Paul addressed the people in these words: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city.
At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today. I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.
Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well.
"On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' I replied, 'Who are you, sir?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.' My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me. I asked, 'What shall I do, sir?' The Lord answered me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything
appointed for you to do.' Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus. "A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me and stood there and said, 'Saul, my brother, regain your sight.' And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him. Then he said, 'The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice;
for you will be his witness before all to what you have seen and heard. Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.'"
Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature
Lord,
That theme runs through everything today, all the readings. What does that mean to me?
I use imperfect souls as my instruments and I make them new.
OK Lord,
I am imperfect, how do you wan to use me?
Share the gospel with those who are spiritually poor. You have all your need. Trust me. I will lead you. Listen to me and block out all the other voices and doubts. Work with what you know to be true and you will not fail. There will be opposition, there will always be opposition. I had it and you will to, but hold fast to the truth. Pray for them to have a change of heart and don't take it personally.
You have the gift to share. Use it. Don't look for results. You are the seed planter. Don't be discouraged when they refuse to hear you. Many will but the seeds you plant will have an effect and you may not see it or know it until years down the road or never. Most conversation are not like Paul's. Most are slow and agonizing because they do not want to believe. They want the easy way out but they do not know that this is the easy way. Everything is set out for them, all they have to do is follow directions, my directions, but many rebel. Those that rebel and them come to me make the best evangelists. So don't be hard on yourself and feel ineffective because the changes of heart is my job.
Lord, you say this over and over to me.
I am patient and I want you to be patient too.
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