MY FRIENDS, IS OUR RESPONSE “THAT’S ENOUGH FOR NOW! YOU MAY LEAVE. WHEN I FIND IT CONVENIENT, I WILL SEND FOR YOU?

MY FRIENDS, IS OUR RESPONSE “THAT’S ENOUGH FOR NOW! YOU MAY LEAVE. WHEN I FIND IT CONVENIENT, I WILL SEND FOR YOU?

On Paul’s fourth and last missionary journey His ultimate desire was to reach Jerusalem and speak to His fellow Jews on the goodness of God and the wonderful work through God’s Spirit being accomplished among the Gentiles.

Hopefully he would get there in time for Pentecost. He knew, this journey would probably end in his death because the same Jews that had crucified Christ was still unwilling to acknowledge Christ as the son of God, but his eyes remained on serving God.

In Caesarea he was showed that in Jerusalem he would be bound and sent to prison but this did not discourage him even while others “pleaded with Paul not to go, but Paul was on a mission For Christ and that was all that mattered so he asked, “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.” And all that was prophesied happened once he reached Jerusalem, but let’s move forward he is now imprisoned. I ask you later, to go back and read Acts 23 and 24 which leads up to Felix and His wife Drusilla seeking a private interview with Paul who Felix had placed under house arrest.

Felix was the Roman procurator of Iudaea or (Judea) Province Felix’s cruelty and licentiousness, coupled with his accessibility to bribes (Acts 24:26), led to a great increase of crime in Judaea.” But he had heard Paul earlier and somehow he was touched by His sincerity and commitment to His belief in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

So now, Paul is in the presence of Felix someone who had the power to put him to death or set him free. But Paul also knew God had given him a mandate and one day like each of us “must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 (NIV)

So instead of flattering Felix with words in trying to secure his release he instead “talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, [and as he spoke] Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you….” Acts 24:25 (NIV)

And with that statement his fate was sealed and the light from heaven that God had permitted to shine in his life would never return. My friends, I need you to focus on first Paul, his faith and endurance which kept him focused on his goal, which was to serve God at all cost even death as he “pressed toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called him heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:14 (NIV)

And this his last journey did lead to his execution because his faith in God never wavered. And then you have Felix who was given the light directly from God through his Spirit and Paul, but refused to act upon this light.

Now the question we must ask ourselves what category do we fall in. How many times has God allowed his light to shine from above into our hearts in trying to get us to commit and make a complete transformation?

How many times do we say to God’s Spirit “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you?” My friends God’s grace along with the light that shines within our hearts to give it all to the Master, still awaits for a response.

We must never forget time is running out and  “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” And today our Savior wants to make it personal as He “stands at the door and knock. If anyone hears [His] voice and opens the door, [He] will come in and eat with that person, and they with [Him].”

So friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY