Standing Firm...today - Acts 14:8-20

As human beings we are easily swayed from one point of view to another. It is fun to hear a professional speaker talk on a topic we are interested in. It is invigorating to participate in a weekend retreat with a motivational speaker addressing those gathered. Mountain top experiences occur during these times, the only problem is they usually don't last. Even those times we call 'life-changing', seldom are.

Today we find Paul and Barnabas in Lystra on the next leg of their first missionary journey. If you recall, they were run out of Antioch and Iconium after preaching the news of Jesus Christ. If we could read the journal entry for Barnabas we might find this paragraph.

• "Finally, Paul and I are in Lystra and it seems Your Word will be heard here. Thank you, Father, for using Paul to heal that crippled man's feet. It was a moment of incredible joy to see him jump up and walk when Paul told him to rise. Those who witnessed the event were very excited. There was lots of buzz afterwards. The people are calling us gods, so we have lots of work to do to tell them the truth, but at least they seem to be listening."

 It didn't take long for the crowd to turn against the men sent by God.   "Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead." (Acts 14:19) 

Human kind is fickle, we may give up our idols in the passion of the moment, but will just as eagerly snatch them up again.

Read Acts 14:8-20 here.