Paul was on the road to Damascus with authority from the chief priests, to shut up in prison, the saints there when a very bright light appeared and knocked all of them to the ground and a voice said, “…rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you FOR THIS PURPOSE, TO MAKE YOU A MINISTER and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.” (Acts 26:16)
Just listen to Paul’s testimony, He said this about himself, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things CONTRARY TO THE NAME OF JESUS of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” (Acts 26:9-12) When they were dragging Stephan out of the city to stone him. “…the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul (that is the apostle Paul). And Saul APPROVED of their killing him.” (Acts 7:58, 8:1)
We might ask ourselves, why did God pick a man who hated Christians the way Paul did? “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “PLANS TO PROSPER you and not to harm you, PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE and a future.” (Jer. 29:11) “…we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ HAS BECOME A NEW PERSON. The old life is gone; A NEW LIFE HAS BEGUN!” (2 Corin. 5:16-17)
OUR LORD TRANSFORMS US, WE ARE BORN AGAIN AND BECOME A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST -WE ARE NOT THE SAME–
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham…