Imagine, you just returned from an extended mission
trip. With joy you tell the Church all the wonderful things the Lord had done. Then, the Church leaders ask for a favor. Will
you go along with some outdated religious rituals?
Why?
Well, because we don’t want to offend the myriad new converts
still clinging to the old customs.
Even if you know it’s not a God idea, or even a good
idea, out of respect for the elders, out of love for the people, you comply to
their appeasement plan, in hopes it may win them over and help them grow.
But now you’re thinking, “What was I thinking?”
Because, while doing your good deed, you’re beaten almost
to death.
If not for somebody calling the cops, you’d be dead.
The police carry you from the scene to the station.
The mob follows.
You ask the commander for permission to speak to the crowd.
He looks at you like you’re nuts but opens the door
and nods his head.
So, with his permission, and the protection of law enforcement,
this is what you say...
“Morons and jerks, now shut your face and listen!”
No, that’s not how it goes.
Well, maybe it’s what I would say, but not what Paul
said. What we just read was what happened to Paul in the previous chapter.
Now, this is what Paul said:
Acts 22:1
“Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.”
Brethren
and fathers, dear family, please hear me.
2 And when
they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all
the more silent.
The word for Hebrew is, Hebrais (he-brah-EES). Picture
Christian-eez on steroids.
In the first century, the Jews were multilingual.
Their ancestral language and Scripture was Hebrew. So, when speaking religion
and Scripture they used Hebrais.
Aramaic was their everyday language.
Then, to the Romans they spoke Greek, which was their
everyday language. Remember, Paul spoke Greek when asking the Roman commander
for permission to speak to the mob. Acts 21:37.
To the Greek I became as the Greek, to the
Jew as the Jew. All things to all people that I might win the more. 1
Corinthians 9:20-22.
So, to the Jewish mob that just tried to kill him, he
spoke their revered language, and they listened... at least for a little while.
Then he said: 3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of
Cilicia...
The region of Cilicia is the area of modern-day Turkey.
The city of Tarsus was the capital of Cilicia, in the
Roman Empire.
Like Tallahassee, is the capital of Florida, in the
United States of America.
Tarsus to Jerusalem is about 571 miles south by land;
355 miles by sea.
3...but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel,
Paul, a Jew, was born a Roman citizen in Tarsus, but
was raised in this city, Jerusalem.
At the feet of Gamaliel.
The Rabbis sat in a tall chair, and their disciples sat on the ground, so
they were literally at their master's feet.
Gamaliel was a member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish Supreme
Court—of sorts). He was a renowned Pharisee and teacher of the law. According
to Jewish tradition, he was the grandson of the famous Rabbi Hillel.
In Acts 5:38-39, Gamaliel stood in defense of the early
Church saying, “let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of
men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you
cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”
He was a mentor to the apostle Paul.
3... taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and
was zealous toward God as you all are today.
According to the strictness...
meaning the most accurate, the most exact.
In other words, Paul had a Master of Divinity through
an Ivy League education. (Back when an Ivy League education meant Academic
Excellence and Prestige, rather than woke wacky wicked weirdos).
4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and
delivering into prisons both men and women,
Persecuted:
Greek: diókó (dee-o'-ko): to intensely pursue, chase,
hunt, to press forward.
In context here, with intent to kill, to the death.
Paul (Saul) passionately pursued Christians to
the death; a genocidal terrorist.
How could God use a man like that?
Paul must’ve wondered about the same thing and wrote
about it to Timothy:
1 Timothy 1:13. I was formerly a blasphemer,
a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief,
I was shown mercy.
You see, God sees beyond the deeds, to the thoughts
and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.
I persecuted this Way... Christians
were called the Way. The word, Way means: road, journey, path.
Jesus says in John 14:6, I AM the Way... I Am
the road, the journey, the path.
Christianity is not religion, (man’s way to
work his way to heaven).
Christianity is to, diókó Christ. To intensely
pursue, chase, hunt, to press forward into Christ, the Way, the Truth, the
Life.
Do you diókó Christ?
