Good Wednesday May sixth as we enter this day opening God’s word to learn His will.
The ground work-
Paul on the stairs that overlooks the temple asks permission to speak to the Jews below. Paul begins addressing these Jews first by introducing himself as one of them, being a Jew from Cilicia, a learned man learned under Gamaliel, but then Paul tells them he was just as they are, upset with the way, so upset that he being a Pharisee went and hunted Christians imprisoning and sometimes having them killed. Here is how Paul described his former life, “Philippians 3:4-6 “though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Paul looks at these men and understands them well and why not? He was once one like them, but something changes and he wants to share what changed him, so let’s read together from Acts 22:6-11“Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. So I said, ‘what shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.”So Paul opens and says I had letters to arrest Christians signed by the Jewish authorities in the temple, and this one day on the outskirts of the city of Damascus, at the noon hour as the sun shined in the summer skies, a light brighter than the sun over powered me and I fell to the ground. Understand Paul has their attention; the mob has quieted down and is listening for the moment to one of their brothers 1Corinthians 9:22 “to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Then Paul says what separated him from the temple guards, who were with them, “And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” I heard this voice but the other men did not but were being over powered by this light radiating from heaven. This voice said I was persecuting him, so under this glory from heaven I asked who He was, “And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” Paul explains, guys God Himself did the ground work which I recognized as a holy moment, and I listened to the voice of God who said He was Jesus of Nazareth. But there is more,” So I said, ‘what shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus.” Hebrews 11:8 “The Lord called Abraham from Ur and told him to follow Him one step at a time. Abraham obeyed and a nation was born.” Have you heard His voice, obeying? Remnant
