Ecclesiastes 1:9.
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
Evil uses the same playbook, just with different names
and faces.
Enraged they hire hitmen.
Then, the holier than thou, pious leaders accuse
others of what they themselves are doing. Dividing the people, perverting the
law, twisting Scripture to fit their agenda.
Rather than punishing perpetrators, the mob is appeased
and the innocent arrested.
For two long years Paul sat in prison.
Bottom line, behind the scenes, what’s really
happening, then and now, is evil trying to outmaneuver the movement of God in
the affairs of men.
Daniel 4:17 says the Most High rules in
the kingdom of men.
So, when evil is enraged, know for sure and certain
that God is on the move.
A good gauge to see when and where God is moving is
watch the countermeasures evil is doing.
Ephesians 6:12, For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenly places.
It was quiet for two years, while Paul sat in prison.
But suddenly, there was a changing of the guard.
Felix recalled, Festus installed.
The serpent started to rattle. The religious
hypocrites started spewing their venom against Paul again.
A sure sign God
is on the move, about to take one more step in HIStory.
Acts 25:1
Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went
up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
Festus, was appointed by
Roman Emperor Nero to take the place of Felix.
Felix was corrupt, cruel, crafty, like a cat.
If Felix was a cat, Festus was a stallion.
Festus was a welcome relief. Educated. No nonsense. By
the book. Believed in the rule of law.
He was followed by Albinus, who was as corrupt as
Felix.
But, from out of nowhere, for a brief moment, Festus
appeared in Biblical HIStory.
Kind of like how Paul’s nephew appeared at just the
right time when Paul was about to be ambushed, Acts 23:16-17.
Likewise, at a similar time in Paul’s life, Festus shows
up for such a time as this to make decisions that protect and then propel God’s
plan for Paul.
Have you ever had that happen? A Divine connection for
Divine direction.
After that, within two years Festus would be dead.
The Most High rules over the kingdoms of
men. Daniel 4:17.
2 Then the high priest and the chief
men of the Jews informed him (Festus)
against
Paul; and they petitioned him, 3 asking a favor against
him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush
along the road to kill him.
They did not ask for justice but “favor”.
They did not bring evidence but petitions.
You scratch our back, we’ll have yours.
Paul was in prison. Hadn’t set foot in their city or any
Jewish temple, in two years.
If they were seeking justice, they’d let it go since
Paul already served two years without a shred of evidence against him.
But they weren’t seeking justice, they were fueled by hate
against Paul, they thought, but it was really against the Spirit of God
that dwelt in Paul.
What did Paul do to them?
He had been living away from Jerusalem for over a
decade during his missionary journeys. He was only back a week before getting
arrested and hauled to Caesaria.
What did Paul do against them?
Nothing. He did nothing against them. That’s how we
know they were fueled by evil. They had an irrational unforgiving irritation
against the man.
Just like they
had against Jesus.
They had JDS, Jesus derangement syndrome. Now they
have PDS, Paul derangement syndrome. It’s all GDS, God derangement syndrome.
Harboring hatred too long results in being
wholly overcome with evil. And eventually, eternally confined to hell.
4 But Festus answered that Paul should be
kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. 5 “Therefore,”
he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and
accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.”
Fine, I’ll reopen the case but not change the venue.
This of course was a good thing. Perhaps a God thing,
since it thwarted their plans to ambush and kill Paul.
6 And when he
had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the
next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be
brought. 7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down
from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints
against Paul, which they could not prove,
Festus wasted no time upon his return, he called Paul.
Once again, they provided no evidence or proof. They
simply laid many serious complaints: weighty petitions. Requests, demands,
accusations, charges.
They say:
When the facts are on your side, speak the facts.
When the law is on your side speak the law.
When neither is on your side, attack the person.
Rather than facts or law, they brought demands, accusations,
Kill him! He's not fit to live! Blasphemer!
Sounded like the same evil demons that motivated the
mob to cry: Crucify Him! Crucify Him!
Always remember, personal attacks indicate there’s no
evidence.
Words like: loser, unworthy, worthless, dirty, too
old, unforgivable, are based in lies, not Truth.
If you hear anything like that, just smile and know
that it’s not True, and it’s not you. Those words are evidence that the accuser’s
got no evidence.
