Acts 17:6 NKJV
“But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, ‘These who have turned the world upside down have come here too'”.
The glory of God was greatly revealed through Paul’s life and ministry, drawing many into the Kingdom of God. Yet this same impact also placed him in difficult circumstances that took a toll on his body. For instance, whereas the reception of the Gospel message was fairly gentle among the Gentiles, it was rather harsh among the Jews then. On one occasion, while Paul had preached in Thessaloniki, “…the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people” (Act 17:5 NKJV). How unfortunate!
When they did not find Paul and Silas, our text says, “they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, ‘These [men] who have turned the world upside down have come here too'”. What a testimony! Notice, it was not Paul and Silas who said those words about themselves, but the envious and angry mob spoke that about them. Oh, how could they not turn the “world upside down” with the abundance of the power of the Holy Spirit at work in them! Indeed, the trail of the miraculous, the deep and vast revelations into the Word, and the unrelenting courage to preach the Gospel never left these men of God. Yes, the opposition was great and fierce but their courage rose with danger!
Child of God, there is a world (family, neighborhood, spheres of influence, spaces of interaction, etc.) that the Lord has positioned you in. It is the place where the power of Christ in you is to be felt and seen having a godly and righteous hold, to the glory of His praise. That is partly the reason Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Mat 5:14 NKJV). Blessedly, just as light shines brightest in the darkest hour and places, there is no better time and place for our light to shine than this hour, and in this world darkened by sin. In Christ, we each have what it takes to arise, shine, and let Him display His glory through our lives. Are you willing and available to God to do so?
Pst. Emmanuel
