Monday, September 01,
2014, 3:30 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “I Will Lift My Eyes.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 9:1-31 (NIV).
Murderous Threats
Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, was chosen of
God to be a servant of the Lord. Certain Jews opposed him, and eventually
Stephen was seized and was brought before the Sanhedrin. False charges were
brought against him. When asked if the charges were true, he addressed the
Sanhedrin by giving them a history lesson. He told them about Jesus Christ, the
promised seed of Abraham, beginning by reminding them of the promise God gave
to Abraham, all the way up to telling them about how they had killed the
Righteous One, and how he (Jesus) was standing at the right hand of God in
heaven.
The Jewish leaders were enraged. They stoned Stephen to
death. Saul (Paul) approved of the killing of Stephen. A great persecution
broke out against the church in Jerusalem. “Saul began to destroy the church. Going
from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison”
(Ac. 8:3).
Meanwhile,
Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He
went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in
Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or
women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
Many Christians throughout the world are presently being
faced with such “murderous threats” against their lives. Numerous followers of
Christ are being severely persecuted and even put to death for their
testimonies for Jesus Christ and his gospel of salvation. This type of
persecution is coming to America, too, the likes of which we have never known.
Yet, I believe it will result in the revival of the church and the salvation of
many lives. Amen!
A Light from Heaven
As
he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute me?”
“Who
are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I
am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the
city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The
men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did
not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he
could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he
was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
We need to pray for our enemies, because God can turn them
around. If he can change the heart of a man who had the power and the authority
to persecute, arrest and kill followers of Christ, and did so, and if he can
stop him dead in his tracks, while he was on the way to make prisoners of those
who follow Jesus Christ, and if he could make that man into and apostle of
Jesus Christ, and a leader in the church, and a writer of most of the New
Testament epistles, then he can transform anyone, no matter how evil. Amen!
Restored Sight
In
Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a
vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes,
Lord,” he answered.
The
Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man
from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named
Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
“Lord,”
Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he
has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority
from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
But
the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my
name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show
him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Then
Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said,
“Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were
coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy
Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could
see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained
his strength.
We need to obey the Lord when he calls us to do something,
even if logically it does not make sense to us. He will never ask us to do
anything in direct conflict with his word or that which is opposed to his
divine character and will. The same God who saved us from our sins and who
delivered us out of slavery to sin can set any captive free, no matter how
steeped in sin the person might be, and no matter how many wicked things that
person has done.
We judge people by human standards. The people God chooses
to be his human instruments on this earth are rarely the ones we would choose. In
fact, many times they are exactly who we, as humans, would not choose, and
probably whom we would reject and cast aside. After all, Jesus Christ, the
author of life, was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from
whom men hide their faces, he was despised and rejected, and we esteemed him
not (See Is. 53). So, it makes sense that his servants (his representatives)
would also be those who are despised and rejected.
At Once
Saul
spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach
in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were
astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among
those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners
to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the
Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
When God transforms a person’s heart, the person is truly
transformed from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (See: Ac.
26:16-18). He turns us away from living for sin and self, and He makes us new
creations in Christ Jesus, “created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness” (See Eph. 4:17-24). He teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and
worldly passions, and to live self-controlled and upright lives in this present
age while we wait for his return (See Tit. 2:11-14). In fact, Jesus Christ died
so that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up
for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). A new life in Christ is a changed life, not a cleaned
up old life. Amen!
Saul (Paul) was walking in darkness until he was shown the
light of truth. He was a persecutor and a murderer of Christians until God
turned him around and changed him into a mighty proponent for the gospel of
Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ saves us from our sins, he does so because he
has a purpose for our lives. We are not saved merely from hell and for heaven,
but God has something he wants each and every one of us to do for his kingdom
while we still walk the face of this earth. He transformed us to make us into
instruments for his name and for his gospel. Yet, going along with that will
mean that we will be hated, persecuted and perhaps even put to death for our
testimonies for Christ.
And, yet, what a wonderful transformation he has wrought in
our lives that we should be called the children of God and co-heirs with Jesus
Christ of the promise. Amen!
I Will Lift My Eyes
/ An Original Work / December 12, 2012
Based off Psalms 121-125
I will lift my eyes to
my Lord Most High.
My help comes from
Him, who saved me from sin.
He will not let your
foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.
Our Lord watches over
you, and your life He will keep.
I will lift my eyes to
my Lord Most High.
My help comes from
Him, who saved me from sin.
I give thanks to Him.
I will lift my eyes to
my God in heav’n.
I look to the Lord. My
sins, He’s forgiv’n.
Because of His great
love for us, He made us alive with Christ.
Through the kindness
of our Savior, He gave us new life.
I will lift my eyes to
my God in heav’n.
I look to the Lord. My
sins, He’s forgiv’n;
My home, now in
heav’n.
Praise be to the Lord,
who is on our side.
Our help found in Him.
He gives peace within.
Those who trust will
ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.
Our Lord has done
great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!
Praise be to the Lord,
who is on our side.
Our help found in Him.
He gives peace within.
I can count on Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment