Reading for:
Saturday, November 16: Acts 9 – 10
Sunday, November 17: Acts 11 – 13
Monday, November 18: Acts 14 – 15

Enter Paul . . . I mean Saul . . . I mean Paul. Well, yeah that guy.

Our reading in Acts take a bit of a shift as we enter the 9th chapter. Here we move away from the Acts of the Apostles to the Acts of one who was persecuting the church. We saw him briefly in Chapters 7 and 8, as Stephen was stoned, as he “was ravaging the church” (8:3). His actions remind me of the movie and tv series “The Purge.” Troubling stuff, and seems all to close to potential reality in our own times, but here Saul is doing much the same, purging new christians.

Yet, God does something unthinkable. God uses Saul as a key leader in the growth of the same church he is persecuting. Wow! I can imagine the trepidation that Ananias had when called to go to Saul in Damascus. He likely knocked on the door thinking this would be his very last. Instead the unthinkable. Saul is converted. He is changed and begins to spread the good news.

Certainly this brought tension to the Apostles, as God was doing something new through Paul. It may not say it, but there is definitely a bit of the childhood mindset, “I was here first” that takes place between Paul and Peter. While we all hold on to that child like mentality, it is important to remember that God uses the most unexpected of people, which includes you and me.

So let’s all wash the scales off of our own eyes, and go and share the good news of Jesus Christ!

Peace,
Pastor Bailey

Reading for the next few days:
Tuesday, November 19: Acts: 16 – 17
Wednesday, November 20: Acts 18 – 20
Thursday, November 21: Acts 21 – 23