Sunday, April 29, 2018

A Life Turned Upside-Down. (Paul)


Act 26:15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

The LORD appeared to Paul and told Him - I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 

Paul was persecuting Jesus? Imagine Paul's possible thoughts in that instant. Here in vision he was seeing Jesus!  Now, Paul wasn't a Jesus follower, obviously. Paul was in agreement with the majority of other Pharisees, Jesus was a blasphemer and worthy of death. He believed this so deeply, that He had to defend the almighty God against this awful imposter, this liar, this blasphemer! He took it upon himself to be one of the leading defenders of the one true God. And now, now he was stopped in his tracks suddenly right there as he journeyed to Damascus on his heaven ordained, holy mission by the very One he was trying to rid the world of. Yes, Paul wanted the name of Jesus Christ blotted out of existence and the only way to do that was to rid the world of all of His followers. Every last person who dared to go along with the liar, Jesus, had to be destroyed! Yet, there Jesus was! Paul's mind had to cried out, 'But you're dead! How can you be talking to me!?' So many wild thoughts had to have flickered through Paul's mind in an instant.

Told to rise, to get on his feet- Paul listened, and still his mind had to be far from blank. Jesus?! Jesus?! The one he had been thrilled to know had been killed?! Jesus, the one he hated with such passion?! It couldn't be Him, could it?! But how?! Why?!

Act 26:16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 

As he rose from the ground, Paul heard Jesus say He appeared to him for a purpose, to make him a minister, a witness of the things he'd just seen, and things which will be shown to him by Jesus in the future.

Paul, a minister of Jesus?! A minister for the very one he'd wanted dead and his memory wiped from every mind?!

Act 26:17  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 

Paul listened as Jesus continued speaking, telling him that He would deliver Him from others- from Gentiles who he would be sent to.

Gentiles?! But he was a pharisee, a perfect man of God! He couldn't associate with Gentiles?! How could He do that?!

Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

And Jesus continued talking. He would send Paul to the Gentiles in order to open their eyes, (just as his eyes were now being opened), to turn them from the dark to the light, from the power of Satan unto God, so they could receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance all with those who are made holy through faith in Him, Jesus.

Jesus was really all He'd said He was, He was everything all His followers declared! Jesus was from God, the very God that he, Paul, lived for! Jesus wanted HIM to bring to others this very enlightenment he was receiving.  He'd only always ever wanted the truth of God and He was getting that. God knew His heart and in his heart was a yearning for truth, for light, for forgiveness, for sanctification! He wanted to be used by God and God had chosen Him for this very special undertaking. It was all so much to take in!

He was going to open the eyes of the Gentiles to God, to truth! They were in the dark, so far in the dark, so far from God. Those Gentiles didn't know God, couldn’t know the true God, they were not chosen by God, and yet now they would be given truth, given light, their understanding would be open. The undeserving wretches by the very fact of their birth into the Gentiles would be deserving. They would be offered life eternal with God! How? Why?

And darkness descended upon Paul.

Act 9:8  And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 
Act 9:9  And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. 

Blinded.  Told he would be giving light to those in darkness, he, himself was thrust into darkness, his sight taken from him.

More on this tomorrow, by the will of our LORD.

All through Jesus Christ our Savior, with all thanksgiving, now and forever!!!!!!!



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