Lesson 245: "RLS"
R L S or better known as restless leg syndrome! You have seen the commercials on television where the lady can get no rest because her legs want to keep moving even after she has retired for the night? Paul had this uncontrollable urge to continue moving to spread the gospel regardless of what life dealt him. After his dramatic conversion on the Road to Damascus, God chose him as His instrument to carry His Name before the Gentiles, kings and the people of Israel. So Ananias, fearing for his life, went to Saul (Paul) as instructed by God, laid hands on him and Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit. When the scales fell from his eyes he got up, was baptized, took some food, regained his strength and seemingly never stopped to rest again. He set out with determination and the power of God to prove that Jesus was Christ and the Jews set out to kill Paul. He preached fearlessly in Damascus, the city of his conversion, and then went on into Jerusalem where he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord. From there he went to Tarsus where Barnabas later caught up with him and brought him to Antioch. The two stayed and preached in Antioch, where disciples were called Christians first, for a full year.
He traveled back to Jerusalem for a short mission, returned to Antioch and then on down to Seleucia, sailing from there to Cyprus. Through out Salamis, Paphos, Perga, and Pisidian Antioch he explained the Old Testament Law, the preparation of Jesus by John the Baptist and the wrongful death sentence of the Christ and His Resurrection. The Word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region! The jealous Jewish leaders expelled Paul and Barnabas from their midst so they shook the dust off their restless feet and went to Iconium, filled with joy. Their bold teachings divided the believers and non-believers and secret plans were made to stone the disciples. They fled to Lystra and Derbe and continued to preach the good news, even healing a crippled man that he too might develop R L S. Some of the trouble-making Jews followed them, won the crowd over and stoned Paul, dragged him outside the city and left him for dead. Now watch this! “But after the disciples had gathered around him he got up and WENT BACK into the city” (Acts 14:20). Now that took more than restless leg syndrome but a lot of courage and God power! Amen?
Paul was unstoppable! When his restless legs were fastened in prison stocks he sang to the top of his lungs. So loud in fact that God sent an earthquake to loose the chains. Although a prisoner, he took command of the ship that was being driven across the Adriatic Sea in a fierce storm. Through his leadership and God’s power Paul, the crew and all the other prisoners reached land safely after the ship was smashed to pieces. After an ordeal such as this you would think anyone would collapse on the beach. Not Paul! He began to gather firewood only to have a viper fasten itself to his hand. Undaunted, he shook off the snake, continued to preach, pray for the islanders and they were healed and believed. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the Kingdom of God and taught about his Lord Jesus Christ. All of this is recorded in the Book of Acts and would have been plenty for one man to accomplish in a life time, but this is not Paul’s entire story.
Paul preached to the churches, always giving thanks to God for the people along with a stern reminder for them to eagerly seek the gifts so that they might have the mind of Christ. He hammered home the fact that man’s sinful nature must be destroyed and the church should expel the wicked. He named names of those who would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven; sexually immoral, Idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexual offenders, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers nor swindlers. He set down the rules on marriage, the rights of the apostles, worship and they monetary collections (1st and 2nd Corinthians). He ends these two letters with; “aim for perfection”, which was his life time goal for himself and others. The next four books deal with the fruit of the Spirit, unity of the Body of Christ, working out your salvation and rules for Holy living. The “T” section of Paul’s books teach to strive to please God, stand firm in the faith, instructions to deacons, elders and overseers, ending with “grace be with you all” (Titus 3:15). His last book, Philemon, is a personal tender letter to a dear friend. It is reported that the Apostle was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero in Rome. If this is true I would think they had to behead him to stop his preaching as mere torture would not do so.
Paul, the disciple who never met Jesus (before His death and Resurrection), was the most charismatic of them all! His was a love-faith journey, filled with hardships. His travels may have extended over a period of twenty years and covered thousands of miles. He made three missionary trips around Asia Minor, Macedonia and Achaia. He is the author of thirteen of the books of the New Testament and possibly the book of Hebrews. These books, with the exception of Romans, were written to people whom he knew or had met personally. He was stoned, beaten, shipwrecked and thrown into prison more than once but never lost his zeal for preaching about Jesus Christ. I am exhausted from just writing this account of Paul’s ventures; I cannot imagine living through what he did! I will end as Paul started most of his epistles; “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the Day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:3-6).