Apostle Paul | Ray Noah

Read Acts 28

[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

Read Acts 26

Then King Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost
persuade me to become a Christian.”
(Acts 26:28)

Food For Thought… Paul was on trial for his life. It wouldn’t be the last time, either. In this instance, he was holding forth before Governor Festus and King Arippa, giving an impassioned defense of his faith and the veracity of Christianity. Paul didn’t have much time, nor did he have a particularly friendly audience.

None of that really mattered to Paul. It didn’t matter if the conditions were perfect; in fact, they never really were. It didn’t matter if he was speaking before this majestic court or with the untold numbers of nameless folk he had met in his many travels. (Acts 26:22) It didn’t matter if he was able to stay in one city for many months to lay down his Christian theology, or if he just had a minute to proclaim the story of his conversion to a listening ear. Paul had a strategy: Wherever he was, no matter what his audience, whether big or small, friendly or hostile, Paul was going to get a word in for Jesus Christ. In this case, he made the appeal to King Agrippa to place his faith in Christ.

The conditions for sharing the Gospel were never perfect for Paul, but they were always right. And that is true for you and me as well. If we wait for the perfect circumstances before we are able to share our faith, we will be endlessly waiting. If, however, we will be ready at all times to get a good word in for Jesus Christ, like Paul, we will find opportunity aplenty.

Perhaps a good exercise for you would be to think through in detail your personal testimony of faith in Christ to the point where you could share it when the opportunity arises. It would also be good to get well acquainted with the plan of salvation, complete with Bible verses, so you can be ready to lead someone to faith at any time. There are many good pamphlets available to use as a resource, or even to keep with you for that special moment. My personal favorite is Billy Graham’s “Steps To Peace With God.” It is a simple, thorough and compelling explanation of how to receive Christ.

An equally helpful exercise would be to think through the “Cliff Notes” version of both your testimony and plan of salvation. What if you had just a minute to share? Could you do it? If you will be ready with the one-minute plan, you will suddenly find your available minutes have been generously increased.

Paul didn’t have much time in this case, but he was ready, and he got the job done. I trust that we will develop the same strategic mindset as Paul, and begin to look for opportunities every day to share the greatest story every told.

Even if we have just a minute!

Prayer… Lord, I want to be ready to share the reason for the hope I have in you—even if it is just a minute that presents itself. Help me to sharpen my testimony. Keep me ever mindful to look for open doors throughout my day. And give me the privilege to tell some person about you today.

One More Thing… “The preaching that this world needs most is the sermons in shoes that are walking with Jesus Christ.” —D.L. Moody

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To Be Continued

Just A Minute