If you’re born again, all your junk has been washed
away, cleansed by the forgiving, cleansing, shed blood of Jesus. When the
Father looks at you, He doesn’t see your sin, He sees the glory of His Son. Like
back before the fall of man, before Adam and Eve ever sinned. They were naked
and unashamed glowing with, clothed with, the pneuma, the breath of Life, the
Spirit of God, residing within. Romans 13:14, Galatians 3:27.
8 while he answered
for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor
against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in
anything at all.”
Answered;
apologeomai, (ap-ol-og-eh'-om-ahee): To defend oneself, to
make a defense, to give an account. Apologetics; a reasoned defense.
1 Peter 3:15; But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense
to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness
and fear.
Do not apologize for your faith, but always be ready
to give an answer, a reason, for the beautiful, powerful, faith and hope and
Love, within you.
Notice Paul said he had not offended. That word
means, to sin, or err, against. (Not the same as today where everyone gets offended
over every little thing).
But you dear child of God ought not be easily offended.
Psalm 119:165, Great peace have they which
love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
You fly above all that offends and follow Jesus. At
times you may need to simply say, “Father forgive them, for they know not what
they do.”
9 But
Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and
said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me
concerning these things?”
Okay, I take back anything nice I said about Festus.
Festus, better than Felix, but a politician
nonetheless, and after spending 10 days wining and dining with the lobbyist
Pharisees, now he wants to do them a favor.
Not much has changed today.
Politicians do favors for donor lobbyists.
10 So Paul
said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be
judged...
The word for judgement is: béma.
An elevated seat for the judge.
It’s the same word is used in Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10, speaking of an awards ceremony in heaven.
Christians will stand before the béma seat of
Christ, not for salvation, but for rewards.
Paul is right in more ways than one. He stands where
he ought to be judged before the béma seat of Caesar. And one day before
the béma seat of Christ.
He may not know it yet, but His words are inspired by
the Holy Spirit.
10 ...To the
Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know.
Being led by the Lord we have confidence and boldness
beyond our own, allowing us to respectfully speak the Truth, in Love.
11 For if I am an offender, or have
committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying;
To live is Christ, to die is gain, (Phil. 1:21).
but if there is nothing in these things of which these men
accuse me, no one can deliver me to them.
But I’m not going to lay down and let the devil take
me out before my time without a fight.
Even if in chains, I still have books to write and
sermons to preach, souls to save, disciples to make.
I appeal to Caesar.”
Those words, “I appeal to Caesar” (only two in
the Greek: Epikaloumai Kaisara) whether Paul knew it or not, were
inspired by the Lord. Those two words were the catalyst to carry Paul into the final
phase of God’s plan for his life.
Did you know receiving inspired words to speak right
when you need them is a promise from Jesus, not only to Paul, but you, too?
Luke 12:11-12,
“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do
not worry about how or what you should answer, (ap-ol-og-eh'-om-ahee)
or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour
what you ought to say.”
12 Then
Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to
Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!”
Every freeborn Roman citizen had the right to
appeal to Caesar. It was the law established by Emperor Nero.
Now, what Jesus said would happen, is happening. Paul
is going to Rome.
Acts 23:11, “Be
of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must
also bear witness at Rome.”
The plan of God is always fulfilled. Maybe
not always according to His will, but He’s found a way from beginning to end to
weave His Divine plan into the wonky, wicked, wacky, ways of man.
Perhaps that’s why it took so long to fulfill His plan
of Salvation. It took a long time to find enough folks willing to yield to His
will.
But God is ever patient, and kind and as sure as He
wove His plan through the pages of the Bible back then, He’s still weaving,
orchestrating, His plan today.
By the looks of the offended and the enraged, it
appears once again He’s on the move, about to take one more step in HIStory.
Are you, and all those God’s given you, ready to stand
before the béma seat of Christ, or do we still have work to do?
Let’s pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word that
is ever timely. Thank You for this Word, this Seed, that was just planted in us.
We water it with this prayer and ask that our hearts be fertile soil to bear
much fruit. From now on we refuse to listen to the lies of the accusers but
focus only on Your Truth. Thank You for giving us confidence and boldness beyond our own, allowing us to respectfully
speak Your Word of Truth, in Love, right when we need it. Thank You for Divine connections and direction, so Your good will and
perfect plan is completed in our lives, and of all those You’ve given us, none is
lost.
Thank You, Lord.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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Seed for you to sow.
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