The Big Picture

Scripture:
Acts 28:23 — When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

Observation:
Throughout Paul’s life, his presentation of the gospel was made from the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul’s evidence of who Jesus is comes straight out of the Law of Moses and the Prophets, in other words, from the entire Old Testament. Jesus is the fulfillment of what the Old Testament anticipated — the coming of the Messianic King, our Savior. For Paul, the backbone of his testimony was found in the Old Testament, and Paul knew it well enough to persuade people that Jesus is the Messiah.

Application:
It is easy to look at the Bible and see it as two rather disconnected pieces, the Old Testament and the New Testament, each containing very different purposes or messages. Yet in the testimony of Paul, the Old Testament is the proof of who is Jesus is and why He is the Messiah. The message of the Old Testament is in unity and harmony with the message of Christ. It makes me realize that I need to pull back the lens sometimes and marvel at the whole picture. What a story of redemption, woven together by a wonderful, sovereign God. No doubt there were years of study behind Paul’s grasp of the Scriptures. What an encouragement to keep up with the Life Journal and to take seriously the study of the whole Bible. Like Paul, we can look forward to increasing our faith, growing spiritually, and gaining assurance as we become grounded in God’s Word. Most of all, we become more and more equipped to persuade others concerning Jesus, at home and in the world.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the Bible, and thank you for revealing yourself to us in your incredible story of redemption. I also thank you for the leadership of Pinelake who have answered the call to teach this flock to be self-feeders of your glorious Word. Please grow your Church up to unity and maturity. Please produce in us a hunger for your Word, and pour out your Spirit upon us that we may grasp its Truth. Lord, I want to know you more and bring glory to you by persuading others concerning Jesus.  I love you.

— Chuck Newton, missions mobilization pastor