Escaping The Wrath Of God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 24:24-25, “Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’” After Paul was imprisoned in Jerusalem, taken to Caesarea and had his trial before Governor Felix, Felix brought his wife, Drusilla and came to listen to Paul. Luke tells us that “Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come.” We read that Felix became afraid as he listened to Paul. Just what was it that Paul told the governor that caused this fear within him? What was it that Paul had to say about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come? The text doesn’t tell us but this is what I suspect Paul had to say given what he had said elsewhere. Paul talked about a holy and righteous God, the Creator of all things, to whom we must give an account of all we have thought, said or done. I think Paul told Felix that this Creator God is the judge of all mankind and will visit the fury of his wrath on all who have sinned. I think Paul spoke of the law and how it shows us just how sinful we are and subject to the wrath of God. As the Jews attempted to establish their own righteousness by keeping the law, they found in a very experiential way they were sinners who were incapable of living a godly life through their own self-control: they couldn’t keep the law! The domination of the sinful nature over someone who attempts to keep God’s law demonstrates they are hopeless and helpless before the wrath of God… except for one possibility… Jesus Christ! I’m sure Paul told Felix that God sent his own Son out of his love for man and visited his wrath on Jesus, taking our punishment and that if anyone embraces him in faith he can have Jesus’ payment for sin credited to his account with God. For anyone committed to what this world has to offer, this is a terrifying message. It is bad news followed with good news – certain judgment, but there is a way, only one way, Jesus Christ. For Felix to escape the certainty of God’s wrath he would have to do what Paul had done, give up life as he knew it and embrace Jesus Christ! What a message! No wonder Felix was fearful! All should be fearful as they consider facing the wrath of God Almighty! But what good news it is that Jesus Christ has paid for all our sins and that we can escape the wrath of God through him! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Offers So Much More! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 24:24-26, “Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.” How fascinating that Felix often sent for Paul, to speak with him, hoping Paul would offer him a bribe! Undoubtedly Felix had heard that Paul came to Jerusalem with a sizable gift from the Gentile church for the strapped brothers in Jerusalem and so probably thought Paul was a man with “deep pockets”. What Felix unsuccessfully sought from Paul paled in comparison to what Paul was trying to give him. Felix wanted money; Paul offered him all of the riches that are ours in the Kingdom of Heaven! Felix sought what money could buy; Paul offered him eternal pleasures at the right hand of God! Psalm 16:11. Felix sought a life of ease for the short term; Paul offered him eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord! Felix sought what money could buy him; Paul offered him an opportunity to become a child of God! Had Governor Felix only reached out and grasped what Paul offered him, what an incredible inheritance Felix would have had. Instead, he only looked for a simple bribe! It is staggering to think of what folks will pass up in order to obtain so little… Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Life Beyond The Grave! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 24:15, “I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” As Paul gives his defense while on trial before Felix, he declares the hope he has in Jesus Christ. There is life beyond the grave! There will be a resurrection for all mankind. Some to eternal death, but for those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, there will be a wonderful resurrection to eternal life with our Lord! Not just mere words or a theological concept but an amazing reality to plan for! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Jesus Christ: Foretold In The Scriptures! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 24:14-16, “I [Paul] admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” Paul found Jesus Christ to be a fulfillment of what was written in the Law and the Prophets. I find it wonderful our Lord decided to reveal things to us through his word in the Scriptures. Foretold from the earliest writings of Moses to the many references in the Prophets, the Scriptures declare the coming of Jesus Christ. There are many references to the coming Messiah in our Old Testament and probably none more poignant than that in Isaiah 9:6-7, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Another passage many of us are familiar with is Isaiah 53. Here is a snippet from that in verses 4-6, "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." As with the many accounts of Jesus Christ in the gospels, the fulfillment of prophecy that is represented in the person and work of Jesus Christ adds to the veracity and authenticity of all he had to say and teach us about himself, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus Christ] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Luke 24:27. Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God's Purposes Can Never Be Thwarted - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 23:12-19, "The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, 'We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.' … But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul… The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, 'What is it you want to tell me?'" Paul’s enemies were actually the Lord’s enemies - pawns in a spiritual conflict to stop the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles through Paul. All the leaders of the Jews, the Sanhedrin and forty conspirators taking an oath to terminate Paul’s work… but… one young man – Paul’s nephew! As the Lord says in Isaiah 55, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Working against the purposes of God and setting oneself against what the Lord intends to accomplish is futile. Vast armies could have been arrayed against the purposes of God in Paul’s ministry and yet all the Lord uses is one young man! We read in Proverbs 21:30, "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." As it turns out, the Lord wanted the gospel proclaimed in Caesar’s court. Those participating against the purposes of God only found themselves facilitating what God wanted to carry out. You cannot succeed in opposing God's purposes, "The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." Psalm 33:10-11. As Paul proclaims in Romans, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 'Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?' 'Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” Romans 11:33-36. Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Lord Here In Our Time Of Need! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 23:11, “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’” Here the Lord brings encouragement to Paul. Paul had been warned by the Holy Spirit repeatedly that hardships would face him when he got to Jerusalem. He had told the Ephesian elders on his way to Jerusalem, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” Acts 20:22-23. After arriving in Jerusalem and being falsely accused, “the whole city was aroused”, Acts 21:30, and they tried to kill him. He was arrested and eventually brought before the Sanhedrin where a violent dispute broke out over him. The Roman commander had to have Paul brought into the barracks for fear he would be “torn to pieces by them”, Acts 23:10 The following day the Jews formed a conspiracy to kill Paul and took an oath not to eat or drink anything until they carried out their plans. And it is just here I want to make a small observation that says so much about the heart of our wonderful Lord. Paul is a seasoned man and used to abuse, hardship and maltreatment for the cause of the gospel. In the midst of what Paul is experiencing at this time, here comes our Lord to Paul’s side, and, in a comforting way, tells him to take courage. Our Lord still has some things for Paul to do and he encourages him in the midst of all he is facing. To me, this expresses in a wonderful way how our Lord extends his kindness, love and compassion for us. He comes to us in our greatest times of need. Sometimes it may be a set of circumstances that come together that have his fingerprints all over them, or it may be a brother or sister he brings alongside of us to encourage us. In this instance it is the Lord himself who comes alongside Paul to encourage, and I’m sure, bring comfort to Paul. Our Lord truly has a wonderful heart! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Our Wonderful Hope: The Resurrection! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 23:6b, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.” While this ploy of Paul was an amazing tactical move on his part, I am quite convinced, nevertheless, that Paul’s perspective of the value of his faith in Jesus Christ, his "hope", lay not nearly as much in this life but in the opportunity it provided for him to spend an eternity with the Lord - his participation in "the resurrection of the dead." For some suspicious reasons, the appeal made in many quarters of the church today for folks to turn to Jesus Christ is that, in him, our present life in this age can be so much more meaningful and that the Lord has many blessings for us today. While this is certainly true, it is emphasized so strongly at times that there seems little said about what is ours in the resurrection. We have to look no further than the notion promoted in the name of Jesus Christ that because God loves us he wants to make all believers wealthy and healthy in this life today. Absent is the teaching about believers from Paul in Romans 8:10, 23-25, “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness… we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” It is in the resurrection that we find the fulfillment of the promises God has made to us through Abraham. This is the “hope” that Paul claimed he was on trial for. The only interest he had in this life was to be as productive as he could on the Lord's behalf while he was still here. However, he noted that it was “better by far” to leave this life to go be with the Lord, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” Philippians 1:21-24. I suspect my relationship with the Lord will become all that it should be and develop a much needed perspective if I conform my own views with what were Paul’s. My life should be driven by the “hope in the resurrection of the dead.” It is this very hope from which faith and love spring from, Colossians 1:5 and brings the motivation to “purify” myself, 1 John 3:3. How wonderful is the hope we have in the resurrection that the Lord has promised us! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.