Today's class is about how God Himself moves things, moves people, moves history, moves events to accomplish everything He desires, to fulfill His plan of winning the world into the knowledge of Living God and today we will see an amazing part of that plan coming to fruition.

Today's story is truly a story of how God ACTS - how He acts in the heart of Saul, a persecutor of followers of Jesus, working to imprison believers.

As Saul was walking on the way to Damascus suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him and he fell to the ground as he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" His response, "Who are you, Lord?"

This is an important question! The response he hears is, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." Note "I am", this is significant because these are the very words God calls Himself - the "I Am." These words show that

Then and Now:

Jesus is alive! And thus there is hope, a future and life transforming power!
Theophany - a visible manifestation of a deity

burning bush at Sinai
Israel at Mount Sinai - voice of God from heaven and the mount on fire
transfiguration of Jesus
And now Saul encounters God

Jesus is who He said He is!
Jesus gives sight to the blind. Saul is left blind following the encounter with The Light (Jesus). The others with him, led him to the city and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything. However, while he was physically blind his heart was opened and could "see" who Jesus is. When we don' know Jesus - we are blind, but He gives sight to the blind when we come to know Him.

As we continue reading: A disciple name Ananias. through a vision from the Lord, was told to go to see Saul because God tells him that He has given Saul a vision of a man named Ananias who will restore his sight. That Saul will be expecting him. However, Ananias knows who Saul is and is hesitant to go. But the Lord says, "Go! This man (Saul) is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Knowing Jesus changes everything! Ananias goes to Saul and says, "Brother Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here - has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit!" This is a personal Pentecost for Saul. Then scales fell from Saul's eyes and he is able to see and was baptized. Saul's heart was changed when he met Jesus. Our lives, too, are changed by Jesus. Knowing Jesus changes our hearts, our lives and our eternal destiny.
Knowing Jesus brings new purpose to life! Now this man that was sent to Damascus to arrest Jesus followers, is now in the synagogues preaching that Jesus is the Son of God! People were astonished to see the change in Saul. Saul continued preaching growing more and more powerful, baffling the Jews by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. Saul went from being a persecutor of Jesus Followers to sharing the Good News of Jesus and gaining more Jesus Followers for God's Kingdom. Saul was sold out to Christ and nothing but sharing Jesus' story was important to him.

This week's READING ASSIGNMENT:

Acts chapter 9-10 (read and reflect on these two chapters together).

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