KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 23:6. ” But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.”

In Matthew 10:16, the Lord JESUS told His disciples the following: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep amid wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”. The dove and the serpent have extreme characteristics that the Lord commands his disciples to possess. A dove is amazingly harmless but is not so wise.

Serpents are exceptionally wise but can be very harmful. The wisdom of serpents can make them survive very adverse conditions. They can change themselves by shedding off the old skin. Even lions as ferocious as they are can be easily killed by some pythons. In the attack and trial of Apostle Paul, he exhibited the wisdom of the serpent. From our key scripture, he noticed the Jews were made up of two sects, that is, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. (The Pharisee believes in angels, resurrection, and life after death. The Sadducees were more liberals and did not believe in the supernatural. Paul said I am a Pharisee who believes in the future resurrection of the saints. This brought a sharp rift between these two sects. Every child of God must understand we live amid wolves. We must be very wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The Holy Spirit imparts wisdom if we ask Him for it. Secondly, wisdom is a function of proper knowledge and understanding. Don’t be ignorant about what goes on in the world.

On the following night the Lord appeared to Paul and said the following to him Acts 23:11 “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” Dear child of God serving the Lord in various capacities, must be fully assured of the Lord’s presence. This is one fact you must never lose sight of. The Lord has promised never to leave nor forsake us. Hebrews 13:5. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. This fact should be one of the strongest motivations for serving the master and doing it with all your heart. You can also practice the presence of the Lord. This is done by taking some moments to imagine the presence of the Lord with you. You follow up with a moment-by-moment acknowledgement of His presence. As you do this, you would instinctively have that consciousness of his presence.

CONFESSION

I am harmless as a dove and as wise as a serpent. I live in the midst of wolves, yet I always live above all the schemes of the devil, by my awareness of the Lord’s presence with me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 28:20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Psalms 23:4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Acts 22:1 “Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you “

Please Read (Acts 22:1-22)

Apostle Paul gave his defence to the Jewish rioters and the Roman Soldiers who were present. His defence was a way of preaching Christ to the people. His message was a testimony of his personal life and conversion.

One powerful way of communicating the gospel is to share your life testimony. Paul, on this occasion, gave an elaborate account of his life. Giving life testimonies has three main aspects. The first part is the period before one was converted. In this part, you talk about the kind of things you used to do. The challenges and difficulties you faced. You can also talk about various ways you tried to get satisfaction and peace. In Paul’s testimony, he talked about his life as a zealot Jew who studied under Gamaliel, a very respected Jewish lawyer. He made mention of his zeal in persecuting Christians and the fact that he supervised the stoning of Stephen.

There is a second part of the personal testimony, which majors on the process of conversion. In Paul’s case, he spoke about his encounter with the Lord Jesus, who called him and commissioned him to carry his message to those in darkness. He mentioned the blinding effect of the light from heaven. He spoke about Ananias, who prayed for him to see. All these were undeniable evidence, which is not some psychological state that could be easily explained away.

The final part of the personal testimony is about the effect of conversion. In Paul’s case, he talked about the change that resulted. He no longer persecuted the church. He identified with them and started preaching about the grace of God.

You also have a personal encounter with God. So long as you have been converted, you have a personal testimony. Share it as often as you can, and many lives will be saved and blessed. If you don’t know how to present the gospel, don’t worry. Your testimony can do a lot.

CONFESSION

The Lord saved me from the grips of sin when I was dead and lost in sin. By his grace, I became part of the kingdom of God. Now, my life is free from the power of sin. Praise the Lord

FURTHER STUDIES

John 4:29 ” Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

Luke 19:8 ” And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”