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Apostle Paul

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Ever caught yourself saying something like this, “A person like that could never come to know and have a relationship with Jesus”?  Maybe we wouldn’t say that, but what about think it?  I know that I have.  I have let those words formulate and begin to posture themselves for vocal utterance.  What do you think, do you think that there is anyone who is too far, too full of sin, too rebellious, too hard hearted, too difficult?  

Check out Acts 8 & 9. 

What do you think?  Is there a co-worker, peer, classmate, relative, or spouse that is too “far gone” for the life changing, love giving, rebellious, authentic Jesus?  Is it possible to be too filthy to ever be clean again?

Let’s talk…

~Peter

Okay, so what truly scares you?  I hate spiders… They creep me out, scare me, and just all around bother me like nothing else.  Several months ago, I hear my name being yelled from the basement of our townhouse and Tiffany says, get down here now!  So, of course like any good husband would do, I bolt down there to aid my damsel in distress.  I get down there to see a monster spider just chillin’ in the middle of our carpet, hanging out like I wanted him there or something.  So, upon seeing the sight, I said, what do you want me to do about it?  You kill it!  Talk about manly, knight in shinning armor momments, this was not one of mine.  I hate spiders…   Did I mention that?  I think I threw a stack of magazines in that general direction in hopes that my shot gun approach would in fact disable the spider to the point of death.  I was successful.  

So, we are back to Acts today.  Acts 9:10-19…  Check it out here…  

Here is this guy Ananias who gets a call from God to go and do the scariest thing possible.  Go and visit Saul.  Saul (later Paul) had permission from the High Priest to take out any of the believers that were following “the way”.  Ananias says, “God, I’ve heard the bad things this guy can do to me… Like for real?  You want me to do that?”  God replies yes!  I have called you to this…  This is for you.  Face your fear, and be obedient to me.

Ananias, a normal guy, we have no idea where he comes from, or where he goes after this, but God has called him to this task.  To face his fear and obey God.

What scares you?  What do you think God is asking you to do that just terrifies you?  Let’s hear em…  

~Peter (still scared of spiders)

I’ve been reading in Acts, and I’ve come up to the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.  It’s actually Acts 9:1-9.  Check it out here.

So, anyhow, I was thinking about this today, and I have been pairing my reading with a great book by a huge thinker in our day, N.T. Wright.  He writes a book called Acts for Everyone.  It makes for an excellent study aid.  Here is something I never knew before…  So, back in the day, the Jews used to meditate on certain scriptures, chapters, and such.  One such meditation is from Ezekiel 1:26-28.  They would actually look to see God in the sky, coming in on a chariot.  They would meditate on this.  

Can you imagine Saul’s surprise to find out that he is literally looking upon the very God of the universe with his own two eyes?  

It made me think…  What are the meditations of MY heart.  What am I longing to see God do?  What do I set before my mind at all times waiting to see what God will do with it?  

So, here’s the deal, Saul, got what he was meditating on, with an added twist.  “Saul, why do you persecute me?”  That must have been a shocker, eh? Here is a guy thinking He is doing the right thing, seeking after the right and God honoring thing.  Then, BAM!  He is asked that question…  Why do you persecute Me?

So… This made me think about the things that I am seeking after, meditating after, longing for, and yearning for.  Are these things that would please God?  

What do you think?  Respond, lets start the coversation…

~Peter