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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
When we come to Acts 9, the Church of Jesus Christ, which has around some 8,000 members, has been blasted out of Jerusalem by a wave of strong violent persecution. The situation is serious. The Church is on the move, but at that time I do not think people would understand what was happening, and we have hints of that in this passage. There would be questions - confusion - upset - disturbance - as well as suffering.
Remember what has been happening. Those in positions of leadership have gone out to preach Jesus Christ - crucified - risen - ascended - pouring out the Holy Spirit - and they made sure that each these new believers received the Holy Spirit. Lives were transformed. Some people would never be the same again, as they are forgiven from their sins, healed and released from evil spirits.
Samaria now has a group of believers who have been born again in the every sense. The Chancellor of the Exchequer of Ethiopia has come to faith in Jesus through the ministry of Philip. Stephen has been martyred, and Saul is being allowed to continue to cause havoc amongst those who believed in Jesus. What a contrasting mixture of incidents! Do not be too surprised when things happen which we find hard to understand.
Back in Jerusalem, Saul who has master-minded this wave of persecution, continues to be a serious threat to the very existence of The Church of Jesus Christ. He wishes to extend his threats to those centres to which disciples have fled, and, he wants to do it officially. Having caused havoc in Jerusalem, he seeks authority to go to Damascus and cause the same havoc there.
Saul asks the high priest for a warrant. He wants to create as much chaos in the church as he can - properly and officially - and he does not want to be seen to do anything illegal in his attempt to arrest imprison and annihilate every disciple of Jesus! The situation has never been so serious for the Church. Off Saul goes riding out of the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, with his heart set on evil and wickedness, and with a warrant of authority in his belt. He is out to jail every believer in Jesus, and drag them back in chains to Jerusalem. And yet, unknown to Saul at this moment, he is soon to come to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Saul is a born leader. He is about to become a 'born again' leader. It is this man who is to write all these letters in our New Testament. This man is to become one of the greatest missionaries the Church of Jesus Christ has ever seen. He is around 35 years old - ages with Jesus - with Peter and James and John and the others. As Saul approaches Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly shines. Saul falls to the ground and he hears the voice of Jesus - "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME?"
Saul thought he had only been persecuting disciples of Jesus, but touch a disciple and you touch Christ. Laugh at, mock, ridicule, wound, believers in Jesus - and you are found to be laughing at, mocking, ridiculing, wounding Jesus Christ. People are not aware of that. Saul has been fighting and struggling against God. He has been wrestling against the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart. He has been kicking against the love and mercy of Jesus, and when you fight against God the only person you hurt is yourself.
One much respected preacher in Scotland used to say to me, "When we kick God in the teeth, His main concern is to whether we have hurt our toe!" Now, there's an amazing picture of the grace and mercy and compassion of our loving God.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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