Acts 14:14-20
How do you go from being revered one moment to being stoned the next? Such was the life of the Apostle Paul.
The people of Lystra were so amazed at the miracle that happened to the crippled man that they acknowledged God was in their midst. The only problem was that they were worshipers of their god, Zeus. It seemed appropriate to them to offer sacrifices to Barnabas and Paul at the temple of Zeus just outside the city, thinking they were the gods Zeus and Hermes incarnate.
Paul and Barnabas were mortified when they heard what the people were doing. They did their best to stop them, proclaiming that they were merely men—flesh and blood—just like everyone else. And, as Paul so often did, he turned the situation into a teaching moment. He explained that this was exactly what they needed to turn away from: the worship of worthless idols, and instead turn to the living God who made the heavens and the earth. The people wanted to honor them in the way their culture had taught them, but Paul and Barnabas refused to receive credit for something God had done.
If the devil cannot get you one way, he will switch tactics and try another. Enter the people from Antioch and Iconium—the towns where Paul and Barnabas had previously shaken the dust from their feet because of the people's rejection of the truth. These individuals followed Paul and Barnabas simply to stir up trouble. Paul would later refer to this kind of opposition as a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him.
Paul and Barnabas—or more specifically, the message they were proclaiming—were a threat to Satan’s rule in people's lives. Understand this: Satan will not leave quietly. He must be displaced by the authority Jesus has given to believers. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and reverse everything that entered the world as a result of mankind’s fall in the Garden of Eden. Jesus brought salvation and healing—wholeness—back into the world, and every miracle performed is a reversal of the curse released upon humanity.
Jesus brings life, and Satan brings death. Consider these Scriptures:
“The thief (Satan) comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”
John 10:10 AMP
“So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”
James 1:16-18 NLT
If it is not good, it is not from God. Let me say it again—if it is not good, it is not God! Anything that steals, kills, or destroys in our lives has its source in the evil one. Anything that diminishes life, robs us of peace, or seeks to bring destruction is contrary to the heart of God. God is a giver of life, hope, healing, and restoration.
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us by God's grace that we are able to stand against the works of darkness. Grace is often described as the empowering presence of God in our lives, enabling us to do what we could never do in our own strength. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in every believer, according to Romans 8:11. Jesus Himself declared that those who believe in Him would continue His work and accomplish even greater works because He would send His Spirit to dwell within them.
Is that not exactly what Jesus said?
“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. [Exod. 3:14.] [Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]. If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.”
John 14:12-15 AMPC
We all need to read those verses repeatedly and allow their meaning to sink deep into our souls. Too often, we have forgotten who we are in Christ. To borrow a phrase from The Lion King, we have "forgotten who we are." We live beneath our privileges, forgetting that we are children of God, heirs of His promises, ambassadors of His kingdom, and temples of the Holy Spirit.
Paul knew who he was by the grace of God, and because he did, he changed the world. He was not swayed by the praise of men when they wanted to worship him, nor was he ultimately deterred by persecution when they sought to kill him. His identity was rooted in Christ, not in public opinion. One day the crowd called him a god, and the next day they stoned him and left him for dead. Yet neither praise nor persecution altered his mission.
We are living proof that the Gospel Paul preached is still transforming lives today. The message has outlived every empire, every critic, and every attempt to silence it. Yet that enduring testimony came at a tremendous cost to its pioneers. Many suffered persecution, imprisonment, and death for their faith, being hunted by the "god of this age" who sought to stop the spread of the Gospel.
Yet through it all, God was glorified. What Satan intended to stop, God used to advance His kingdom. The blood of the martyrs became the seed of the Church, and the Gospel continued to spread from generation to generation until it reached us. All of it serves God's purposes and brings glory to the One who alone is worthy of honor, praise, and worship.
The same Holy Spirit who empowered Paul empowers us today. The question is not whether God is able to work through us, but whether we are willing to believe Him, surrender to Him, and walk in the authority He has given us.