Are you a CHRIST-ian.
1 John 4:8, tells us, God is Love.
Thus, Christianity is to diókó Love. To intensely
pursue, chase, hunt, to press forward into Love, into God.
Therefore, the destination, the target, the objective,
of a Christian is not only to miss hell. That motivation is
self-centered, self-seeking, self-preserving and diametrically opposed to the
heart necessary to enter heaven.
The heart that pleases God and enters heaven is one faithful
to deny self and diókó Jesus.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, he
must deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow (pursue,
chase, hunt, press forward into, follow hard after) Me.” Luke 9:23.
The Christian life should be one of hot pursuit, not
timid apathy.
Paul openly admitted that in his past, he diókóed Christians
to the death.
5 as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council
of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to
Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be
punished.
Basically, Paul was the bounty hunter, for the Religious
Jerusalem Jews.
Now he namedrops some of his old powerful friends (ex-friends)
that helped him in his hitman business.
But he’s about to drop the name above all names.
6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at
about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me.
It’s high noon. Saul and the boys are almost to their destination,
Damascus. They’re smiling, singing, “Blue skies, smilin’ at me, nothing but
blue skies do I see. Now it won’t be long, ‘til all the Christians are all gone.”
Then suddenly the Light of the world shows up, and the
things of earth grow strangely dim in the Light of His glory and grace.
This happens along every person’s life journey;
the Light of the world shows up and shines. Sometimes to dim what we deem so
bright. Other times to bring light to our darkest night. What we do with His
Light determines our destiny.
Perhaps this great light is what Paul was thinking of
when he penned in his letter to Tim.
Excerpt from 1 Timothy 6:11-16: “...pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight
the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, 14 ... until
our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing... 16 dwelling in unapproachable
light...”
7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You,
Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
Persecuting: diókó.
The original text literally says: Saul, Saul why diókó
Me?
Saul, why intensely pursue, chase, hunt... the
Christians? My people?
No. Why do you diókó Me to the death?
Jesus takes it as a personal attack against Himself.
Every word or deed against a Christian, is
an assault against Jesus.
Lord, forgive us for speaking against You,
when we spoke against our brother or sister. Lord, help us remember that when
we’re persecuted, they’re not persecuting us, but You.
Jesus puts it like this in Matthew 25:31-46:
“When
the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He
will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be
gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on
His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say
to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I
was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a
stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I
was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry
and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You
a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did
we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King
will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it
to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed,
into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42
for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no
drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you
did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44
“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to
You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you,
inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it
to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but
the righteous into eternal life.”
9 “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were
afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me.
The Lord’s Voice can be heard clearly, unmistakably,
seemingly audibly, but somehow, He speaks straight from His Spirit to ours.
10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me,
‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which
are appointed for you to do.’
The Lord always comes in Light and His commands
are always to arise and go.
Isaiah 60:1. Arise shine for the Light has
come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18. Now the Lord is
that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as
by the Spirit of the Lord.
11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light,
being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
The very Light that blinded him, when he thought
he could see, is the very Light that guided him, when he knew he was blind.
Pride blinds. Humility opens eyes.
12 “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law,
having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13 came to me; and
he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same
hour I looked up at him.
Ananias is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Hananiah
and means “Yahweh has been gracious.”
What a powerful message of amazing grace (unmerited
favor) to Paul.
Lord, help us to be like Ananias, who
trusted You over the news reports that said Saul was an enemy. A genocidal
terrorist. Help us, like Ananias to fear You more than man. Help us, obey You
even when we don’t understand. Help us to forgive, like Ananias who by Your
love and grace was able to call Saul the Saint Slayer, his brother.
Brother Saul, receive your sight. And
then, just like that, Saul was able to say like the man born blind man in John
9:25, “This one thing I know, once I was blind, but now I see.”
14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you
that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear
the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men
of what you have seen and heard.
Paul was chosen by God to know His will,
see the Just One, hear His Voice, be His witness.
How in the world could a genocidal terrorist do all
that?
Diókó.
Paul continued to diókó, but now for
the cause of Christ, instead of against Him.
