Whose Prisoner are you

The apostle Paul stood as a prisoner before Festus and King Agrippa, in Caesarea  The record is in Acts 25-26. They heard the greatest offer the heart can hear. Paul’s news was that God was offering forgiveness for sins committed against Him. The cross was the price paid by Jesus, the One foretold in the Jewish Scriptures. The Roman Governor and the Idumean king, Agrippa seemed to have found this too much for their mind to handle. Festus said Paul was mad. Agrippa teased Paul by inferring he, Agrippa, was almost persuaded. This  sums up two of the three responses to the message of the cross. The cry of Festus still echoes through the lips of others to-day. "You're mad!" Agrippa also has many ‘spiritual’ descendants who, like him, are ‘almost’. In that state they die.

Paul, a shackled prisoner though he was he spoke as a liberated man. Paul knew he had a destiny with Jesus. Here was Paul a prisoners of faith  with an unshakeable hope in the risen Christ. Festus, Agrippa, Bernice and the others failed to realise they too were prisoners. Dressed in regal attire they were inwardly shackled by sin, guilt and fear. They wore the iron chains, not around their body, but around their souls. 

We all are prisoners of something or someone. In speaking to the assembled court Paul testified to the fact he was on trial as a prisoner of hope. Such hope was bound up in the promise God had given to Israel. Later on he repeated this truth to Jewish leaders in Rome: ‘It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.’ In effect Paul was a prisoner twice over. One definition is in the literal sense of being in chains for his faith. The other was in the spiritual sense. He was a prisoner of Christ Jesus. On both occasions his hearers were either prisoners of despair, unbelief or playthings of their unholy desires. Paul held on to a promise. They clung to wishful thinking.

Paul a prisoner of Faith spoke to prisoners of unbelief.  In Acts 25 and 26 are such words as ‘hope in what God has promised’: ‘God has raised the dead (referring to Jesus) to bring light into their darkness: to deliver from Satan’s power:’ ‘receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me (Christ.).’  Prisoners of unbelief throw out their taunts as they flaunt their unrestricted lifestyle. But in the silence  the fears of the future or the 'skeletons' of the past come to haunt. 

The Christian life is a paradox.

When Christ is our Saviour we are set free from condemnation by God's Word.

We are delivered from the kingdom of Darkness.

We are made clean within from the offending lifestyle of our past.

When Jesus is our Lord we discover the chains of gratitude, devotion and hope.

These become and expression of a relationship which leads to Heaven. They also say we are His ambassadors in chains of glory.

It sounds incongruous but it is real. True freedom is only found when we live in the environment for which we were created. For a brief moment a fish out of water might imagine it is free from its watery prison only to die disappointed. Those who reject the bonds of Christ Jesus live under the same disappointment. Their indifference to and rejection of Jesus and His invitation to life appears bold and carefree. Death without hope awaits.

As a prisoner of Christ, Paul found Humanity's true environment. 

This is true for all who are Christ's! 

It leads from this life, through death, into His presence.

Ray Hawkins November 27 2016.

The Paradox of Prayer

Do you want a good prayer book? None better than the Bible. All other Christian books about prayer stem from this wonderful book. However, it says so much about prayer and praying most of us tend to lean upon those passages which suit our mindset.

Writers of the New Testament letters call our attention to certain aspects of prayer peculiar to their situations and audience. I admit at times to feeling some tension as I try and harmonise so much information. Perhaps this is why I’m motivated to putting the following thoughts into print about prayer and paradox.

Paradox is ‘a statement that may be true but seems to say two opposite things.’ As I read some parts of the Gospels and epistles the following quotes arise: ‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.’ Put that beside the parable of the Widow and the unjust judge in Luke 18. She nagged the judge until he gave her a hearing. Jesus summed it up with “will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? (Emphasis added) Will he delay long in helping them?’ In Revelation 6:9-11 is an illustration of further delays to long term pleading. ‘Under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered for the word of God and for the testimony they had given; … cried out with a loud voice, “Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?”’ The answer, not until the foreseen number of martyrs had been completed.

God has given us a wonderful privilege concerning our entering His presence in prayer. Some are called to be intercessors for specific ventures yet we are all called to be wrestlers in prayer on some issues. Epaphras in Colossians 4:12 is an example for us. He wrestled in prayer. Wrestling in this context infers a long and arduous contest. How different to Matthew 7:7-11. There we are invited to ‘ask, seek, knock’ with the conviction that the Father is keen to give good things to those who ask. Is this a contradiction? Is it a Paradox?

There are some things I’ve talked with the Lord about for a Long time. I don’t consider it ‘nagging’ but a son’s longing that his Heavenly Father will grant the request. I honestly don’t know whether He will grant it. This I do know, my Heavenly Father is good, gracious and generous. He also understands my heart and the issues involved. It is in the talking with Him that the paradox is held in proper tension and I do not become sour or fed up with prayer. How could I when God has answered so many other prayers, whether on a long term or short term basis.

I’ll accept Paul’s injunction in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ‘Pray without ceasing.’ My God who sees the heart understands I’m not in the league of the Gentiles Jesus mentioned. Nor am I in the gang of those condemned by James. So, along with many other praise responses I’ll keep making my petitions known. I wonder though, when I see Him in glory will He explain the reasons for His delays or refusals? Personally I doubt it for I’ll (we’ll) be so caught up with the wonder of being in His presence it won’t really matter.