To Witness

Paul confirms his heavenly heritage through his witness to the crew and his fellow prisoners: "...the God whose I am and who I serve... (Acts 27:23)" Paul always gave credit to God. No matter the situation. Paul was always applying the great commission of Christ "...go and make disciples."

In Paul's journey by sea to Rome, he was a prisoner, he was likely confined, yet Paul took the opportunity that God gave him "to go". During this journey there were two different Roman centurions, tough leaders in the Roman military, that came into Paul's life on two different ships. These men likely had different primary missions but each had been given a secondary mission of delivering Paul and the prisoners to Rome. But as time went on, both of these centurions showed friendship to Paul (Acts 27:3, 43). No doubt because of Paul's witness to these men as they sailed. Paul likely won these men to Christ because he was a continual witness for Christ wherever he was. "I planted, Apollos watered, and God made it grow" (1 Cor 3:6). See also Oswald Chambers Utmost for Oct 27 which says we can "make disciples" only if our relationships is right with Christ. "Do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit?" Paul did. Paul's relationship with Christ was right - for certain! And so too, my relationship must be right with Christ so that I may also witness for my Lord Jesus Christ.

In Acts 28:2 it says that after the shipwreck "...the islanders showed unusual kindness" toward Paul and his comrades. Again likely because of Paul's witness for Christ. At this point is was likely that his prisoner friends and even the crew and soldiers were witnesses for Christ. "Paul planted... God grew". This witness wins people for Christ and likely will change them as well (see Tom Holladay's podcast for Colossians 1 Day 1 ). We are Holy because we are set apart for God; Holy Bible, Holy land, Holy people. We become Holy people when we become believers, when God chooses us, we are set apart by Christ; and we continue our "holiness" as we act as Christians, when we act the way Christ expects us to act, the way He expects us to witness.

For Us

In Job 16, Job responds to his friends who have accused him: "I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief (v4)." Job says that he would be uplifting to his friends. He would do this not expecting relief from his trials. "Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away (v6)." He says that his situation has become a witness to others. "You have bound me - and it has become a witness (v8)." He says that no matter what comes his way he will stand firm and will not blame. "...yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure (v17)". And even before the Messiah Job knows He is there for him: "Even now my witness is in heaven, my advocate is on high, my intercessor is my friend. ...on behalf of a man He pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend (v19-21)." These last few verses are about Jesus and what He does for us in heaven; He pleads for us with God.

Every Opportunity

"...Because these men were considered trustworthy they were made responsible..." (Nehemiah 13:13 NIV). To restore order in Jerusalem, Nehemiah put trustworthy men in positions of leadership. As I am given positions of responsibility I also must exhibit trustworthiness to God, to the people who have put me in the position, and to the people that I am to care for.

Nehemiah was a true prayer warrior. He used every opportunity to encourage and lead the people toward God's law (the Old Testament version of the Good News), and he used every opportunity to glorify God in prayer and in action.

Chapter 13 of Nehemiah reveals how he acted to reform what the people of Jerusalem had done during his absence. Not only did Nehemiah setup trustworthy leaders, he eliminated work on the sabbath, eliminated inter-marriage with foreigners, and purified the priests. For each of these changes, Nehemiah prayed for God's help, God's mercy, God's favor and he prayed specifically for the people. Nehemiah took God with him in everything he did and used every opportunity for change to glorify the name of God.

This theme is continued in Acts 3 where Peter heals the lame beggar at the temple gates. It says that the people "were amazed" (v10). Peter took this opportunity to glorify God (v16) and to express the Good News of Jesus Christ to these people (v19). This is what I must do. I must use every opportunity to glorify God. For everything I do is not by myself but by God's divine plan. And I must not only glorify God with my actions, I must witness for Jesus Christ - "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" - from Oct 10, Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest.

How beautifully all three readings correlate so very perfectly into one succinct message. Thank you Lord Jesus for your wonderful message. Help me to see every opportunity You give me to witness for You. Amen

To Turn

When times are financially difficult and things are rocky at work, many people will be hurting. We need to turn to Jesus for personal and family protection. To help us endure the trying times. To help us persevere. To provide us with the wisdom and energy to endure.

Jesus said "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap." Luke 21:34

The times are tough. No one knows what might happen, "But for me and my household we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15. Jesus says "By standing firm you will gain life." Luke 21:19. Help me Lord to stand firm during these tumultuous times. Help me Lord to turn to You.

The secret is revealed in today's (Oct 10) reading of Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest", where he writes about Coming to Jesus. That is how we overcome. "As long as you have the least bit of spiritual disrespect it [my foolishness] will always reveal itself in the fact that you are expecting God to tell you to do something very big, and yet all He is telling you to do is to 'come...'". And when we allow the Holy Spirit to break down the barrier and we come to Jesus, "He will give us rest..." Matt 11:28. Jesus will will give me the peace and comfort in these trying times. Jesus says "if I take his yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls." Yes Lord take my troubles and worries and make them light. "...for my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matt 11:30.

In The Finest

"...They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." Zechariah 12:10. This is a prophecy of Jesus' death. The only way that someone could possibly "mourn" what Jesus did on the cross is if they do not know Him. If they do not know why He did it. Our feeling should be one of deepest gratitude. For Christ's sacrifice is beautiful. It is love in the finest.

Jesus says, "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. ...When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed ...at the resurrection of the righteous." Luke 14:11,13-14. Jesus tells us that we are to show love to others without expecting anything in return, to be humble, to love in the finest.

And Revealed

After Jesus sends out the 72 and they return successfully, Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit and prayed "I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children, yes Father for this was your good pleasure." Luke 10:21.

This prayer of Jesus is incredibly revealing about the will of God (the Fathers "good pleasure"). It tells us that God hides from the proud ("the wise and learned") His great joy. But that God reveals to the believers ("little children") His great power, love and joy.

His Family

Jesus said, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." Luke 2:21. We must hear and do what God's word says to do. To be loving and to be kind. When we do this we are Jesus' brother, his mother, we are His family.

May Know

In Luke 1:1 it says "...to write an orderly account... so you may know the certainty of the things that you have been taught." We must be in God's Word daily so that we may know God and thereby know love because the Word is God (John 1) and God is love. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8 "... God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16 God Spirit lives in us when we love, so that we may know.

"...And he [John the Baptist] will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth" Luke 1:15. The filling of Christians with God's Spirit did not occur until Pentecost after Christ ascended. But here John the Baptist was filled so he could do God's will. So that people may know. " ...To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." To become innocent and with the grace of a child.