Apostle in lockdown! Lessons from a saint in isolation

Apostle in lockdown! Lessons from a saint in isolation

Reckon we’ve got it bad? The Apostle Paul faced a five-year ‘lockdown’ during which he was imprisoned in Jerusalem, held by armed guards on Malta (after a shipwreck), then imprisoned in Rome for two years!

In a seminar for CRE At Home 2020, Michael Penny, of CRE exhibitor Open Bible Trust, uses Paul’s experiences to show how it is possible to rejoice, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. While millions are bored or frightened, wondering if and when the lockdown will ease, Michael encourages us to find the kind of contentment experienced by Paul.

‘Beaten, flogged, and always in fear of his life, Paul still managed to write several major letters,’ explains Michael. ‘In the one to the Philippians he points out how, every time he prayed for them, he prayed with joy.’

Michael uses the theme of learning contentment against the backdrop of Covid-19 to highlight how we can also find contentment.

‘I was a bit of a malcontent, to be honest,’ he explains. ‘I was restless, looking for something to do all the time, but I am of the opinion that Paul was an energised buddy. He was always on the go and these five years stopped him. Maybe initially he was frustrated, but in the end he learned to be content. And maybe this pandemic has forced a lot of us to stop and be still and know the Lord.

‘Maybe we have learned a quiet contentment which is so very precious.’

Click here to watch the seminar.

• Open Bible Trust are exhibiting at CRE South West 2021 (17-18 March, Westpoint, Exeter) and CRE National 2021 (Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, 12-14 Oct)

Image: Sweet Publishing

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