June 25, 2021

Sunday, Pastor Steve used Acts 22:6-15 as our confession of faith. It got me to thinking. That was Paul’s testimony. It was his “come to Jesus” moment.
In Act’s 9:1 it tells us that Paul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He had been & continued to persecute the followers of Christ. He was considered a zealot, a fanatic against Jesus.
Acts 22:6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.
10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.
Most of us do not have a dramatic moment where we hear God’s voice audiably, but This is a perfect example of what should happen with us. We are sinners, we meet Jesus, each of us in our own ways, because he meets us where WE are. He calls & when we answer, it is wonderful! Life changing! Amazing beyond words. (Paul was literally blinded & made to see, as well as figuratively). He was blinded as to who Jesus really was, until he met Him. Verse 14 says that Paul was chosen to know His will and to see the Righteous One & hear words from his mouth. AND to be His witness to all people of what he saw & heard. Are we not supposed to do the same thing? Be a witness to all so that they may seek Jesus & be given eternal life? God wants not one to perish so it is up to us. That’s what our missionaries do in other countries. When we leave church on Sunday morning, we are entering OUR mission field. Everyone we speak with. Now, I have to tell you that I do not “witness” to each person I speak to, but if we can be the light and be Christ like, that goes a long ways, especially if we ever do get the opportunity to tell them about our saviour.