Compelled by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:22), the Apostle Paul traveled to Jerusalem. The Spirit warned him that he would be persecuted there, and his friends begged him not to go. After he arrived, he was brought before the Jewish ruling counsel, and also caught up in a riot. Roman soldiers took him into custody to keep the peace and to prevent him from being killed. He was escorted to Caesarea to stand trial. Paul made his defense on several occasions, before Governors Felix, Porcius Festus, and King Agrippa.
The reaction was varied. Frightened by the things Paul said, Governor Felix delayed the matter until he was succeeded by Festus. Governor Festus wanted to please the Jewish Leaders by returning Paul to Jerusalem to be tried by them. Knowing they were plotting to ambush and kill him along the way, Paul exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal his case to Caesar. As a matter of curiosity, Felix asked the visiting King Agrippa to hear Paul’s case. After he heard Paul’s story:
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade
me to become a Christian.” (Acts 26:28 NKJV)
Agrippa’s statement has been the subject of a great many sermons, often pointing to the tragedy that Agrippa came so close to heaven but missed it. Felix missed the mark because he was too afraid to deal with the power of Paul’s message. Festus just wanted to get rid of a political hot potato. They all put off until tomorrow what may have been their only chance to believe unto everlasting life.
John Fogerty, the lead singer for the rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival, wrote a song the group recorded called, “Someday Never Comes.” The chorus goes:
https://genius.com/Creedence-clearwater-revival-someday-never-comes-lyrics
A friend of mine used to say that “Tomorrow isn’t promised to anybody.” To make it personal, I would add that tomorrow is not promised to you or to me. Someday never comes because when we get to tomorrow, it becomes today … and someday keeps getting pushed back. If you wait until tomorrow - or someday - you may end up like King Agrippa. He came close, but close doesn’t get it done.
Please decide to ask Jesus to be your Savior. Please do it now. Then you can sing this old gospel song along with your brothers and sisters in Christ:
I have decided to
follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
no turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me,
I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
though none go with me, I still will follow;
no turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me,
the cross before me;
the world behind me, the cross before me,
the world behind me, the cross before me;
no turning back, no turning back. *
* Reportedly written 150 years ago by an
Anonymous persecuted Christian in Northern India.
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