In the next few messages we are going to look at the Apostle Paul’s life. We have much to learn from his life for he actually had many issues just as most of us have. It is important to realise that there is nothing greater about Paul than there is about you and I. Paul was only an apostle because he was called to be an apostle, just as Patrick is called to be a pastor, Cynthia is called to be a prophet and Martin is called to be serving in mercy. As we walk this journey of Paul’s life we will discover that we can also do the great things Paul had done and receive the great revelations he had received in obedience to and under the power of the Holy Spirit.
We first become aware of Paul in Acts 8:1-3 after Stephen was stoned to death. “And Saul [later called Paul] was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.”
Why did Saul destroy the church? Was he not a Pharisee and trained in the ways of God and therefore should have known better? The reason for his behaviour was just that. He was religious and had not had an encounter with Jesus yet. He believed he did the religious society a favour by getting rid of this false religion and sect led by this group of followers of the rebel that was executed by the authority of the time – the Romans.
I grew up in a traditional religious church that did not preach rebirth. From a very young age I had a desire for Lord and a particular love for Him. I went through all the activities church members did, listened intently at the sermons that enlightened the problem of being a sinner, but never gave the solution to the problem. Sunday after Sunday I repented of my sins of the week and on Monday I was back on my guilt trip. We were always warned against the ‘heresy’ of the Pentecostal Movement and therefore, even after I got born again when by grace the Lord brought me in touch with a born again teacher, I was wary of the Pentecostal Movement. It took the Lord a long time to bring me in touch with those who teach the truth of the Word of God.
How about you? Are you religious or born again? Are you critical towards those so-called happy-clappies who serve the Lord with all their hearts? Are you in Saul’s shoes or in Paul’s shoes? Saul believed he was doing the right thing by ridding society off these weird, Pentecostal Jesus followers that just stirred up everything that was good and acceptable, and has been for centuries.
But then Paul had an encounter with the Leader of this sect, as he had believed it to be: “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.”
Soon after this encounter his name changed from Saul to Paul. In order to understand the Kingdom of Christ, the new life that is in Jesus, and why Christianity is like it is and believe what it does, we need an encounter with Jesus. Jesus needed to change Saul to become like those whom Saul was persecuting – one with Him through the Holy Spirit – before Saul would be able to have and give life instead of being religious.
We all grew up in a society with acceptable human standards, and the traditions are precious to us, but in order to be part of the Lord’s Kingdom, we need to shift our emphasis in certain areas to be acceptable to Him.
Lord, please help me realise I need to change to be like you.
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.
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