Go!

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Acts 20-26

Six chapters of the book of Acts - that's a lot more than we usually chew on in our Daily Bible Blast.  These chapters are full of drama and intrigue:  the apostle Paul faces stiff opposition to sharing "the Way," as this 'new' faith, Christianity, is called.  He is arrested, beaten, he is shipwrecked, and he is falsely accused with absolutely no evidence to back up the charges. So much for a life of bed and roses as a Christian, wouldn't you say? 

And yet - Paul and the fledgling church are not deterred from their mission, so plainly laid out in Matthew 28:19-20:

Therefore, GO and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Faith and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded, you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

I capitalized GO for a reason.  Look at some of the action verbs in chapter 20 alone!

20:2 Paul traveled
20:6 we sailed
20:13 we went on ahead to the ship and sailed
20:22 and now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem

Paul, a man who persecuted Christians mercilessly before his Damascus Road conversion, is completely sold out to Jesus. The church has deputized he and his team (often Luke is with him, often Barnabas, and many others) to spread the gospel.  Many come to faith, and churches are planted throughout the ancient world - in Ephesus, and yes, in Jerusalem, the heart of the Jewish faith, and then onto Rome, the New York City of the day. 

Paul shares the good news of faith in Jesus Christ with sailors, with Jews and Gentiles alike, and with kings and rulers.  His personal testimony is spellbinding, and his explanation of what it means to accept Christ through grace alone is clear and compelling. Many believed, but not all.  And those who didn't whipped up the crowds in Jerusalem with shouts of "Rid the earth of him!  He's not fit to live!" (Acts 22:22)

Where is God sending you?  To your neighborhood?  Your office?  Your school?  To a foreign land?  Or to an international student who comes from abroad?  What work does he have for you to do?  (See Matthew 28 above).  Does God promise riches and success?  No.  But he does say that he will be with us, as he was with Paul.

Lord, thinking about 'going' can be very scary.  Help me to go where you send me, and to thank you for every trial, knowing that my job is to listen and obey.  Amen.