After one encounter with Jesus, for the rest of his
life, he intensely, passionately, pursued, chased, pressed forward to Christ,
the Way, the Truth, the Life.
1)
Chosen.
a.
Saul was chosen, not forced. Jesus
showed up shining, but did not force.
i.
Saul asked who are You, Lord.
ii.
Saul believed, “I am Jesus.”
iii.
Saul obeyed. Put feet to faith. “What
should I do Lord?”
b.
IF you ask, believe, obey, you too, “are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that
ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness
into His marvelous Light,” 1 Peter 2:9.
2)
Know His will.
a.
All are called, like Paul, to know His
will. God wants us to know His will, more than we want to know it.
b.
Romans 12:2. And do not be conformed
to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Discerning
God’s Will book).
3)
See the Just One.
a.
Hebrews 11:1. Faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
b.
You don't need to see to believe, you need
to believe to see.
c.
Matthew 5:8. “Blessed are the pure in
heart for they shall see God.”
4)
Hear His Voice.
a.
Romans 10:17. Faith comes by hearing
the Word (rhema, spoken) of God.
5)
Be His witness.
a.
Acts 1:8. “But you shall
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall
be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized,
and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Ananias spoke Paul’s language. Let’s getter done!
God uses doers.
Many are called, few are chosen (Matt
22:14) because few are doers.
Be a doer of the Word not a hearer only. James
1:22-25.
17 “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was
praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying to me,
‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your
testimony concerning Me.’ 19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every
synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood
of Your martyr (witness) Stephen
was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the
clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I
will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’ ”
22 And they listened to him until this word, and then
they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for
he is not fit to live!” 23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their
clothes and threw dust into the air,
They were fine with his testimony of diókó,
pursuing, chasing, hunting, imprisoning, beating, stoning to the death,
Christians—even Jewish Christians.
BUT, to diókó gentiles for the sake of Salvation?
That’s an abomination, that’s not acceptable, that
deems Paul worthy of death.
The religious Jews (not Christians) thought God
created gentiles to fuel the fires of hell.
There’s no reasoning with demons. They didn’t want to discuss
it, they wanted blood. They wanted Paul’s head; they wanted him dead.
Beware! A religious spirit and prejudice
are demonic brothers.
An unreasonable despise or hatred toward a particular class,
or race, or person, is an insane demonic cancer.
Jews had it against gentiles.
Religious Jews had it against Jesus. (JDS - Jesus
derangement syndrome).
Hitler and genocidal terrorists today, against Jews.
Myriads have it against Trump, (TDS, Trump derangement
syndrome).
Some so-called Christians against other denominations.
How do we overcome such a widespread demonic cancer?
Diókó Christ.
Arise and go. Intensely
pursue, chase, hunt, press forward into Christ, the Way, the Truth, the
Life.
Spiritual Multivitamins infused with Diókó:
Psalm 42:1
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You,
O God.
Pants:
from the Hebrew verb "arag” conveying a deep, intense longing or yearning,
often used of a soul's deep desire for God.
Matthew 6:33.
Seek FIRST, the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these
other things shall be added unto you.
Seek:
zéteó: To seek, to search for, to desire, to strive
after.
Psalm 34:7.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your
heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart lean not on your own
understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your
paths.
Proverbs 16:3. Commit
your works unto the Lord and your thoughts will be established.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks,
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Romans 12:10-12. Be
devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring
one another. 11 Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving
the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent
in prayer.
Jesus sums it all up with this:
Mark 12:30-31.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31... Love
your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Sounds a lot like: diókó
(dee-o'-ko).
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, thank You for passionately
pursuing us to the death—Your death. If you did not diókó us, we’d be lost. Now,
please help us to live diókó, to live passionately pursuing Your Presence.
Thank You.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
Prayer Requests:
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Email: pray4measap@aol.com
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Watch online:
Facebook: Diókó, Acts 22:1-23
You Tube: Diókó, Acts 22:1-23
This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you
to sow.
Thank you for sharing.
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