Skip to main content

Conversion and Call

Day 272

Reading: Acts 9:1 - Acts 13:52

God is a God of details. Information in the Bible is not given to fill space. There is always a reason for something. While Stephen was being stoned to death a young man was receiving the clothes of others who took part in the stoning. That young man is named Saul. Saul soon is a terror to the church and is given permission by the High Priest to round up the Christians and persecute them. Many of the new believers were of the Jewish heritage and thus this new found faith was threatening Judaism. Saul's mandate was to eradicate these people and ensure the faith he believed in remained intact.

On this journey to Damascus, Saul has an encounter that changes his life. God will meet you in the most unlikely of places. No case is too hard for God. Every time I read the story of Saul's conversion am encouraged to know that Jesus cares so much for the soul of everyone. It doesn't matter who you are wherever you are God will reach out to you. Saul after the encounter sets about to pray as he was blinded during the encounter. While in prayer he receives instructions that a prophet would lay hands on him and he would see normally. 

Saul set about preaching the gospel. Just imagine going to the synagogue and finding that the person sent to round up all those preaching that Jesus has risen is now one of them. That will result in no small commotion. Saul before long had to leave as his life was threatened. When he arrived in Jerusalem thank God for Barnabas who stood alongside him and helped him get accepted. Sometimes in life, you need someone's voice to get access to those at the top.

We later encounter Saul in Antioch where Barnabas had brought him from Tarsus where he had hidden. The period between his conversion and the moment when God calls him to active ministry is not a day but years. God will spend time preparing a vessel that He is going to use. Understand that God is not just a God of promise but also of the process of becoming. Whatever God has called you to do learn that God is a God of the process. Saul was called to preach to the gentile world and I can almost imagine him asking and wondering when will the promise come to pass. The process to become involves time and its best to wait for God's timing to get the best results.

Memory Verse: Acts 10:38

Decree: 

Acts 12:7
Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. (italics mine)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Now is....

Everyday I seek to share something that I have learnt through the daily reading. I make a choice to discipline myself not to write too much as we inundated with a lot of reading material. Feel free to add comments because that way we share and thus encourage one another to grow into the fullness of Christ. Today I am amazed at the fact that God will always remember His covenant and fulfill the promise. I want to list five words in the order they appear in one scripture that showed God is at work in our lives. Remembered : My God will never forget me. To be delayed is not to be denied as God will surely remember. God spoke and said to Sarah that He would return at the appointed time; at the right season!!! I do believe that we are in a season where we will see God begin to act on the promises that seem forgotten. Or better put in another way there is a resurrection of seemingly forgotten prophecies that is about to take place. Dry bones are beginning to take shape. Listened : No longer ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Blessing or ....

To live well is one thing we all desire. I have never met anyone who did not want to live well. By living well for some people it means helping others. For others it means having a successful business. Yet for others it means travelling the world. I have discovered that it is not money that empowers but the blessing of God that empowers. Money is simply one of the many ways that the effects of the blessing may show up. Many times today in society we confuse money with being blessed yet people like Mother Teresa did not flaunt money but her life still is blessing many people round the world. The book of Deuteronomy has challenged me to desire to be blessed. Anyone who has walked with the blessing of God in their live has seen doors open that are a struggle for others. Yesterday I wrote about obedience. What obedience opens our lives to is the operation of the blessing. By choosing to obey the Word we are choosing to open our lives to be blessed. The purpose of being blessed is not self ...
Post a Comment
Read more

It is Settled

Day 296 Reading: 1 Peter 1:1 - 1 Peter 5:14 Challenges are the way of life. We celebrate winners because they overcome hurdles. Think about it, how many times do we celebrate those who innovate or break into new frontiers. The Wright brothers did what no other person had done. They flew a plane. They conquered the law of gravity with the law of flight. Was it a one day exercise? No, it took years. The worked on a plane from 1899 to 1903 when a power plane flew and continued to perfect it and the first practical aeroplane flew in 1905. Thomas Edison is celebrated for inventing the light bulb which he displayed after many failed experiments to get it to work.  Peter in writing to the churches encourages the believers to understand the place of process. He helps the believer understand the period between the trial and deliverance or a miracle is necessary. It's necessary for you and me to learn about trusting God fully. Peter exhorts the believer to fully rest his or her ...
Post a Comment
Read more