A divine encounter (Part 4)

It is true that anyone who genuinely encounters the Lord Jesus Christ doesn’t leave His presence the same way they came. A divine encounter with Jesus brings total transformation. It doesn’t matter how long one spends with the Lord Jesus. The shortest encounter is more than enough to turn the lives of people around. Saul’s divine encounter with Jesus brought a total change in mission and vision. The once upon a time church persecutor became the church advocate. The same Jesus Saul preached against became the same Jesus Saul risked his life to preach about. In Damascus, Saul boldly defended the faith and when there was a plot to kill him, the disciples managed to help Saul escape to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was where all the drama started. Saul’s ministry as a persecutor of the church began in Jerusalem. Let’s consider how Saul’s return was received In Jerusalem.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. ‭(Acts 9:27)

From Damascus, faithful disciples lowered Saul in a basket and Saul made his way to Jerusalem. His arrival in Jerusalem might have caused fear and tension. According to ‭Acts 9:26, “When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.” The disciples remembered Saul for his role in scattering the believers abroad. They were reminded of how Saul consented to the killing of Stephen. They were reminded of how Saul had gone for letters from the High Priest to go to the synagogues in Damascus and arrest the followers of Jesus. The disciples’ fear was heightened and they could not believe that the same Jesus could in a short while transform the person persecuting His church and make him a part of the church. This is true for many of us. We love the Lord so much and we pray daily for the transformation of our society and the people we know. However, when we see signs of change, we immediately brush it off and make assumptions. Instead of helping people out of their delusions, we push them farther in claiming that they have not genuinely changed.

I believe the disciples were earnestly praying for God to touch Saul, yet when Saul was transformed, the same disciples still considered him a church persecutor. Saul’s divine encounter with Jesus opened the door for the ministry to the Gentiles, yet the church was too afraid to see it. Then, one person in the church accepted Saul and even presented Saul before the apostles. In Acts 9:27, we are informed that Barnabas took Saul and brought him to the apostles. Barnabas told the apostles how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. It was after Barnabas’ defense that Saul was accepted into the church. Remember, at this point, Saul was obnoxious to the High Priest and the religious leaders. He would have been considered a traitor. When the apostles accepted Saul, he stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord (‭Acts 9:28).

Even though Saul had a divine encounter with Jesus, He needed a Barnabas to hold his hands and present him before the apostles as a faithful servant of the Lord. We all need Barnabases who are ready and willing to restore the broken, the weak, the sinner, the downtrodden and the socially unacceptable people back to the Lord. Pray for the grace to be a Barnabas who will usher Apostle Saul (later becoming Paul) into the church. Saul later became more popular and moved to more cities and territories. He wrote the greater proportion of the New Testament. He was fearless, he stood before kings, rulers, nobles and different authorities to boldly defend the Christian faith. Through Saul, the Jesus movement moved beyond Jerusalem to Samaria,  Judea and now to the ends of the earth. There are many who still have not heard. Be an agent of change and transformation. Let your encounter with Jesus be the reason an unreached people group will hear the gospel.

Rhoda: Responding to our answered prayers

There are times when we have such expectations that when we receive what we want, our first reaction is to verify whether we are daydreaming or if it is real. The question is, “how can we be so expectant for our prayers to be answered and yet, so fast to doubt when we receive mind-blowing answered prayers?” From the previous post, we see how Peter and the rest of the disciples prayed for the release of Peter from Herod’s prison. However, when God sent an angel to release Peter, his first reaction was that he was seeing a vision. How could that be? Peter was overwhelmed by the manner at which the Lord chose to rescue him. You would expect that the church that was earnestly praying to God for Peter (Acts 12:5) would have also been in expectations of seeing him while they prayed. Neither Peter nor the church was prepared for the miraculous release of Peter. In this post, we shall consider the release of Peter and how Rhoda and the disciples bring to light what we pray for and what we really expect.

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” (Acts 12:13‭-‬14)

As the disciples prayed earnestly in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, God sent an angel to release Peter from Prison. Peter’s release wasn’t conventional. He wasn’t set free by the judge or Herod. Peter’s release was miraculous. Peter was kept in a maximum security prison and any attempt to stow away Peter wasn’t going to work. Therefore, right in the maximum prison, the God who is not bound by doors and prison guards miraculously rescued Peter by leading him through the gates. The angel of God rescued Peter and the angel didn’t vanish with Peter. In fact, “they passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him” (Acts 12:10). All this time, the church was in prayer trusting God for Peter’s release. God answered their prayers speedily. When this had dawned on Peter that he had been saved by God, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying (Acts 12:12). When Peter arrived, he knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door (Acts 12:13).

