Thought for Thursday
Whereupon O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. Acts 26:19
If we were to go to the Middle East and take the highway that runs from Jerusalem to Damascus, it is highly unlikely that we would survive, let alone experience a heavenly vision. That land is under civil war, and travel along that route is very dangerous. If we were to attempt the trip, and if we made it safely to Damascus through the bombings, the land mines, and the fighting, we would have a story to tell that might almost rival that of Paul. But there would be no vision, no revelation from God, no direct intervention from Heaven into our lives. But there was a time when we did receive a vision from God. That revelation at the time of our salvation was of Jesus Christ, not only as our Saviour, but also as our Lord. And like Paul, we were called to obedience to His lordship.
In his testimony before Agrippa, Paul declares that he was not disobedient to the vision. What obedience was Paul called to? As already mentioned, the vision called him to recognize Jesus as Lord. That is foremost in what we must understand as Christians. Unless we have a vision, and understanding that He is Lord, we will be unfit for any worship or service. But if we have such a vision, God can use us.
Paul’s experience included a clear vision for lost souls. He was told that he would be a messenger to the Gentiles and to many people. This must also be a great portion of our vision. We must understand the great need of those around us to be reached with the Gospel, to grasp the great peril of those perishing sinners far and near. We read of the Lord Jesus that when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion (Matthew 9:36). What do we know of that?
Romans 14:10 tells us But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There is another vision that we need: the reality that we are all to give an account before Christ someday. That verse challenges us regarding our relationships with others. One of the great matters that will be addressed during our audience with Christ will be those relationships. We will never be able to please everybody, but our great desire should be to please our Lord. How clearly can we picture His response to us at the judgment seat: Well done?
A story is told of an atheist who refused all invitations to attend a church in his neighbourhood. But one day, a fire broke out in that church, and an alarm went out for help in fighting the fire. The atheist, along with others, rushed to join in the fire fighting. Someone joked that they had never before seen him run that fast to the church. He replied, ‘I have never seen the church on fire before.’ Maybe we would have more success in drawing sinners to Christ if our Assembly was more on fire for God. Can we have a vision for being on fire with devotion to our Lord, with a burden for lost souls, and a love for our fellow saints? -Jim MacIntosh