12th Nov 2010

Acts 22:22-29 – Paul the Roman Citizen

• “God has Equipped those He calls”
• There an old saying: God equips those he calls but I have found it to be true that He has also been playing around in our past well before he called us as well.
• He not only will equip us but he equipped us before we were born, as here in Paul’s case.
• There were three ways someone could gain Roman Citizenship;
• As a reward for doing a great deed for Rome
• By purchasing it [not sure how much but Permanent residency in the USA costs around $10,000 inc lawyers fees]
• Or by being born into it as in Paul’s case.
• We don’t know how he was born into it but he was. Possibly his ancestors gained it during the reign of Pompey when a contingent of Jews received their citizenship.
• All I know is this; God messes with our past and it can give us great confirmation of our calling when those things suddenly appear to help us in our present.
• I’m writing a book at the moment and rather than it being about pioneers as my last one was; this one is about knights.
• I found out writing it that I have ancestral links to the knights that fought in the battle I mention in the first story I write about. A real surprise!
• The Kingdom Principles my biggest teaching series is based around knights and a while ago my wife pointed out that one of her family name’s [mothers side] is Lancelot – funny little things like that encourage me.
• Things like this encourage me I am on the right track.
• Are there things in your family or history that you think God may have put in place that help confirm your current mission?