I have a friend that loves to hear about God. She loves to discuss the miracles, the healings and the angels. In her eyes, it is apparent that God is no more than a genie, called at will to perform miraculous wonders and then retreat to whever He came from until he is bidden again. While she'll listen with eyes wide and mouth agape to the stories in the bible, she'll retreat into anger and denial if the conversation becomes personal. Her responses are usually generalizations about religion or the simple wave of the hand and a curt, "That's what you believe." It never fails, when the conversation about God turns to personal issues, people are offended. We don't want to acknowledge or even believe that the God of the bible laid down laws that state unequivocally that if even one law is broken, the offender is worthy of death. We are so hung up on that set of ten commandments that we shut our eyes, ears and hearts to the power of the cross. Even Jesus, when praying in the Garden, knew the power of the cross. He shed blood tears and sweated drops of blood from His pores because He knew that in a short period of time, wooden nails would be pounded into his flesh. He knew that He'd be paying the debt for every living human being ever, because every living human being ever has broken the law. Yet, He stood up from his quiet place in the garden after saying to the Father, "Not my will, but Yours." The miracle didn't occur in the garden, the miracle occurred on the cross, where the debt was paid. In our fear (outwardly shown as anger), we miss the entire message when we shut ourselves down from hearing the truth like Felix did when Paul shared the truth with him. (Acts 24:25) Even more befuddling, when the Truth does sneak past our hardened hearts, it nags us. It follows us into our thoughts and even our dreams. It doesn't let go. Some choose to ignore it, such as Herod Agrippa did when Paul shared the Gospel with him. He chose to simply ignore the truth because Paul's sharing of the law and how Jesus died on the cross to atone for his sins, our sins, got too personal. Herod was an adulterer, by the way. The truth smacked him between the eyes when he realized that he too, had fallen short. Paul didn't stand there and point his finger at anyone, he merely shared what Jesus had done for him personally, a most powerful true story. For sharing a personal story that affected so many people personally, Paul was whipped, beaten and thrown into jail, although he was completely blameless. What happened there? Paul's message of salvation was personal and the people who heard the message fell into the same categories then as they fall into now; some believed and found salvation. Others ignored the message even though they knew it to be true and others became so enraged they wanted to kill him. They weren't angry because they thought he was lying, they were angry because he told the truth. Ouch. Who'd want to go through that kind of pain, ridicule and scorn? Those in the first group did and do to this day. They listened and realized that although they too had fallen short (broken the law), Jesus' death on the cross paid the debt. He didn't just pay my debt or just the debts of those who lived 2000 years ago, he paid yours, too. See? It's personal. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." Acts 24:25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." Acts 28:25-27