. I believe it had to be the other way around! Luke started following Paul and his God precisely because when Paul preached, 

"3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

(1 Corinthians 2:3-5)

Luke, the man of science, was converted to Jesus because he saw diseases and afflictions he had battled for years being healed with a prayer! 

There were many that confused people with their eloquent, educated and enticing words, but Paul challenged them with this: 

18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:18-20)

Basically, Paul was saying, you might speak well, but have you got the power? We shall see! 

But, not only have we stopped relying on God, we've truly stopped following him like they did. I believe there's another reason for our lack of power. 

12 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The people of the early church spent nearly every day in a state of prayer. Yes, they had chores and jobs to do, but, they truly relied on God for everything, They believed that it is in God that:

"28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. " (Acts 17:28)

God is who allows us to work. God allows us to breath. God allows us to walk. God allows us to think. God truly is in control. 

So, why do we spend so little time with him? Hebrews 12 tells us to lay aside every weight AND the sin that so easily besets us. We know sin separates us from God, but do we understand that there are habits and practices in our lives that are not sinful- but they are thieves of time? We are only given so much time. 

Twenty Four hours a day is all we get. If we spend that time playing games, scrolling Facebook, watching youtube, etc, how much time have we used up that could have been spent with God? How much praying could we have done? How much reading and studying the scriptures could we have done? 

How much time did the Apostles spend with God after they got the Holy Ghost? 

Acts 6: And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Yes, ministers are to be servants to the people, but the congregation had grown to the point that it was interfering with the more important job of studying the Word and praying. The apostles were going from house to house daily teaching and preaching and praying. God was adding new born again believers every day. God was healing people every day. They had to study and pray for hours every day in order to recharge their spiritual batteries for the next home service.

Contrary to many folks teaching, being filled with the Holy Ghost is not a one-time thing. Three times in the first four chapters of Acts, the word records the Apostles (and those with them) being filled with the Holy Ghost. We, like a car, can only go so far before we need a refill. The early church had to pray and study every day to grow their faith.  

I love my wife dearly, but we didn't meet and get married. We met and liked each other. As our relationship grew we spent more and more time together talking- getting to know each other. The more we knew, the more we trusted each other. Finally, we ended up married- and we've grown from there. I trust my wife implicitly. I can trust her with my feelings, my thoughts, my past, my present, and my future. I have no need for any other women because she has my complete trust. I know she won't do anything to harm me and only wants my good. 

The more time we spend with God in his word and in prayer, the closer our relationship will become. The closer our relationship becomes, the more faith we develop in God. The deeper our relationship grows, the stronger our faith becomes. 

Now, the stronger our relationship becomes, and the deeper our faith becomes, the more we understand that he means what he says and says what he means. He has only our good in mind. When he says, "by (his) stripes we are healed," (1 Peter 2:24) he means it. 

So, why do we not see God moving in the "educated and enlightened" world we live in like he did back then and does now in "backwoods places (as many call them)?" 

We've made God unnecessary in our daily lives. Our faith is small because we do not allow him room in our lives to prove himself. If we would lay aside the weights that tie us down and spend time with him in prayer and his word, we'd be amazed at what he'd do. If we would understand that his love is everlasting and that he truly is ALMIGHTY, then we would be awed by the works that he would begin to do among us once again.

There are some among us that he uses in this manner even now. But, we treat them as if they are just odd prophets that swoop in and do things for us and leave. But, scripture doesn't say it's only for a select few. Scripture says, "these signs shall follow them that believe." 

People like to sing about the "old-time religion," but the real old-time religion had God confirming his word with signs and wonders. 

We have a faith problem and we have a relationship problem. 

We need to turn off the TV and the Computer and go into prayer. We need to put down our hobbies and books and start spending time in prayer with him.

God has not changed. What he did then, he will do now. What he does overseas, he will do here. God's power is not a lottery ticket that might bless our lives. He is a necessity to carry us through this life and into eternity.