PAUL'S REVELATORY EXPERIENCE OF JESUS
St Paul's initial revelatory encounter was full of sights and sounds that both bewildered and amazed him and his traveling companions.
"On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, O king, (Agrippa) as I was on the road, I saw a light from Heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell face down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." Acts 26:12-14
The Lord spoke to Paul in his mother's tongue, so that the message would be instantly and easily comprehended.
Paul then responded to the Lord by asking a question,
"Who are you Lord?" Acts 26:15
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and stand on your feet. Acts 26:15-16
Jesus made Himself known to Paul.
"I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you." Acts 26:16
The Lord laid out a clear lifestyle application for Paul's Kingdom calling.
"I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me." Acts 26:18
The promise of protection and the nearness of Christ to Paul throughout his daily trials and tribulations:
"I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles." Acts 26:17
"The Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome!'" Acts 23:11
Paul obeyed the Heavenly vision that had been entrusted to him, believing in God for help and assistance each day.
"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from Heaven." Acts 26:19
He preached,
"First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." Acts 26:20
Paul used his revelatory and relational experience of Christ to preach with all his heart, believing for a harvest of souls. His preaching was intertwined with prophetic revelation.
"...so I stand here and testify to small and great alike, saying nothing beyond what Moses and the prophets said would happen--that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim the light to His own people and to the Gentiles." Acts 26:22-23
Paul longed for King Agrippa and his hearers to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
"King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do. Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?' Paul replied, 'Short time or long--I pray that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.'" Acts 26:27-29
Note taken from: Catherine Brown
Lord, I thank you for the example we find in the life of Saint Paul. Help us to use our relational experience of Christ to witness to the unsave ones around us. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen!
"On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, O king, (Agrippa) as I was on the road, I saw a light from Heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell face down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." Acts 26:12-14
The Lord spoke to Paul in his mother's tongue, so that the message would be instantly and easily comprehended.
Paul then responded to the Lord by asking a question,
"Who are you Lord?" Acts 26:15
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and stand on your feet. Acts 26:15-16
Jesus made Himself known to Paul.
"I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you." Acts 26:16
The Lord laid out a clear lifestyle application for Paul's Kingdom calling.
"I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me." Acts 26:18
The promise of protection and the nearness of Christ to Paul throughout his daily trials and tribulations:
"I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles." Acts 26:17
"The Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome!'" Acts 23:11
Paul obeyed the Heavenly vision that had been entrusted to him, believing in God for help and assistance each day.
"So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from Heaven." Acts 26:19
He preached,
"First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." Acts 26:20
Paul used his revelatory and relational experience of Christ to preach with all his heart, believing for a harvest of souls. His preaching was intertwined with prophetic revelation.
"...so I stand here and testify to small and great alike, saying nothing beyond what Moses and the prophets said would happen--that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim the light to His own people and to the Gentiles." Acts 26:22-23
Paul longed for King Agrippa and his hearers to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
"King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do. Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?' Paul replied, 'Short time or long--I pray that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.'" Acts 26:27-29
Note taken from: Catherine Brown
Lord, I thank you for the example we find in the life of Saint Paul. Help us to use our relational experience of Christ to witness to the unsave ones around us. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen!
posted by Jessiekhoo at
11:10 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home