Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Yesterday was Memorial Day in America. I’m still pondering the high price of paying with your life to help gain the freedom of someone else? Perhaps you know there was one American family in WWII who had five sons, all who went into the US Navy. These Sullivan brothers requested the Navy assign them all to serve on the same ship together. It was a rare request, but it was granted and for some time these five brothers enjoyed being together at sea. But on November 13, 1942 their ship was sunk by a Japanese torpedo attack. Four of the brothers went down with the ship, one made it into a life raft, but he died before the raft was rescued one week later. Can you imagine the grief of that family who paid the ultimate freedom price with ALL five of their sons?
I guess I’m particularly reflective these days since so much is changing morally in our world and in America. I continue to try and help us gain God’s proper perspective on life as we “walk with Jesus”, for I fear we are drifting very far as societies as cities as families as individuals, far away from God!!
Amazingly, while most people value freedom here and now in this life, many people place little value on eternal freedom! How could that be? No matter how difficult living is in this life, eking out survival in a sprawling slum; or struggling to survive an abusive, corrupt political/military system; or living in an abusive family; or living addicted to something that’s killing you. . . all of that is minimal as compared to 5 minutes in HELL. And Billions of people will spend eternity, forever, in that hell place!!
Jesus described hell in this way: “…there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…eternal punishment.” (Matt. 25:30,46) And in the parable of the ‘Rich Man and Lazarus’ Jesus said the man had died and was “…in hell where he was in torment…” (Luke 16:23) John says in Revelation 20:10 it is a “…lake of burning sulfur where the devil…will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” And he won’t be alone. John’s Revelation vision continues: “If anyone’s name was not written in the book of life, they will be thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:15)
Oh my what a terrible place…and God’s desire is that NO human being ever end up there. Peter wrote “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises…He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
So in view of the price paid by so many for military victories that hopefully will win temporary freedom here on earth… what price is worth paying so people living in sin bondage can be liberated to live free now here on earth and have eternity in heaven with God, thus being delivered by Jesus from that horrific hell? That is why Jesus went to the cross! (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus was willing to pay that extreme price so we could be rescued from hell! How do you thank Jesus for that, and what value do we place on hell bound people hearing Jesus has paid their deliverance, rescue price?
That question has driven men and women for centuries. Driven them to withstand great persecution, survive terrible living conditions, even bury children or spouses in the places they have felt God led them to live, so they could tell the story of Jesus, and see people trust Jesus and gain eternal freedom! Does that amaze you my friends? Here’s an even more remarkable truth. Whenever word comes to Christ followers around the world, of some tragic situation which has brought death to Pastors or Missionaries, there is usually a significant uprising of people volunteering to go and replace those who’ve been killed as martyrs!
It happened in the early 1900’s when word came back from China of thousands killed in the “Boxer Rebellion”. It happened in 1957 when word came from the jungles of Ecuador of 5 missionary men speared to death by a vicious tribe called the “Auca’s”. It has happened in India, China and the militant Muslim nations of Central Asia when word comes of persecution and death for Christians there. Why is that my friends? What stirs deeply in a person to be willing to give their life and even their family, so those living in sin bondage can hear of Jesus the Deliverer? I suggest to you it is one of the most powerful works of the LOVE of God the Holy Spirit, in a follower of Jesus, who is awed by the rescue price Jesus paid for their rescue!
It’s what happened in Acts 14 as we follow Paul & Barnabas on their first journey of taking the message of Jesus to people who had never heard. In our day these are called “unreached peoples”. Having been rejected and run out of Iconium, Acts 14 tells us Paul & Barnabas didn’t quit, they walked next to Lystra “…where they continued to proclaim the good news.” (Acts 14:7) Do you see their undaunted determination to help people find deliverance in Jesus? They were confident Jesus had sent them and was with them!
In the town of Lystra something remarkable happened. In the first century Roman Empire there were no hospitals and no social assistance programs as we know them today. Sick people, disabled people, blind people, emotionally disturbed people… were all cared for by their families, or left to beg and even die on the side of the road. Similar to some impoverished parts of our world today. Dr. Luke, the author of Acts, gives us a glimpse: “In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking (the Gospel). Paul looked directly at the man, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out to the man, ‘Stand up on your feet’! At that the man jumped up and began to walk.” (Acts 14:8-10)
What Paul saw in this crippled man to convince him the man had enough faith to trust in Jesus for such a dramatic healing that he could walk for the first time in his life… I do not know. But it was stunning to all who saw it and word of it spread across the town of Lystra very quickly. As the apostles of Jesus shared the story of Jesus with people, they were amazed with what they heard, but when God did miracles through those apostles, their amazement overflowed and towns were shaken by the power of God! Remember? It happened in Jerusalem, in Samaria, in Lydda and now Lystra! Miracles!
As you read the subsequent verses in Acts 14, you’ll see the people of Lystra thought Paul and Barnabas were aliens visiting from outer space! The people said “The gods have come down to us in human form.” And they called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes! More than that they started preparing to offer sacrifices to them! Paul responded: “We are only men, humans like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God who made heaven and earth…” But friends, you know how mob mayhem can get out of control quickly…and it did in Lystra that day!
Suddenly hysteria of worship turned to hysteria of destruction and with incitement from certain rabble rousers, the crowd turned violent and began throwing things at Paul and Barnabas, knocking Paul unconscious. Luke records: “They dragged Paul outside the city, thinking he was dead…” Now put yourself there. Have you ever been in a hysterical crowd, a riot? From worship and celebration to hysterical anger and violence in moments! Luke writes some of the followers of Jesus in Lystra gathered around Paul’s battered body, and I presume they prayed…earnestly, passionately prayed. Then a miracle…Luke writes: “Paul got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas went to Derbe.” (Acts 14:19,20)
The Holy Spirit had miraculously, powerfully raised a crippled man through Paul and now by Paul’s faith, and that of those praying for him, the Holy Spirit powerfully raised Paul up, healed him sufficiently to stand to his feet and walk victoriously back into Lystra. Can you imagine the look on people’s faces as they see the man whom they thought they’d killed, walking confidently and proclaiming Jesus had raised him up! But many hearts in Lystra were hard… so the next day Paul & Barnabas continued on their journey.
May I ask a closing difficult question? How many of those in Iconium and Lystra, towns who had rejected Paul’s message of Jesus, turned on him in anger and run him out of town… how many of those people do you suppose eventually died in their rejection of Jesus and will spend eternity in that horrible place called hell? How does that horrible reality affect your heart…especially when you think about people you know?
Here’s a song from South Africa that reflects the gratitude of someone whom Jesus has rescued. . . “There was Jesus”. I wonder if it’s your song?
Today’s Scripture is Acts 14:5-20.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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