Loading... DISPUTING WITH ANY MAN - Acts 24:12
Acts 24:12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:
Paul had come to Jerusalem because God had shown him that he was going to preach the gospel in Jerusalem. However, before Paul took an active part in stirring up the hearts of the Jews for the things of God, Paul desired to first get his heart right with God. Paul was not seen in the temple warming up his arguments for the big show down with the religious leaders; instead, Paul was found in the temple worshiping God.
Paul understood that before God could use him to do great things in Jerusalem, God first needed Paul to make sure that his heart was right with God. Paul understood that the religious leaders would diligently look to find some problem with the life of Paul and if Paul was not right with God, his testimony could be greatly damaged. As such, Paul started first with his own heart before he trusted the Lord to allow him to touch the lives of those around him.
Have you every prayed for a great revival to touch this country once again? Are you prepared for the personal sacrifice that it takes to see a great revival? A revival does not start with the lost souls all of a sudden recognizing their need for God and coming to church to be saved. No, a revival starts with Christians who see just how worldly their ways are and they come and repent of their sins and abstain from the things of this world. When the world sees the change in the church, then the world starts coming and repenting of its sins.
Revival must start in the heart of the Church, the bride of Christ. You are a part of the bride of Christ and as such, that means that you are accountable to God for the condition of your heart. God desires that you follow the example of Paul by first making sure that your heart is right before God before you start meddling with the lives of those around you. If your heart is right before God, then God can open up the doors and bless the work of your hands as you go out and show the world what it means to reflect the light of God.
Paul was a great Christian, but he took time to just sit down and worship God. Paul was not concerned about the fact that he was missing great opportunities to be arguing with the religious leaders about the errors of their way. Paul knew that in the perfect timing of God, he would be seeing plenty of action. Nonetheless, Paul first understood that he needed to make sure that his relationship with God was right.
Jesus Christ before going up on the cross went off to pray with God. Christ understood the importance of putting aside the things of this world in order to focus HIS attention upon the things of God. Even the perfect Son of God desired something other than the cross because of the price that HE was going to have to pay; but the perfect Son of God by taking the time in prayer was able to focus HIS heart so that HE was pursuing the perfect plan of God.
When was the last time you put aside the cares of this world in order to ensure that your heart was right with God? When was the last time you diligently added temperance to your life and said no to the desires of your heart so that you filled your soul with the desires of the heart of God? When was the last time you just kneeled down and thanked God for all the wonderful things that HE has done for you? Maybe you are spending too much time trying to be used of God and not enough time putting the things of God first in your life.