[In Rome] Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house,
and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of
God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus
Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.
(Acts 28:30-31)
Food For Thought… If you take the time to read this last chapter of Acts in its entirety, which is the culmination of a story that began back in Acts 21, you will notice a curious thing: It has no ending.
Other historical accounts in the Bible bring the story they tell to an obvious conclusion. Not Acts. The author, Luke, adds no “the end” or “that’s all folks” to this history of Christianity in the first century. He simply leaves Paul in Rome, performing miracles along the way, trying to convince the Jews that Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament promise, and preaching the Good News to the Gentile world.
I don’t think Luke was intentional and strategic in leaving us hanging in Acts 28. Rather, I think the Holy Spirit, who inspired him to write this account, had a specific reason for preventing Luke from bringing this ship into the harbor. He wanted us to realize that we, the church, the people of God, are the continuing story of the Acts of the Holy Spirit.
You see, there are still miracle stories waiting to be recorded. God is still working among his people, Israel, through the likes of you and me. The world is still waiting to hear the Good News of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God is still waiting to advance and reclaim territory now held by Satan that rightfully belongs to the Creator God.
We are the story! We are the next chapter—Acts 29! We are to take up Paul’s mantle and do the stuff of the Kingdom wherever we are. This is a story that is to be continued.
So give it your all. Your testimony will not be recorded in the Bible, but it will be written down in heaven’s record, and celebrated by God himself, along with heaven’s hosts for all eternity.
You are the story!
Prayer… Father, I want my part of the story to bring great glory and pleasure to you!
One More Thing… “Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign in sabotage.” —C.S. Lewis
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