"None Of these Things Move Me"

"None Of These Things Move Me"

"But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministy which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24)  The Apostle Paul spoke some of the most profound words ever spoken.  He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and imprisoned  ...  and he very calmly and steadfastly says something that in this day and time we should hang as a motto over our doors: "None Of These Things Move Me."

Paul, being stoned.

Have we suffered unto death for the cause of Christ; have we been stoned?  We, in this age, have our floods, fires, bankruptcies, divorces, threats of terrorism, and these are severe in our lives, and these things are very devastating.  They almost seem to us like being stoned, because the emotional and sometimes physical results are traumatic, but Paul was our example of the words Jesus left for His Christians: "Endure to the end," and "Occupy until I come."  

It's interesting, that word "occupy."  Some definitions are: "to hold a position or rank," and "to invade or take control..."  That sort of sounds like the song, "I'm goin' to the enemy's camp to take back what he took from me."  The enemy is "satan," the devil, the defeated one, the one that only "1" angel will throw into the lake of fire, the one who torments the Christians day and night  ... that "loser" one.  The Lord knew that we would have a battle to the very end, so are we "occupying?"

Paul, being persecuted.

Sometimes, we need to get a little righteous indignation!  We need to kick the devil in the teeth and dance in demon blood!  You say, "What? That sounds a little militant, to me."  Uh Huh!  The closer we get in our relationship with Jesus Christ, the more the fight is on!  You don't know there is a devil until you become a Christian, because before that, he already has you.  After that, it's the war of your life to get you back!

Paul, in prison.

Oh, that Paul.  They just couldn't stop him!  Even in prison, he was leaving a legacy of strength and power under pressure, by writing most of the New Testament.  The Bible is resplendent with examples of people who didn't give up  ...  Job's trial lasted nine months; he lost all of his children, all of his servants, all of his livelihood, all of his wealth, and finally his health, when he was covered with flesh eating boils.  Then, when he reached this total stage of destruction, his wife said, "Curse God, and die!"  Job told her she was a foolish woman.  Now, Job did curse the day he was born, when all of his so-called friends came around and told him he was in this dilemma because of sin.  But, Job knew different; he was a righteous man, and God believed that he was, indeed,  a righteous man ... And, when Job reached the point of wanting to die, the Lord had enough!  He said, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"  In other words, son, you didn't create yourself and you can't end yourself; life and death are in "MY" hands!  In the end, Job was blessed with more than when he started, in wealth, in children, in assets; the blessings of Almighty God overtook him!

Paul's conversion.

Paul started out as "Saul," and he did nothing but threaten and slaughter the disciples of the Lord.  So, while he was on the road to Damascus, a bright light from heaven encompassed him and knocked him to the ground.  Then, a voice from heaven said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" 

The people who come against anyone who belongs to Jesus Christ are not persecuting those people, they are persecuting the Lord Jesus Christ!  Later, Paul was healed somewhat of his blindness, at least enough to write "large" letters.  The bottom line is,"Don't be moved!"  The battle is the Lord's; send the Holy Ghost to answer the door  ...  that is, if you are filled with the Holy Ghost  ...

You say, "Well, that's all fine for Paul, but you don't know what I'm going through!"  I hear you, but we don't know what all we might have to face before the Lord comes again.  Strength starts in the mind!  The Holy Ghost is our power; the Word of God is our stamina; the unity of the body of Christ is our fort; the example of just men made perfect in the Bible is our "endurance," and the Lord God, Himself, is our strong tower! Don't be moved!

Saints of Almighty God, it's time to rise up in the Spirit of the One who called us, who anointed us, who chose us, and who is now "sending" us out as sheep among wolves.  We will not limp through the pearly gates when this is all over; we will "charge" through with the same thing that kept Paul, the same thing that gave Paul the strength to endure, the same thing that will gather in the harvest, the same thing that people all around us are looking for  ...  the Holy Ghost and fire!  It is the power that will see us through and cause us to "Occupy!"

Paul, in chains.

NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME!

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)