What would you expect? The church was praying for Peter’s release and right at the entrance of the prayer meeting was Peter. He had been released! Rhoda was definitely mesmerized. She was overwhelmed and couldn’t believe that their prayers had been answered speedily. Instead of letting Peter into the house, Rhoda did the least expected: “When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!””Acts 12:14). In case Rhoda was young and inexperienced, you would have expected that the people praying for Peter’s release would have jumped at Rhoda’s statement and rushed to the door. Well, the opposite happened! The expectant and prayerful disciples blatantly told Rhoda: “You’re out of your mind” and “when she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” (Acts 12:15). How ridiculous? I don’t know how long the disciples had prayed for Peter’s release but were they not expecting to see him? Were they expecting a different approach to Peter’s release? Rhoda was overjoyed to hear Peter but the rest of the disciples were not even expecting an immediate answer to their prayer.

Before you condemn either Rhoda or the disciples, know that for most of us, our first response to answered prayer is doubt, surprise and unbelief. When we receive the same thing we spend hours, days, months and sometimes years praying for, our first response is, “hope this is real” and our second response is “hope I am not dreaming.” While Rhoda was insisting that she heard Peter, the disciples were sure that Rhoda was out of her mind or had seen Peter’s angel. The answer to their prayer request was the release of Peter. This same Peter kept on knocking, and when the disciples opened the door and saw him, they were astonished (Acts 12:16). Imagine the joy on their faces, the delight they had and the fulfillment of knowing that their prayers had been answered faster than they expected. While they rejoiced for Peter’s release, Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place (Acts 12:17). 

Peter’s last statement before he left seems to imply that this prayer meeting was organized by the lay members of the church. James (the brother of Jesus), the other brothers (possibly the apostles) and sisters (possibly the influential women in the church) were not at this ‘hot fire’ prayer meeting. One lesson we can learn from this is the fact that the call to prayer is not the special duty of the church leadership. We are all expected to pray in the good times and bad times. 

When we pray, we should be expecting feedback. When God answers our prayers faster than we expect, instead of expressing doubts and concerns about the reality of the answered prayers, we should be discerning enough to know that with God, all things are possible. Rhoda’s overjoy closed the door to the answered prayer. The disciples’ unbelief delayed in opening the door to their answered prayer. There are doors that God had already opened for us, but our immaturity and doubt have led us to wander around for years. Today, let your response to your answered prayer be, “Lord, I believe.” 

The women at the crucifixion

It is no doubt that women played a very instrumental role in the life and ministry of Jesus. From His birth, to His childhood, His ministry, death and resurrection, women were instrumental pillars. This post will dwell on the women who were present at Jesus’ crucifixion. First we need to understand that these dedicated and committed women were not sightseeing. They had been with Jesus for most part of His ministry. These women had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs (Matthew 27:55; Mark 15:41,Luke 23:49). Thus, these women are better known as ministry financiers. As Jesus was going about spreading the word of God, these women ensured that His needs were met. Probably they provided money for food and other items needed for the missions. After Jesus was arrested, the apostles scattered. The very bold ones to follow Him to the trial were John and Peter. Of these two men, Peter boldly denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69).

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. (Matthew 27:55‭-‬56)
Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. (Mark 15:40)

The journey to Golgotha was a rough one. Jesus had been scourged and was still made to carry His own cross until Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry the cross for the rest of the journey. Jesus was broken, wounded, in pain, and rejected by the very people He came down to save. The women still followed up to the cross even though their hearts were heavy with pain. All the four gospels mention that some women were present at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40; Luke 23:49; John 19:25). According to Matthew’s account, among the women were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons (Salome).
Mark’s account mentions Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. John’s account also mentions that near the cross of Jesus stood his mother (Mary), his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Apparently, the name Mary was quite popular during the time of Jesus. 

While the majority of the disciples had fled for their lives, the women took the centerstage. They stood at a distance watching all the things Jesus experienced. They were hurting but they still stood there. They were scared but they didn’t run away. These women loved the Lord even in death. They saw Jesus perform several miracles. They witnessed Jesus raise the dead. They saw the blind see and the sinner being made whole. They saw all these and yet, they saw their Lord, so powerful but meek enough to submit to sinful men. Imagine them recounting how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. They remember Jairus’ daughter and the son of the widow of Nain. Yet, this man, so powerful, was humble enough to submit to evil men. The women at the crucifixion understood gentle Jesus, meek and mild. They saw the perfect son of God as He was crucified with two criminals. They saw how the soldiers divided up Jesus’ clothes by casting lots. As their Lord looked upon sinful men mocking Him and hurting Him, these women heard Jesus say: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34).

