Turning Up and Focusing Out

With all that Paul had been through, he never lose his focus (www.lifejournal.cc).   He had been accused by church leaders, arrested by the Romans, imprisoned several times, shipwrecked, snake bit, put in stocks, beat, and left for dead.  However, so much of his focus in his latter years, was to get to Rome to share the Gospel.  When we end the book of Acts, notice what he is doing.  Acts 28:30-31-  He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.  His goal was to be a productive witness for Christ in as many places as possible and that is what he did.  He crossed over the known world many times over to share the Gospel in every town that he could.   God blessed him as he went.  It did not go right all the time.  If it had, there would not have been prisons, snakes, beatings, and wrecks.  However, Paul took it all in stride.  

I was teaching last night on the dualism in the book of Revelation.   Imagine sitting in an auditorium watching a play.  On the stage was a two story structure.  On the top story were scenes of heaven playing out in front of you.   There was worship, praise, and celebration.  On the bottom story were the scenes of earth.  There were difficulty, persecution, war and strife.   The actors on the bottom story could not see the scenes of the 2nd story, but the audience could see both.  While all the earth seemed in a daily struggle, the throne of heaven was always secure and praise and adoration was abundant.  The earth actors could not see the scene upstairs, the audience can.  The book of Revelation is to 'unveil' to us the scenes and victory of heaven in the midst of and at the time of the struggles of earth.   It may seem like constant setback or defeat on earth, but the eternal victory is never insecure.   The book of Revelation was written to give hope to the struggling on earth, by showing them the victory in heaven and giving them insight on the much greater spiritual battle they face on the earth.  The reader of Revelation can gain a better grasp of this.

Paul gained a good grasp of it too.  He kept on keeping on and God blessed his efforts the rest of his life.  May your vision turn upward today while your focus turns outward and may His richest blessings bring you a harvest in the midst of this fertile field called earth.
Have a great day!