This is one of my favorite stories in the scriptures. I find it fascinating to see the amazing potential that are in each of Heavenly Father's children. So Saul, his former name, was a man that used to fight against the church of God. In our day, if we saw a man that fought against God it would be difficult to overcome the bad first impression that we had on him.
There have been studies from psychologists on impressions that people make and how it is branded into the mind of a person. The sad part of the research from a bad first impression, is that the person usually has to move if they are to have people accept them again.
Then as Saul was on his way to Damascus, suddenly a light shined about him from heaven, and fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Now, sometimes we desire a conversion like this. Surely I would join the church too if Christ spoke unto me. But it isn't the visitation of Christ that caused the conversion, we are able to see this in his response to the Lord.
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? (He knew that it was the Lord) And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
What wilt thou have me to do, Saul was willing to do anything the Lord asked him to do. That is how our conversion must be. If we are to be converted to the Lord, we must have this same attitude. When we pray to know if the scriptures are true, are we willing to follow the commandments they teach? If we desire to know what to do with our life with a specific plan, are we willing to pay the price?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
A simple test of faith from the Lord, and we know that he did it. Then came the next test, he was confronted by the apostles and desired to tarry with them.
But they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, adn declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and what he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
There are a lot of things to learn from these passages, but a lesson that I find to be important to learn, is about judgment. Saul was a wicked man, enough to be feared by the apostles. But God knew his potential, even above them, and saw passed the persecution and saw an amazing missionary and servant. We must also be like the Lord. We must be wable to see passed the wicked in people, for all of God's children have divine potential. Because we are all children of a perfect Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ has made it possible to become like Them.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Acts 3: 1-9,16
I am starting this new blog as an opportunity to share my thoughts, and some of the thoughts of you as you comment. I am taking a religion class at Brigham Young University-Idaho with a focused study of The New Testament in the bible. For this blog, I am going to focus on The Acts chapter 3: 1-9,16. Please feel free to comment on this post. It can be a comment of agreement, or disagreement. All that matters is that we get our thoughts out there and work on being in one accord with Christ.
Read Acts3: 1-9, 16, the whole chapter if you get a chance.
In this scriptural passage, you have Peter and John heading to the temple to do service for the Lord. There was a man that was lame, that begged for alms from these men. Not lame as we use it today, but it is a condition where the person is crippled or disabled, especially in the legs making it difficult to walk or move. When he begged for coin, Peter said in verse 6: Silver and gold have I none; bu such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Then Peter took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Now it is interesting to note that this lame man did not ask them to be healed. He asked them for alms or donations. But this is how the Lord answers our prayers. Sometimes we ask for things that we feel we need, it is a want on our part that we think we need at that moment or in the future. But God can see the whole picture, and will bless us with what we need. These alms that Peter and John would give him would only be temporary. He would need money or donations again, because he was a cripple and could not provide for himself. But now with him being healed through faith on the Savior Jesus Christ, he can start his life anew and provide for himself and anyone else. He could carry on the work of the Lord from what he saw happen in his life. He could be a productive son of God and accomplish more than he could have before. It would take hard work to make money again, learning new skills after not working for however long he was crippled, but now he knew that with faith, all things are possible through Christ.
I hope this could be as much help to you as it was for me. I know that through faith, all things are possible. And that Jesus Christ made it possible through the atonement and grace that was made possible through His sacrifice. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Read Acts3: 1-9, 16, the whole chapter if you get a chance.
In this scriptural passage, you have Peter and John heading to the temple to do service for the Lord. There was a man that was lame, that begged for alms from these men. Not lame as we use it today, but it is a condition where the person is crippled or disabled, especially in the legs making it difficult to walk or move. When he begged for coin, Peter said in verse 6: Silver and gold have I none; bu such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Then Peter took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Now it is interesting to note that this lame man did not ask them to be healed. He asked them for alms or donations. But this is how the Lord answers our prayers. Sometimes we ask for things that we feel we need, it is a want on our part that we think we need at that moment or in the future. But God can see the whole picture, and will bless us with what we need. These alms that Peter and John would give him would only be temporary. He would need money or donations again, because he was a cripple and could not provide for himself. But now with him being healed through faith on the Savior Jesus Christ, he can start his life anew and provide for himself and anyone else. He could carry on the work of the Lord from what he saw happen in his life. He could be a productive son of God and accomplish more than he could have before. It would take hard work to make money again, learning new skills after not working for however long he was crippled, but now he knew that with faith, all things are possible through Christ.
I hope this could be as much help to you as it was for me. I know that through faith, all things are possible. And that Jesus Christ made it possible through the atonement and grace that was made possible through His sacrifice. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)