Two festivals this coming weekend: Top: 57th Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair on the historic town square of Burnsville, NC, August 2-3 and Bottom: The NC Mineral and Gem Festival held since the early 1950's in historic Spruce Pine, NC in the Bridge Coliseum August 1-4 - both near Mt. Celo Church
My Gleanings from Today's Readings
Committed to the Mission of the New Covenant - Acts 28 - Paul is on his final mission journey fulfilling Jesus's command that he must be a witness in both Jerusalem and Rome (Acts 23:11). This is accomplished through great sufferings and trials - also in fulfillment of words spoken by Jesus to Ananias after Paul's Damascus Road conversion (Acts 9:13-16) Paul is a prisoner, shipwrecked on the island of Malta, bitten by a poisonous snake while building a fire with the people. The superstitious, fickle people at first think him a murderer destined to die because of the bite; then they think him a god because he has survived the poison. Paul heals the sick father of the leading citizen of the island and then the rest who come to him with diseases to be healed. The shipwrecked crew finds passage on an Alexandrian ship, visits several ports and finally lands in Rome where Paul is met by brethren and "thanks God and takes courage." He meets with Jews there and assures them he means no harm against Judaism; he explains and testifies of the kingdom of God to them. Some believe; some do not. He quotes from Isaiah that this, too, is prophecy that their eyes, ears, and hearts have grown dull, unable to understand and, "therefore, let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" For two years Paul "remains here in a rented house, receiving all who come to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him." Ignatius writes that Paul was martyred in Rome, and Paul alludes to his impending martyrdom in 2nd Timothy. Christian tradition holds that he was beheaded in this city during the reign of Nero.
My Lessons and Applications - 1) How different the mindset of the humbled Jewish exiles from their pre-exilic pride of self; how different the heroism and humility of the converted Paul, one of the greatest leaders of the Apostolic Age from the Saul of Tarsus, prideful persecutor of Christians. I was listening to Ravi Zacharias, Christian apologist, last night on the way home from Bible Study. He said that humility - a humbled heart, submitted and committed before God - was the essential trait needed in fruit-bearing for Christ. 2) God will use trials and suffering to bring us back to Him, to minister more effectively, more humbly for Him and through Him (Acts 9:13-16), 3) This is a reminder of the Jewish roots of my faith - of the "grafting-in" of the Gentiles through God's Plan - spoken of by Paul, the learned Pharisee taught by Gamaliel who becomes one of the great Apostles of the Christian faith (Romans 11:11-31), 4) This is a reminder that great humbling may also be the call of Christ, His "flinging out" of a disciple for special commissioning, 5) In today's readings, God brought the Chosen Nation, the Chosen People back to Himself in covenantal fellowship in the OT reading; in the NT reading He uses one of the Pharisee's of that Chosen People to preach Christ and the kingdom of God, to call believers that belong to the kingdom of God from every tongue, tribe and nation (Daniel 3:4, 5:19, Revelation 5:9 and 7:9.) 5) Now Christ has given each of us as believers this same mission (Matthew 28:16-20). Am I doing my part to His glory? What of my past or present will He use for His kingdom work? Am I daily humbling myself before Him, laying my life before Him, readying myself for His "flinging out"?
Faith is the heroic effort of your life; you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
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