OMNI

06 Jan OMNI

Read Acts 28:11-31
Thought for the Day: “God is in control!”

No one has done as much to advance the Gospel as the Apostle Paul. After starting out as an opponent of the Early Church, he was stopped in his tracks by a vision of Jesus and this led to his personal confession of faith and baptism. In the following years, he set off on his first, second, and third missionary journeys. On each journey, he established vibrant regional churches. However, through his time, he had one unfulfilled desire. Paul wanted to go to the capital of the Roman Empire, the city of Rome, to preach the Gospel. Despite his best efforts, he ended up anywhere and everywhere other than Rome.

Everything changed when he was arrested in Jerusalem, confined to prison, and finally appealed to Caesar. After his arrest, he did finally arrive in Rome. He arrived in chains. Rather than feeling hopeless in the face of his loss of freedom and eventual death as a prisoner, Paul used the opportunity to share his faith. Many followed Jesus as result. Paul held onto a promise he had made to the Romans: “I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”

Paul’s success in advancing the Gospel came from his faithfulness to Jesus in all parts of his life. With Jesus at the center, Paul knew he had nothing to fear. Where did this courage and boldness come from? Paul understood that God is OMNI: omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (all-present), and omnipotent (all-powerful). Knowing this Paul understood whether he lived or died was irrelevant. But as long as he did live, he would faithfully serve. This is the lesson we can learn today. No matter what we face, we can come in the “fullness of the blessing of Christ” because God is OMNI. Simply put, God is in control!

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David