The good news is that it’s NOT the Coronavirus. The bad news is that whatever this bug may be, it has knocked me flat for a week.
But fear not, my friends. I have NOT left you without a PODCAST.
In fact, as I reach back into the massive archive of podcasts, I’ve selected THE sermon that planted the seed of salvation in the soul of Saul-turned-Paul.
NOT my sermon, to be sure. But the sermon of Stephen. THE sermon overheard by Saul-now-Paul as he aided and abetted the stoning of this precious man.
For without a Stephen, there likely never would have been a Paul.
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You are about to meet two individuals, remarkable each. YET, as you are about to hear on this PODCAST, they were both utterly invisible, completely anonymous, hidden in the shadows.
Invisible, anonymous, hidden to everyone but God.
Do you ever feel invisible? As if, when all is said and done, your life might count for very little? Or nothing at all?
Encouragement for your soul is one click away!
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It had to be a rather rude awakening to be sure—Paul’s initial introduction to the unenviable life of an apostle.
As we will learn in this PODCAST, there is much—much more than we could possibly imagine—behind Paul’s otherwise enigmatic statement in 1 Corinthians 4:9, a rare moment of personal reflection (and dare-I-say exasperation and frustration) in the writings of this most-prolific apostle:
“I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike.”
Well, here in Acts 9, the Apostle to us Gentiles endured quite the humiliating spectacle indeed.
It was hardly the homecoming our new friend, the Apostle Paul, had anticipated as he entered archway in the main gate leading to Straight Street in Damascus.
Was his heart all a-flutter? Mine would have been.
After a three-year absence from its legendary landscape, his formal training as an apostle now complete. I have to believe that Saul-now-Paul had much upon which he would have liked to reflect.
Perhaps a quiet, private, personal rendezvous with the spot on the road where he first met Jesus?
Maybe a knock on the door of Judas’ house, where he was graciously housed for three days as a man-struck-blind?
How about cup of Turkish coffee with Ananias, the man tasked with, and understandably fearful of, being first follower of Jesus to approach just-converted Saul?
Possibly some visits to the synagogues where he first preached, “Jesus is indeed the Son of God”?
Paul’s heart had to be pitter-pattering with excited anticipation as he once-again approached the storied city.
But alas. A happy homecoming wasn’t in cards that fate dealt this soon-to-be-suffering servant of Jesus.
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Well, truth be told, there are a lot of things that I love about the Bible. Far too many to tell in this PODCAST.
But certainly residing at or near the top of my rather lengthy list is this: The window the biblical writers open to the growth and maturity of its principle players.
Case in point: The Apostle Paul.
Paul did not emerge from his road to Damascus encounter with Jesus a wholly-mature believer. Nor did Paul burst on the scene armed with a fully-formed theology that would become the capstone of his prolific writings. Paul had to grow in his faith as a committed Christ-follower just like the rest of us.
I love that!
Paul moved from a measurably primitive understanding of Jesus to a remarkably profound comprehension of who Jesus was and is and all that Jesus did and accomplished. This growth, this development, this maturity takes place right before our wondering eyes ever to behold in all of its spiritual splendor.
In short, Paul was a person in process, just like us! A process well-documented in the New Testament that as we are about to learn slowly-but-surely took place over many, many years.
Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to begin to play.