The people of Lystra were so amazed at the miracle that happened to the crippled man that they acknowledged God was in their midst. The only problem was that they were worshipers of their god, Zeus. It seemed appropriate to them to offer sacrifices to Barnabas and Paul at the temple of Zeus just outside the city, thinking they were the gods Zeus and Hermes incarnate.
Paul and Barnabas were mortified when they heard what the people were doing. They did their best to stop them, proclaiming that they were merely men—flesh and blood—just like everyone else. And, as Paul so often did, he turned the situation into a teaching moment. He explained that this was exactly what they needed to turn away from: the worship of worthless idols, and instead turn to the living God who made the heavens and the earth. The people wanted to honor them in the way their culture had taught them, but Paul and Barnabas refused to receive credit for something God had done.
If the devil cannot get you one way, he will switch tactics and try another. Enter the people from Antioch and Iconium—the towns where Paul and Barnabas had previously shaken the dust from their feet because of the people's rejection of the truth. These individuals followed Paul and Barnabas simply to stir up trouble. Paul would later refer to this kind of opposition as a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan sent to buffet him.
Paul and Barnabas—or more specifically, the message they were proclaiming—were a threat to Satan’s rule in people's lives. Understand this: Satan will not leave quietly. He must be displaced by the authority Jesus has given to believers. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and reverse everything that entered the world as a result of mankind’s fall in the Garden of Eden. Jesus brought salvation and healing—wholeness—back into the world, and every miracle performed is a reversal of the curse released upon humanity.
Jesus brings life, and Satan brings death. Consider these Scriptures:
“The thief (Satan) comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].”
John 10:10 AMP
“So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”
James 1:16-18 NLT
If it is not good, it is not from God. Let me say it again—if it is not good, it is not God! Anything that steals, kills, or destroys in our lives has its source in the evil one. Anything that diminishes life, robs us of peace, or seeks to bring destruction is contrary to the heart of God. God is a giver of life, hope, healing, and restoration.
It is through the power of the Holy Spirit working within us by God's grace that we are able to stand against the works of darkness. Grace is often described as the empowering presence of God in our lives, enabling us to do what we could never do in our own strength. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in every believer, according to Romans 8:11. Jesus Himself declared that those who believe in Him would continue His work and accomplish even greater works because He would send His Spirit to dwell within them.
Is that not exactly what Jesus said?
“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. And I will do [I Myself will grant] whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son. [Exod. 3:14.] [Yes] I will grant [I Myself will do for you] whatever you shall ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM]. If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands.”
John 14:12-15 AMPC
We all need to read those verses repeatedly and allow their meaning to sink deep into our souls. Too often, we have forgotten who we are in Christ. To borrow a phrase from The Lion King, we have "forgotten who we are." We live beneath our privileges, forgetting that we are children of God, heirs of His promises, ambassadors of His kingdom, and temples of the Holy Spirit.
Paul knew who he was by the grace of God, and because he did, he changed the world. He was not swayed by the praise of men when they wanted to worship him, nor was he ultimately deterred by persecution when they sought to kill him. His identity was rooted in Christ, not in public opinion. One day the crowd called him a god, and the next day they stoned him and left him for dead. Yet neither praise nor persecution altered his mission.
We are living proof that the Gospel Paul preached is still transforming lives today. The message has outlived every empire, every critic, and every attempt to silence it. Yet that enduring testimony came at a tremendous cost to its pioneers. Many suffered persecution, imprisonment, and death for their faith, being hunted by the "god of this age" who sought to stop the spread of the Gospel.
Yet through it all, God was glorified. What Satan intended to stop, God used to advance His kingdom. The blood of the martyrs became the seed of the Church, and the Gospel continued to spread from generation to generation until it reached us. All of it serves God's purposes and brings glory to the One who alone is worthy of honor, praise, and worship.
The same Holy Spirit who empowered Paul empowers us today. The question is not whether God is able to work through us, but whether we are willing to believe Him, surrender to Him, and walk in the authority He has given us.
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