“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.”
~ Acts 23:11
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever regretted having said something that you knew that you should not have said? Have you ever regretted not having said something that you knew that you should have said? Your grandpaa is very good at saying something that as soon as the words are out of his mouth, your grandpaa knows immediately – by the stunned look or hurt reaction on the face of the guy, gal or kid who your grandpaa has said something to, that he has again said something he should not have said. Your grandpaa at times does not have a clue that what he has said has offended or maligned the guy, gal or kid who your grandpaa has said something. Your grandmaa is very good at helping your grandpaa rebuild a rapport with a guy, gal or kid who your grandpaa has obviously offended after your grandpaa has made an insensitive, callous or brutal remark to him or her. Your grandpaa knows that his natural demeanor at times is rather intimidating or even scary to a guy, gal or kid who he is saying something to while your grandmaa’s natural disposition and disarming smile invariably has a guy, gal or kid want to listen to what your grandmaa is saying to him or her. There have been times when your grandpaa regrets that he did not immediately respond to something that to him was distasteful to hear being said. Your grandpaa took a cross-cultural course during the school year that he was a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota – which is the college where your grandpaa went to to take the one year of liberal arts courses that your grandpaa needed to have to finish his studies for a B.A. degree from Moody Bible Institute. The professor for the cross-cultural course that your grandpaa chose to take at South Dakota State University was an avowed Marxist who vocally supported and promoted Cuban polity and who openly espoused the liberation theology teachings of Gustavo Gutiérrez – who was a professor of theology at the Catholic University of Peru – in Lima, Peru, who he studied under when he lived in Peru. Even though this South Dakota State University professor could quote the Bible better than your grandpaa, this professor was not a Christ-follower. This South Dakota State University professor said one day – which your grandpaa will have to paraphrase as your grandpaa does not remember exactly how the guy said it but the gist of what this professor at South Dakota State University said is that he told your grandpaa’s God – ‘if You really have the power to do it, kill me right here in front of my class’. Your grandpaa remembers the South Dakota State University professor looking right at your grandpaa at that moment and . . . the South Dakota State University professor knew that your grandpaa was a Christ-follower because your grandpaa told him one day after a class that he was. It was like your grandpaa had been dared to say something. Your grandpaa did not say anything which he regrets today that he did not open his mouth. Your grandmaa and grandpaa were chatting last week with a couple who was visiting the World Race training that was taking place on Adventure in Missions grounds – which is in Gainesville, Georgia. Your grandmaa mentioned to this couple in the conversation that your grandmaa and grandpaa were having with them that they were concerned about what a speaker had taught during the World Race training – that the speaker had used Bible verses at times out of the context in which the verses had been written. The wife of the couple immediately looked at your grandmaa and essentially said ‘what is wrong with that as Paul used Bible verses out of context’. The husband of the couple affirmed what his wife had just said. Because your grandmaa or grandpaa did not immediately ask the couple immediately what they were thinking when they said that Paul had used verses out of context, your grandmaa and grandpaa now wish that they had clarified and even confronted the wife’s unsettling remark.
Your grandpaa does think that Paul could have finished better his third missionary journey. When Paul was told by some guys that God – as God the Spirit, had told them to tell him not to go to the city of Jerusalem, Paul did not listen to the guys. Your grandpaa thinks that Paul was emotionally tired. Your grandpaa thinks that Paul was really looking forward to telling the stories of his third missionary journey – which had been very successful, to the city of Jerusalem church leaders. Even though Paul to your grandpaa seemed to be able to grasp the big picture, Paul to your grandpaa seemed to lose focus when he ended his third missionary journey by going to the city of Jerusalem. Your grandpaa does not doubt that Paul was told by God – as God the Spirit, to go to the city of Jerusalem but he also does not doubt that when Paul was in the city of Tyre that he was told by disciples that God – as God the Spirit, had told them to tell him not to go to the city of Jerusalem which leaves your grandpaa . . . Agabus by using his belt to tie up Paul demonstrated what was going to happen to him in the city of Jerusalem. Paul as a defenseless prisoner, ended up before the Sanhedrin where he found himself facing Ananias the high priest. Luke – Acts 23, gives a blow by blow account of Paul’s reactionary struggles against Pharisees and Sadducees who wanted him dead.
Because of his ‘stubborn’ decision to go on to the city of Jerusalem, Paul ended up having to be secreted out of the city of Jerusalem to Herod’s palace in in the city of Caesarea to be under the purview of Antonius Felix – who was the governor of the land area of Caesarea. Paul was not forgotten by God. Verse 11 says, “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.”’ Your grandpaa is very, very thankful that God has been as patient with him as He was with Paul.
Acts 23 (910)