28/05/11

Sometimes devil sometimes god

Acts 28:4-6
4 So when the natives [barbarians] saw the creature [snake] hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live."
5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.


The Greek word used for the natives is 'barbarous' from which we get the English word 'barbarian'. When we use the word barbarian we visualize a person with a violent nature, but in fact the word was used by the Greek for any foreigner who did not know the Greek language. It is actually like the word 'vernacular' we use for people who do not speak English but their native language. It is funny that we all who do not know the Greek language are actually barbarians.

What we see in today's message that these native people who were not of the same intellect as those considered standard in the world at one time, were amazed at how Paul was saved from the shipwreck but later when they saw a snake wrap itself around his wrist they though god had cursed him and were expecting him to fall and die. But when Paul shock off the snake and nothing happened to him they went to the other extreme of making Paul a god.

We make laugh at these people as foolish people but most of us even Christians behave just like these people. When disaster comes on people we consider them cursed and await their total destruction but when they bounce back we actually land up making them like gods by praising them endlessly.

In the end days it is said Satan the beast is going to deceive the world on a global level when his death like wound would be healed. This wound is not yet been inflected on him but within a few years when he gets the wound all would flee from him but later when he gets healed the very same people would be totally under his control making him their god. All this happens because we do not speak the language of God. Like the word 'vernacular' and 'barbarian' the Kingdom of God has a word for people who do not speak His language and that is 'faithless'. When people lack the knowledge and understanding of God's Word they easily become faithless people and are swayed by events. They would be waiting for the rapture, end of the world at the snap of a figure.

The Bible tell us the Truth is hidden from them because they desire more the things of this world and in small things are dishonest.

Let us stop being led by sight but by the Spirit; walking in the light of His Word and not becoming children of vanity.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You are God and full of wisdom and knowledge. We are called your children but many among us lack knowledge and understanding. You have given us your Spirit of Truth to fill us with knowledge and understanding of your Kingdom. Holy Spirit sanity this temple and fill us with more and more of You. Help us to abide by You and let ever thought of ours be not our but your thought in us. Let our ways not be the ways of this world but your ways. Let us not be children of vanity but of light...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripturesr ]
Luke 16:8-11
8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon [worldly treasures] of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

John 12:35-36
35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-10
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)