Today it hit me,(after my banter back and forth with God, see Facebook status),what would it had been like if Paul had put his heels in the sand after the first beating and imprisonment?
Saul was headed to Damascus with letters from the high priests addressed to the synagogues asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. Prior to that it says "Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lords followers".
We know the story that Jesus stopped him on that road, made him blind and told him to go to into the city and that he would be told what to do.
Now enters Ananias, a believer. The Lord speaks to Ananias and tells him exactly what to do.
But Lord....do you not know who that is?..., Ananias's response is a story for another day...because I think we do this a lot too.
The Lord says:" go for Saul he is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles, and to the kings, as well as to the people of Israel.
Now here is a part of the verse I never remember reading..... " and I will show him how much he must suffer for my names sake".
Now through out Acts we see: Jews tried to murder him. He was put in prison after being stripped and severely beaten.
But as I skimmed through Acts I found the 20th chapter: " I don't know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by The Lord Jesus ~the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
I so relate to this: but my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by The Lord Jesus.....the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
Do I want to be beaten again? Of course not....but I am not going to live in fear that he could show up in a class at any given time. I will complete the course set for me long ago. Ephesians 2:10
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