Scripture
Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” Acts 28:10-12

Observation
Paul’s life was uneven. There were hurried times of planting churches; there were slowdown seasons when nothing much seemed to happen at all. The years of prison and prison ship seemed to be the most wasteful of his life. No churches were started. Instead the starter of churches, writer of the Bible and mentor of great leaders was locked up in a dripping prison cell for months on end while his case bounced through the court system.

But instead of prison time we can view Paul’s saga as a palace tour. In those tedious years Paul would personally meet the High Priest, Felix, Festus, King Agrippa, Publius and eventually Nero himself. Within a lifetime of the crucifixion, world leaders would have a personal audience with a representative of Christ. Paul took an all-expenses-paid palace crawl. Only God could arrange something like that.

Application
If we are faithfully following Christ, there are no off-seasons. God tours through detours. While Paul was in prison, in the brig, floating on shipwrecked timbers and coughing up seaweed, his life may not have felt to him divinely led. But Christ was leading him. Paul was an envoy to royal courts. That perspective kept him from self pity. He spoke with eloquence and confidence for he did not see himself as a prisoner but as an ambassador.

Prayer
Father, help me to not judge life seasons by the accommodation but by the purpose you have designed for me. Help me to live up to all the responsibilities each life detour entails and to make the most of them. Amen.

Another song from the Watoto Children’s Choir is featured at the end of this devotion.

Scripture
The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Acts 21:8-9

Observation
Philip was a headline evangelist. His scrapbook was filled with yellowed clippings from his heady revival days. But none of the faded images of the revival in Samaria or the framed picture of Philip with the Treasurer of Ethiopia compared with his family album. In the end his the Bible, Philip was not remembered for a great church or events but for his four kids who honored the Lord.

It is so like Dr. Luke to include this snippet story about Philip in his history. Luke had a particular interest in how women fared in the early church, and while the inveterate researcher stayed at Philip’s house he would have quizzed him long into the night about the early days.

In a world focused on the achievements of men, Philip is a rare exception of a man who developed the hidden potential of his daughters. They were more than domestic backfill, these were women who could speak up and speak out for God. Their greatest achievement was their ability to hear God’s voice and to communicate his voice. What a legacy for a man to leave behind him!

I watched every moment of the funeral of the late Ruth Bell Graham. Billy was seated in the front row. His jet black hair and angular features were now whitened and rounded with age. What was most memorable to me from the funeral was the very last event. Dr. Graham was ushered out and his five children were strategically positioned at the exits of the church to speak to the guests who had come to honor their mother. Billy Graham has spoken in person to more people on the planet than any other Christian and quite likely than any other human being. Yet in the end what is remembered is family.

Application
What matters most in my life is not what can be recorded on a resume but only in a photo album. If I lead my life well what will matter most are not churches, sermons, or even changed lives but my children.

Prayer
Father, help me to actively and passively make a difference in the lives of my children today. Amen.

Scripture
That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” Acts 16:9

Observation
The man in the vision from Macedonia was I think the man Paul met in the prison basement after the earthquake. Paul’s first convert in Europe was a woman, he was chased by a clairvoyant through the streets and he was beaten with rods. After the earthquake the vision was fulfilled.

It was quite a sight to see a prison warden on his knees begging a prisoner for help. Paul surely must have realized then that his prophecy was fulfilled.

Paul was the answer to the unspoken prayers of an unsaved man. Before the jailer was converted, his sighs were translated into prayers answered by God in Paul’s vision. Could it be that some of our steps are guided by the prayers of those who do not yet know the Lord?

Application
Paul was the answer to the prayer of an unsaved man; may my life be the answer to the unspoken desires of those searching for what they know not for. As I heard years ago, there are people without Christ waiting for me to say ‘yes’ to God.

Prayer
Father, make the the answer to someone’s prayer today. Amen.

Scripture
The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. Acts 14:1-4

Observation
There is something about leaving home, going on a missions trip and speaking to non-believers that makes preaching come alive. Unplugged from our native environment we are forced to depend on the Lord more. Unaware of what is going on in the minds of hearers we become more attuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Paul and Barnabas found that missionary journeys are where God shows up in power.

Iconium was one of their early overseas experiences. There Paul preached with “such power that a great number…became believers” and “the Lord proved their message was true by giving the power to do miraculous signs and wonders.” Powerful preaching was not measured by Paul’s story telling skills, the timbre of his voice or the skill of oratory. We’re just told that many believed. Perhaps what we call “powerful preaching” really isn’t. Maybe instead the technique of “great preaching” is a cover up of what is not happening in the hearts of hearers. Power should be measured by the change in people.

Even with all of this evidence of God’s power, not everyone marched to Paul’s tune. There was another proof of powerful ministry: some people chose not to believe. So rejection too is evidence of God’s work in a preacher. When John Wesley quizzed his preachers, he would ask them first if anyone had been saved under their ministry. If they said no, then Wesley would ask, “Did you make anyone mad?”

Application
The worst critic of any sermon is the preacher who gave it. The drive home from church can be brutal. Paul’s experience helps us pastors to get the criteria correction for measuring success. Is there evidence of life change in the hearts of the people? Are there signs of answers to prayer bringing health to the people? Are there some who are rejecting the message? Are there some undermining what you are saying? (That’s evidence that there is something powerful to push away from.) These are the critique questions of good preaching.

Prayer
Father, today I ask that when I speak you would speak through me. Amen.