'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
"It’s more blessed to give then receive" says Paul as were his lasts words to the Ephesian Church implying his death.
Lately I’ve been reading the book Acts and the more I read it the more I need faith to believe it.
The deeper I go into it and read the testimonies of the disciples the grizzly I find it. Stoning’s, beatings and floggings can be found ever so often along with warm open hearts to cold blooded killers. It’s all in the book of Acts.
What comes to mind the most is Paul’s remarkable turnaround from persecution of Christians leading to their torture and misery, to doing the greatest back flip of all time and sacrificing his life for that which he hated.
If anyone can give us hope of a rotten sinner being washed clean in the blood of Jesus and used mightily it’s this man.
It Acts 20 Paul talks to the Ephesian elders and explains that’s it’s better to give than receive, explaining that making money from the gospel and putting it as a burden on believers isn’t best. That believers should work and pay their way so they can help others. Paul used his own testimony of being a tentmaker as an example.
All in all by reading this you may consider what he said to be fair however there was a hidden message I believe in what he was saying. In this times the Church prophesied that Paul would be led away with his hands tied and never seen again if he went back to Jerusalem. Because at Jerusalem he would be handed over to Roman authorities and never be seen again. The Churched begged him not go down this path but he refused. As Paul said and rebuked the Church “Im ready to give up my life for the lord”…
Acts 21:10-14
“After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
The irony is Paul states these 2 things in Acts 20 and 21…better to give than receive and offering up his life for the lord.
Paul was one to do what he says he should do and do it with all his heart.
He planned to go to Jerusalem and speak to the highest authority and then go to Rome and speak to the highest authority there. Like Jesus he was ready and willing not just to speak to the common folk but the highest of governments stating that regardless what people believe, Jesus Christ is the only real King and one day he will raise us up and judge us as King of all. God of Gods and King of Kings.
This is a person who was stoned to the point of death in Acts and raised up twice defending something he hated.
Paul seen things over the years and was taught by the Holy Spirit and the Lord that there is great gain in offering everything to share the Gospel. He would have known how Peter the Apostle was going to die.
He knew that the Apostles were being picked of around him and being murdered as the years passed. Yes he could have kept on speaking boldly of the lord Jesus in the synagogues outside Jerusalem. But something must have been niggling away at him.
While many of his brothers in the faith would die in Jerusalem Paul wasn’t going to live out his days in the countryside wishing them farewell from faraway lands from a distance. With his knowledge of the lord and amazing witness he would use it to speak to the highest authorities in Jerusalem and Rome.
Like his Lord and savior Jesus Christ he would pronounce the message of the Gospel to the world.
When we give what we really want back in return. Would you lay down your life freely to proclaim Jesus to the whole world? Even if it meant stoning’s to the point of death beatings and imprisonment.
What does following Christ mean to you?
Who do you try to convince that Jesus is Lord?
Like Paul says it’s better to give than receive. When I read these chapters I ask the lord give me greater faith in reaching out to more people and greater opportunities even if it means sacrificing the things I enjoy.
Life comes and goes very quickly then we are looking at the resurrection and giving an account of ourselves to the lord.
I hope with all my heart your account will be rich with how you blessed others and shared Jesus Christ to the world.
Blessings Chris.
"It’s more blessed to give then receive" says Paul as were his lasts words to the Ephesian Church implying his death.
Lately I’ve been reading the book Acts and the more I read it the more I need faith to believe it.
The deeper I go into it and read the testimonies of the disciples the grizzly I find it. Stoning’s, beatings and floggings can be found ever so often along with warm open hearts to cold blooded killers. It’s all in the book of Acts.
What comes to mind the most is Paul’s remarkable turnaround from persecution of Christians leading to their torture and misery, to doing the greatest back flip of all time and sacrificing his life for that which he hated.
If anyone can give us hope of a rotten sinner being washed clean in the blood of Jesus and used mightily it’s this man.
It Acts 20 Paul talks to the Ephesian elders and explains that’s it’s better to give than receive, explaining that making money from the gospel and putting it as a burden on believers isn’t best. That believers should work and pay their way so they can help others. Paul used his own testimony of being a tentmaker as an example.
All in all by reading this you may consider what he said to be fair however there was a hidden message I believe in what he was saying. In this times the Church prophesied that Paul would be led away with his hands tied and never seen again if he went back to Jerusalem. Because at Jerusalem he would be handed over to Roman authorities and never be seen again. The Churched begged him not go down this path but he refused. As Paul said and rebuked the Church “Im ready to give up my life for the lord”…
Acts 21:10-14
“After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
The irony is Paul states these 2 things in Acts 20 and 21…better to give than receive and offering up his life for the lord.
Paul was one to do what he says he should do and do it with all his heart.
He planned to go to Jerusalem and speak to the highest authority and then go to Rome and speak to the highest authority there. Like Jesus he was ready and willing not just to speak to the common folk but the highest of governments stating that regardless what people believe, Jesus Christ is the only real King and one day he will raise us up and judge us as King of all. God of Gods and King of Kings.
This is a person who was stoned to the point of death in Acts and raised up twice defending something he hated.
Paul seen things over the years and was taught by the Holy Spirit and the Lord that there is great gain in offering everything to share the Gospel. He would have known how Peter the Apostle was going to die.
He knew that the Apostles were being picked of around him and being murdered as the years passed. Yes he could have kept on speaking boldly of the lord Jesus in the synagogues outside Jerusalem. But something must have been niggling away at him.
While many of his brothers in the faith would die in Jerusalem Paul wasn’t going to live out his days in the countryside wishing them farewell from faraway lands from a distance. With his knowledge of the lord and amazing witness he would use it to speak to the highest authorities in Jerusalem and Rome.
Like his Lord and savior Jesus Christ he would pronounce the message of the Gospel to the world.
When we give what we really want back in return. Would you lay down your life freely to proclaim Jesus to the whole world? Even if it meant stoning’s to the point of death beatings and imprisonment.
What does following Christ mean to you?
Who do you try to convince that Jesus is Lord?
Like Paul says it’s better to give than receive. When I read these chapters I ask the lord give me greater faith in reaching out to more people and greater opportunities even if it means sacrificing the things I enjoy.
Life comes and goes very quickly then we are looking at the resurrection and giving an account of ourselves to the lord.
I hope with all my heart your account will be rich with how you blessed others and shared Jesus Christ to the world.
Blessings Chris.
