51
THE ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS
Acts 9:1-9
Acts 9:1-9
The disciple is not greater than his master. If any man is going to be like Jesus Christ, he must be persecuted, just as the Master was. The scattering of the disciples was part of the process that made the gospel spread across the face of the earth. Many a time, persecution brings out the hidden resources that God has placed in us. For example, we see the case of Stephen in Acts 6. We see the best of his gifting revealed, even as he died for the sake of what he stood for. Likewise, Philip took up the good work, and built on the foundation that Jesus Christ Himself built in Samaria (John 4; Acts 8).
Whatever you are going through is for a while. These persecutions work in us, a far more eternal and exceeding weight of glory. The encounter with Jesus Christ would not only change things around you, it would also change ‘you’. If the Lord changes you, everything around you begins to change. A change (shift) in our value system would bring about the change we seek.
Let us now turn our attention to the story of Apostle Paul and his encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus. The light; that shone on Paul raises up and knocks down. The light of God would knock down everything that is not of God in our lives in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Jesus is calling each and every one of us by name and is giving an appraisal of our lives. The question is, are we persecuting Jesus; through our attitude to service and commitment to the things of the kingdom? When you take delight in doing the wrong things for which Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price, you are indeed persecuting Him.
John 9:35-38: When Jesus discovered that the man he had healed of his blindness had been cast out of the temple, Jesus asked him: “Do you believe in the Son of God?” The man answered: “who is the Son of man, that I might believe in Him?” And, Jesus said, “I am He”. The same thing happened in John 4:26: “I that speak with you, I am He”. An inquiry born out of a genuine heart desire would reveal the person of Jesus to you.
John 9:39: There is an ethical adjustment, a change in your life’s taste bud, a necessary correction that must take place in your life. It is never about your own agenda, but God’s. The encounter with Jesus Christ is a personal experience. Paul the Apostle eventually entered the city of Damascus, but he was a broken man. Sometimes, people are scared of being broken, that is why they do not desire an encounter with Jesus Christ. The men that followed Paul heard a voice, but Paul heard The Voice. These men saw a light, but Paul saw The Light. Let God work on you, so that He might work through you. Nothing whatsoever (according to Rom 8: 35), can separate us from this love of Christ.
Receive the grace for the encounter with Jesus Christ in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Receive the grace for the encounter with Jesus Christ in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
PASTOR NATHANIEL SADELA
Resident Pastor
