Sharing Our Stories: Acts 26

This chapter, 26, in Acts is a recounting of Paul making his defense before the Roman appointed Jewish king, Agrippa II. However, Paul was not required to give a defense before the king since he had already appealed to Caesar. He used this opportunity to lay out the plan of salvation to the king and the powerful people living in Caesarea.

I heard once that we should use every opportunity and every situation as a platform for the gospel. Paul does that here. He doesn’t really address the charges the Jews made against him. He shares his story of his life before (being a committed Jew persecuting Christians), his encounter with the living Jesus (on the road to Damascus), and the commission Christ gave him to preach to the Gentiles about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That was his story and he used this opportunity to point to the wonderful, powerful, life-changing experience he had had with Jesus. The same experience of complete change each of us can have.

So, in view of some unsettling news from a doctor this week, I realized that I have not been diligent or faithful in boldly sharing my faith journey with the people in my life. I have not seen it as urgent. I put it off to a more opportune time. I rationalized that praying for those I come in contact with was enough. I haven’t been carrying God’s truths to those I love the way I should’ve always been doing.

I had that zeal once upon a time. When I first had my encounter with the saving power of Jesus Christ, I wanted to tell everyone – friends, foes, strangers, etc. Somewhere along the way I lost that zeal and got out of the practice of speaking out for Christ. I now feel a return of the urgency and the zeal, attitudes I should have had all along. I’ve had a wake-up call and it’s time to get busy finding out where other people are in their faith journeys, and sharing mine when the opportunity comes (every time the opportunity comes). I need to boldly speak for Christ and His salvation. I wish none to perish without my giving them the chance to choose a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Where are you in your faith journey? Do you have one? Have you had an encounter with the Savior, Jesus Christ? Do you believe in His resurrection? Do you believe He is in ultimate control? If you have questions about any of these things, contact me and I will try to meet you where you are at and share what Christ has done for me. Don’t wait. You are not guaranteed a tomorrow.

Ponderings: Acts 25

As I studied and discussed Acts 25 with my friend this week, a question kept coming to my mind. Some background first.

In Acts 25, Paul makes his defense in front of Festus, leader appointed by the Romans to oversee affairs in Judea. Festus assumes and states at several places that the quarrel seemed to be within the Jewish faith, and not a question for the Romans to deal with. Festus saw the situation between Paul and the Jews as an internal, faith, religion-based, problem. His assumption was that Paul was a Jew and anything he professed and practiced was a question for his fellow-Jews to deal with. Basically, Festus viewed Paul’s profession of belong to the Way as a sect or part of Judaism, not a separate or new religion. Believing that gave certain protections to the Christians because they were part of the Jews who were the only religious group tolerated by the Romans (other than worshipping the Caesar).

So, the Romans viewed Christianity as part of Judaism. Paul also viewed it that way. We see several places in Paul’s letters to various churches where he made it clear that he was still a practicing Jew. He tells the Jews and the Gentiles he ministers to that he faithfully practiced all the laws of the Jews. Paul was Torah (the Jewish Law) observant throughout his life. This did not change when he became a Christian. He did say that a Gentile believer did not need to align him/herself with the Torah to receive salvation and the Holy Spirit. However, he never forbade it. He did try to make it clear that following the Law was not the way to salvation. That only comes through believing in Jesus Christ.

So, this brings me to my question – which I do not have an answer for: When did it become a Christian against Jews world? Eventually it did. Everything is separate now. Christians don’t mingle with Jews and Jews tend to avoid Christians. Why did this happen? When did it happen? And, how should we be responding to the nation of Israel now? How should we fellowship with Messianic Jews (Jewish Christians/believers)?

As I said, I don’t have answers for my ponderings. If someone does, feel free to comment or message me on Facebook. However, whether there are answers to these questions or not, I think it’s good to consider our relationships with our brethren in Christ of all backgrounds. I think we also need to be praying for them. That’s the only application I can come up with from these thoughts this week.