Skip to main content

why Me?

Acts 22:7&8
"7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?
8 And I answered, Who art Thou, Lord? And He said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest."

That will get your attention!
A brilliant light from heaven, brighter than the sun, suddenly flashed around him and knocked him to the ground. The repeated use of his name underscores the personal and urgent nature of this divine confrontation.

The man Saul thought was a dead blasphemer is alive and glorified. In attacking Jesus’ followers, Saul had been attacking Jesus Himself. The Lord identifies so closely with His Church that He takes persecution of His people personally (Matthew 25:40).

This encounter marks Paul’s conversion, from persecutor to apostle, through a direct meeting with the risen Christ. As in other biblical callings, God gave him a new heart and spirit, now responsive and ready to love and obey.

Saul had every reason to be proud: a devout Jew, trained in Jerusalem under the renowned rabbi Gamaliel. He carried official letters from the Sanhedrin authorizing him to arrest followers of “the Way” in Damascus and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. Yet his mission was dramatically interrupted, launching his transformation from Saul the persecutor to Paul the apostle.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elisha’s example

1 Kings 19:19-21 "19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him." In Luke 9:54, after James and John sought to call down fire on a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus, they referenced Elijah, saying, “even as Elias did?” Jesus then taught three lessons about rejection: 1- Discipleship demands sacrifice, embracing hardship and forgoing earthly security. 2- Following Jesus requires immediate, un...
Post a Comment
Read more

I will make you

Matthew 4:19&20 "19 And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him." In our "Follow Me" series, we study Jesus calling His disciples in the Gospel of Matthew. By the Sea of Galilee, a thriving fishing hub, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting nets as humble fishermen. His disciples were ordinary workers, not wealthy or educated elites. Jesus approached them and said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Remarkably, they immediately left their jobs to follow Him. This brief exchange conveys a profound truth: Jesus says, "I will make you." Only God can transform us to accomplish His purpose. We should often pray, "Help me, God," seeking Jesus' guidance to follow His plan for our lives.
Post a Comment
Read more

broken

Luke 22:61 "And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice." The cock crowed. Peter had denied Jesus—three times. Peter, who had walked on water, confessed Jesus as Messiah, and opposed the cross (earning “Get behind Me, Satan”). That day was already crushing: the Last Supper, Gethsemane, Jesus’ arrest. Peter drew his sword, then stood down. Following at a distance, he was recognized: “You were with Him.” “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Third denial. Earlier, Jesus warned Peter would deny Him thrice. Peter swore: “Even if all fall away, I never will. Even if I must die with You, I will not deny You.” (Matt 26:33–35; Mark 14:29–31; Luke 22:33–34; John 13:37–38) Now Jesus—beaten, bound—looks at Peter. Not with condemnation. With love. Peter breaks. He is not who he thought he was...
Post a Comment
Read more