“Oh how He loves us” the women would have uttered to themselves. They saw their sister, Mary, the mother of Jesus and the pain she was going through. Yet, they stayed and didn’t run away. Luke states that these women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph (of Arimathea) and saw the tomb and how Jesus’ body was laid in it (Luke 23:55). From the missionary fields, to the cross and then to the tomb, the women saw the light of the world laid down and a huge stone rolled over to cover His tomb. They might have been gripped with fear and pain.

The cross was not the end and the tomb was not the end. These women loved the Lord even in His death. They didn’t give up on Him. Are they challenging times that cause you to give up on the Lord? Do you run away at the slightest sign of pain? Remember,  the women at the crucifixion saw it all, they saw the dead Jesus, yet they stayed to even see where He was buried. In case they had left midway to Golgotha, they would have just experienced the pain but missed the triumphant moment. Don’t be quick to give up. Though the sorrows may last for the night, His joy comes in the morning. Crucifixion experiences may last for a time, don’t miss the opportunity to see your manifestation on the resurrection. Yes! The tomb of life cannot hold your destiny captive. You are alive!

The Great Commission

Christmas and Easter remind us of God’s faithfulness in restoring humanity. The birth and the death of Jesus completed God’s plan of salvation. However, we are not saved to do nothing. Jesus’ last command to the church is an evangelistic command. We have been saved to save others. Our salvation should trigger the salvation of other people as well. We should not be content being the only Christian among our peers. The love of God should compel us to reach out to others. Afterall, God sent Jesus to the world out of the love God has for humanity.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father 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.” (Matthew 28:19‭-‬20)

Before the ascension of Jesus, He commanded His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. Afterall, Heaven is not meant for a particular racial group. Every soul is a soul. Jesus’ command is very specific. After we have witnessed and won souls, we should baptize them and teach them to obey everything Jesus has commanded us. A conscious effort to disciple the souls we win is recommended by Jesus. It is not enough to have people give their lives to Christ. They should be taught the way to live. Christlikeness is not automatically imputed when we come to Christ. We need to teach it. Jesus had promised us of His presence with us even to the end of the age. He is always with us.

Knowing that we have been saved to save others should compel us to love others enough to share with them the gospel. Christmas and Easter celebrations should remind us of the commission we have. Jesus is coming soon and we should not be comfortable knowing that others have not been saved. Our generation is so blessed that we have diverse opportunities to share the gospel. Social media has become a platform for evangelisation. Do not be left out. If you cannot travel to the next neighbourhood to share the gospel, know that social media is able to go where you cannot go. Let your life also reflect the life of Christ. Consciously avoid things that will make people doubt your faith. Finally, a daily communion with the Holy Spirit is needed as He will teach you and remind you of all things you have learned.

Remember, we have been commissioned to go to the ends of the world and our journey does not end after Christmas and Easter. It is a daily lifestyle. Will you join me and other believers to go?

The betrayer!

One person in the Bible whose action has made him unpopular is Judas Iscariot. He was one of the twelve disciples Jesus prayerfully chose (Luke 6:12-13). Jesus had spent all night praying on the mountain and after the prayer, He appointed the twelve. It is amazing that Judas Iscariot was one of those who were prayerfully chosen to be part of the twelve. Was Jesus not aware that Judas Iscariot would betray Him? Jesus knew the hearts of all men and did not make a mistake in choosing Judas Iscariot. The betrayer joined the ministry and for three and half years with Jesus, He also impacted lives, propagated the good news and was given authority over impure spirits (Matthew 10; Mark 6).

And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” (Matthew 26:21)

However, Judas is also known for the following:
*A thief (John 12:3-6)
*He didn’t love the poor (John 12;6)
*He secretly went to the high priest to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10)
*He was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:16)
*His lifestyle allowed Satan to enter him (John 13:27)

Jesus was aware that one of the twelve was a devil (John 6:70-71) and yet Jesus did not drive him out of the twelve until God’s word was fulfilled. Certainly, the character of Judas Iscariot is not worth emulating. However, we learn important lessons from his lifestyle. The fact that we go to church always does not make us immune to evil. Judas listened to all the life-changing messages of Jesus. He saw many of the miracles including raising the dead back to life but he still betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas was sent and given authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. Judas Iscariot reported together with the rest of the disciples how Satan was subdued by their ministry (see Matthew 10; Mark 6).

Our character must conform to Christ each day if not, we will be Christians who are ready to betray and crucify Jesus all over again (Hebrew 6:6). Judas experienced the love and compassion of Jesus towards the poor but he still betrayed him. At the end of his life, Judas committed suicide and the Apostles replaced him with another (Acts 1:25). He lost his position to be a foundation of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:4).

Prayer: Dear God, remind me daily to work on my character so that I will experience all your good promises in Jesus name. Amen.