The disruptive truth was the reality of Saul’s ministry as He proclaimed the Gospel. His transformation was undeniable. Once a fierce opponent of the Gospel, he now boldly proclaimed Jesus as Lord. Acts 9:23 After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. 24 They were watching for him day and night at the …
Being made whole in Jesus through life’s obstacles is not the path most of us want to go down. In God’s plan for our lives, obstacles can be times of testing that help us become better people. Perhaps as you read this, there is a major obstruction in your life that you are trying to …
Wholeness through divine intervention may not be our plan, but it is God’s. We may think we have our own path figured out, but the good news is the Lord always has a better one. His plans require divine intervention—and that intervention is always aimed at making us whole. We often think we know best …
Being an instrument of God to build His Kingdom is a gift only He can bestow upon us. As the story of Saul—whom we later come to know as the Apostle Paul—unfolds, he believes he is building God’s Kingdom by persecuting believers. Yet on his way to Damascus to continue this mission, the Lord suddenly …
Surrendering to God is what we do as we realize we are on the wrong path in life and open our hearts to His guidance. Saul, who we know as the Apostle Paul, experienced this when Jesus broke into his life while he was traveling to Damascus to persecute believers. Acts 9:3 As he was approaching …
A transition can occur when God interrupts our direction. Saul thought he was serving God by persecuting the church. Acts 9: 1Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for …
God responds to our cries because He loves and cares for us. Psalm 145:18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. 6 Perhaps there was a significant time in your life when you cried out to the Lord, or you might be experiencing …
Earlier, Sarah and Abraham had lacked trust in God’s plan. Since Sarah had not become pregnant, she had her maid act as a surrogate for her. Ishmael was born as a result of that decision. Now, they were experiencing the consequences. Genesis 21: 9 But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making …
Abraham wholeheartedly believed that God answers prayers, a truth he had experienced throughout his life. God does not always respond in the way we expect or with the outcomes we fully desire, but according to His perfect will and grace. I remember praying for an eight-month-old infant suffering from a liver disease. As I laid …
Hanging on when God says to let go often represents a significant part of our spiritual journey. Before returning to school to become a pastor, I spent twelve years in a completely different profession. To follow the direction the Lord was leading me, my wife and I had to let go of our jobs and …