UNHINDERED!

Today, I have felt an assurance that seems to almost be unnatural.  As a matter of fact, there is frankly nothing "natural" about it.  The word that has come to me is UNHINDERED!  So, in going to the Scriptures, the meaning has unfolded for me.  My prayer is that those who read this will draw the unusual strength from it that I have personally gained. 

Acts 28:30-31 says, “And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.”  The last words of this New Testament book of Acts describe the scene of the Apostle Paul while under house arrest.  The last word of this historic book on the happenings of the Holy Spirit through the Church is…UNHINDERED!  There were undeniable hindrances to the Apostle’s work.  As a matter of fact, he continually dealt with cultural and spiritual resistance.  The Emperor Nero was torturing and killing Christians on the streets of Rome; homosexuality was a respected lifestyle and even a preferred one by many; materialism and pleasure-seeking were on the constant rise.  The challenges to Paul’s ministry sound familiar.  But, the last word of this great book is…UNHINDERED!  One commentator has said concerning the last word in Acts, "Nothing that men can do can stop the progress and ultimate victory of the gospel." 

The idea here is to be encouraged and reminded, at the same time!  Even though evil is growing from bad to worse in our culture and around the world, light always shines brighter in darker environments. So, what should we do in light of these last words of Acts?

Anticipate resistance to the biblical lifestyle.

Look at your situation in light of God’s grace.

Stay humble, prayerful, faithful and confident.

Expect God to work beyond limitations.

Depend on supernatural results.

The Church of Jesus Christ is ever more alive and active!  Let the Islamics boast and the extremist groups rage.  Let the states legalize gay marriages and secular media promote adulterous and humanistic themes.  But before you think all is lost, the message of the Cross will still be drawing the lost, and the gates of hell will have yet to prevail against the Church.  So, be encouraged and remember…the book of Acts is still being written today from the last word…UNHINDERED!