Friday 3 Aug 2018

August 3: Acts 28:17-24

Key Verse: Acts 28:24
Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.

Devotion:
Just how much would you hold fast to God whilst you were persecuted? How much would you be willing to put up with just because you believe in Christ? For Paul it meant having to be bound in chains and jailed for more than 2 years, having to face up to questioning from the Jews and from the Romans, having to be smuggled around the country for fear of certain Jews killing him and even sent out to sea in a ship which finally was wrecked on a small island… and then to be further kept in bonds! But throughout all of this he stood fast in proclaiming that Jesus raised from the dead and He is our Saviour. He knew the Old Testament inside out and used it to convince people of the validity of Christ’s life, death and His resurrection – all whilst being bound. How many days would it have been before you cracked?

It is a hard thing to accept we will be persecuted for telling the truth and for upholding God’s laws. It is a hard thing to stand up against the lawyers and judges and proclaim a simple truth about Jesus when they have so much knowledge to work against you. But that is where faith comes in. If we are willing to give over our problems, our persecutions to Christ, He is willing to guide us in ways we thought not possible so we can give out the Gospel to those who need it most. Those who need it most will be the ones that are the most willing to persecute us!

It is easy to tell someone about Christ when they are willing to listen, but it is not so easy when they are rebelling. When someone wants to find out about Christ they will ask questions and we can answer them – all we have to do is to make sure we do not answer lightly thinking they will see the truth easily. We still need to make sure we give them the truth in a manner where they can see it clearly and not be tempted away. When people are eager to listen they will be listening to everything, both the truth and the temptations. If we are weak and show them temptations as well as the truth, they will learn from the temptations because they are so much easier! Paul continued to show the actual truth no matter how much it was costing his private life…

Points to Ponder:
Are you easily persuaded?

How easy do you make it for others to see Christ through you?