Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

February 26, 2019

by Pastor Hawtree

BIBLE READING: ACTS 25

7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.

Today is just a reminder of some things you may face as you strive to serve the Lord.

Paul had spent much of his life abusing, persecuting, and even killing Christians. It just does not seem that anybody was complaining about Paul then. Nobody had any accusations against him when he was violently, relentlessly chasing people for simply believing that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. But now that Paul was peacefully preaching the love of Jesus, now they had a problem.

They “laid many and grievous complaints against Paul”. Really? Paul was not chasing, killing, or hurting anyone. Here is a man in bad health, with little money, that was healing sickness and infirmities in people. He was helping people more than these religious leaders were, but they had “grievous complaints” against him.

Just a reminder when you serve the lord, there will be some unfair things you will face. This world does not know how to handle the truth of God’s Word. Every one of the complaints against Paul, the Bible says “they could not prove” them. There was no validity to their complaints. They literally had to come up with something, even if they had to make it up. If you watch the news, you will see exactly what happened here. It’s the same old thing. Nothing new under the sun. Satan is still using the same tactics. No truth, no validity, and no reason to come against Christ and His followers. You will hear “grievous complaints” about Christ, Christians, and any Biblical truth. If God said it, the world does not like it. Just a reminder that there will be false accusations. Just a reminder that there will be complaints that cannot be proved, and hatred that cannot be justified.

* Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
* Matthew 10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
* Matthew 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Just a reminder not to be discouraged when it happens, because we are not home yet. “I’ve read the back of the Book, and we win”.