Pearls of Great Value

“After preaching the wonderful news of the gospel there and winning a large number of followers to Jesus, they retraced their steps and revisited Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. At each place they went, they strengthened the lives of the believers and encouraged them to go deeper in their faith. And they taught them, “It is necessary for us to enter into the realm of God’s kingdom, because that’s the only way we will endure our many trials and persecutions.” Paul and Barnabas ordained leaders, known as elders, from among the congregations in every church they visited. After prayer and fasting, they publicly committed them into the care and protection of the Lord of their faith. After passing through different regions of central Turkey, they went to the city of Perga, preaching the life-giving message of the Lord. Afterward they journeyed down to the coast at Antalya, and from there they sailed back to Antioch. With their mission complete, they returned to the church where they had originally been sent out as missionaries, for it was in Antioch where they had been handed over to God’s powerful grace. When they arrived in Antioch, they gathered the church together and shared with them all of the wonderful works God had done through them and how God had opened the door of faith for the non-Jews to enter in. ‭‭Acts‬ ‭14:21-27‬ ‭TPT‬‬

The above 14th chapter of Acts is a small yet powerful glimpse of the resurrected life of born again believers.

Read through the chapter and you quickly see how growth and persecution walk hand in hand. I know, it’s not what we want to hear, but how can we tell a different story than what is? The chapter starts with Paul preaching the word and a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. But those Jews who did not believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the non-Jews against Paul and Barnabas. The chapter continues, telling the account of Paul healing a lame man, and how that caused the crowd to want to offer sacrifices to Zeus( because they saw Paul and Barnabas as Greek Gods). They barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.

Then some Jews came and won over the crowd and they stoned Paul, dragging him out of the city and thinking he was dead, left him. I want you to think about this for a second. Think about stoning a person. One rock thrown with force at a body, no matter where it hits, leaves a mark and inflicts damage. Throw a couple more rocks and you’re probably going to break some bones. Now, if one would stone a person until he isn’t moving anymore, you could imagine the damage, right? Here, the Jews thought that Paul was dead and left him outside the city. The rest of this story is summed up in one verse. Verse 20 of this chapter is to me one of the most understated verses of the Bible: “ “But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.” Acts 14:20. (As a side note, the words “rose up” in greek, are also used when Jesus arose the 12 year old from the dead. And also when Jesus talks about himself and says the the son of man will arise on the third day after he is killed).

Yet still they kept on, evangelizing and making disciples, encouraging and strengthening the hearts of believers. This is the resurrected life! It speaks and proclaims the good news, it faces opposition, it’s filled with the message of grace and is testified by signs and wonders. And even when it goes through persecution, it prays, it encourages, and continues onward in faith. Paul was stoned, condemned, and chased from city to city. His life was anything but quiet or comfortable. He didn’t quit.

Here’s my take away. Satan works hard to keep us focused on the problems of life and away from the word of God. Why? Because he does not want us to KNOW that we are full of the resurrected life of Jesus. He knows that once we understand that we have the life and power of God inside of us, we will begin to act just like Jesus.

Don’t let Satan blind you to the reality that you are a new creation in Christ and that the same power that rose Jesus from the dead now lives in you. Don’t let him deceive you into believing that you are worthless. Don’t let him bind you with the grim clothes of yesterday’s sin and defeat.

If we can listen and believe the voice of our enemy as he whispers lies into our heart and mind, we can also listen and heed the voice of truth. You are not your struggle, or your trauma, or your past. You aren’t. I hate that often those things start to define us. Luke 10:19 declares that God has given us all authority over all the power of our enemy. We don’t have to let the enemy push us around. If satan has been oppressing you, may you know and see it, expose it to the blood of Jesus and know that you can be free. May you know God wants you to walk in your God given authority, in freedom and wholeness. May it go well with you!

Greater is He that is within you than He that is in the World. “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

“Now you understand that I have imparted to you all my authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will be able to harm you as you walk in this authority.” Luke‬ ‭10:19‬ ‭TPT‬‬