I did not prove disobedient... ...

Dear Hypercritos,

Acts 26:19 - 20, "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance."

1. Did not prove disobeident - when does proving takes place? Things are proved of their real nature and character when they are tested. Paul was able to say that he was proved to be obedient because he had gone through the test. What is the test? The tests are persecutions, imprisonments, sufferings, beaten during the course of keeping to the heavenly vision - preaching the gospel. Paul's true colour was revealed under those hardships and threatening moments. When we are cornered, then our true colours begin to show. What will be our colours when we are cornered? Will we be proven to be obedient or disobedient? Will we compromise our stand when we are put inbetween the rock and the hard place? When we go through the mill, what will come out?

2. Keep declaring - keep declaring, a continuous term, meaning there was no stopping. When we are faced with difficulty and threat when we do something, we can either choose to stop or to continue. Paul said he continue declaring, he did not stop despite all the things that he faced - to point of almost dying. Peter and John did not stop when they were whipped and thrown into prison for offending the leaders of Judaism. james was beheaded for declaring the gospel. Will we keep declaring even when we are faced with impending death? Do we have a present continuous tense for our preaching of the gospel? Or we keep to subjunctive tense in our grammar for 'preaching'?

3. Jews and Gentiles - Paul did not keep his message only for a specific group of people but declare to everyone. Do we segregate people in our mind? Only sharing the gospel with a chosen group of people while there are those who are untounchable? Is there only a privileged people who shoudl hear about Jesus Christ while we exclude other people group?

4. Turn to God & repentance - Pointing the way back to God. Our message must be pointing people back to God who creates them and whose Son Jesus Christ died for them on the Cross. Our message is to uphold the uniqueness of Christ and to show people the truth. Reconciliating men with God. Leading them to the light. Pointing them to the truth.

'I did not prove disobedient', will we be able to say this when we meet the Lord? Would we be able to repeat the words of Paul before the Great White Throne on that day?

I pray that I would be able to. What about you?

Signed,
Katapneuma