Word for the Week...MAY 30--JUNE 5/2005

"And Saul,yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of The Lord,went unto the high priest.(v.2)And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues,that if he found any of this way,whether they be men or women,he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.(v.3)And as he journeyed,he came near Damascus:and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:(v.4)And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him,Saul,Saul,why persecutest thou me?(v.5)And he said,Who art thou Lord?And The Lord said ,I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.(v.6)And he trembling and astonished said, Lord,what wilt thou have me to do?And The Lord said unto him,Arise and go into the city,and it shall be told thee what thou must do.(v.7)And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless,hearing a voice but seeing no man.(v.8)And Saul arose from the earth,and when his eyes were opened,he saw no man:but they led him by the hand,and brought him into Damascus.(v.9)And he was three days without sight,and neither did eat nor drink."                                         

There is a well-known saying;'you can be so right,yet,oh,so wrong!'As is clear from this text,missions can be both good and bad.Saul,named after the first king of Israel,had a mission to fulfil which was hardly the 'Great Comission!'(Matt.28:18-20).You may be a great success at what you are doing,as was Saul,but if this goes against the Will of God for your life,God can quite easily 'pull the carpet from under your feet!'Saul was likewise 'stopped in his tracks' by The Lord.Drastic measures were needed for such a desperate man;who was out to make a name for himself by doing away with the Body of Christ on earth;The Church!When The Lord has us in His searchlight there is nowhere we can run to,nowhere we can hide!(Psalm 139:7ff).In a similar fashion to the police helicopter that searches out a criminal on the run,Saul was 'zeroed in on 'by The Lord. Guidance for the Christian is often progressive and Saul received enough instructions for the moment(v.6).We are to walk by faith,not by sight,(2Cor.5:7). Saul ,quite literally, did this and his self-confidence was dealt with.When we realise we can do nothing apart from Him,we are getting somewhere!There are many learned people in Christendom who would do well to ponder Paul's words...'if any other man thinketh that he hath whererof he might trust in the flesh ,I more.'(Phil.3:4).Realising the enormity of this event in his life,Saul prayed and fasted for three days.How often have we sought The Lord in a similar way? Saul's experience was profound and resulted in a complete change of life.This occured at a definite moment in time and the effects were witnessed by those close to him.Paul knew that his life could never be the same again.The same passionate nature remained,but now it was inspired by The Holy Spirit,thus bringing Glory to The Name of Jesus and salvation to mankind.One powerful encounter with The Risen Christ resulted in a new man,a new mission and even a new name! In one of Paul's letters we read...'If any man be in Christ,he is a new creature:old things are passed away;behold all things are become new.'(2Cor.5:17).  

If your life has been heading in the wrong direction, you can say this prayer today...'Lord Jesus,I accept that I am a sinner in need of a Saviour.Thankyou for dying for me on the cross.You are now risen,ascended and ruling in Heaven.Come into my life by The Holy Spirit and save me, Lord. I turn from all I know to be wrong and I will follow you for the rest of my life here on earth.Thankyou, Lord, for saving me.Amen.'                                                           

If you said this prayer and meant it,you are now a Christian and have eternal life.Please feel free to contact us by e-mail: office@lastdayministries.org   May The Lord Bless you.