Daily Devotional for April 29, 2010
This is a faithful saying,
and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief.
1st Timothy 1:15
and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief.
1st Timothy 1:15
Hear the Word of the Lord, “Now is the time to come out of your state of complacency and begin to add action to what you profess.” I hear the Lord saying, “If you love Me, feed My sheep. That one in which you were so quick to despise is the very one I assigned to assist you in the process that I am taking you through. Despise not what you consider to be small in your eyes.”
The story of Apostle Paul is a shining example of the power of God being demonstrated in the life of someone who would otherwise be considered unworthy. It is demonstrated in such a way that it should be difficult for anyone reading its account not to stand up and applaud. Just to see the way in which a man who once was considered an enemy, a literal threat to Christians can turn around and write almost 50% of the New Testament. To witness the account of a man considered the most notorious by worldly standards turn out to be accounted as one of the greatest evangelists this world has ever known who died proclaiming his undying devotion to the one whom He once hated.
If we were to look close enough, all of us can perhaps see a little bit of ourselves wrapped up in Paul’s life. The reason for my saying this is because before accepting Christ as our own personal Saviour we may have despised the very thought of Christianity and we wanted nothing to do with anything that even related to the subject. In some cases, it was just too much pressure associated with being a Christian, in other cases it was the environment of “religion” that actually opposed and hindered us from truly living a sincere Christian life. We may have had Christian values instilled in us from early childhood but our mindset never fully grasped the concept while all around us we viewed different images of Christians being “evil and wicked”.
I once heard the testimony of three men who lived their lives as terrorists. These men grew up in a country where they were trained to hate not only Americans, but Israelites and even Christians. At young ages these men were recruited into an organization that went about on various assignments and missions to detonate buildings, cars and even themselves because they believed and were trained to understand that this was their ticket into heaven and that there would be a great reward waiting for them as a result of their sacrifice. But one day they heard about Jesus and instantly their lives were transformed.
My brother, my sister, the bottom line is that we ALL have done so many things against the very One who sacrificed so much for our freedom and redemption. He has shown us time and time again just how much He loves us and yet still we refuse Him. Thank God that the same power that saved Paul and these three young men is still available to deliver anyone who would dare to call upon His name. Now we are able to say with a conviction that indeed He is able to save.
If we were to look close enough, all of us can perhaps see a little bit of ourselves wrapped up in Paul’s life. The reason for my saying this is because before accepting Christ as our own personal Saviour we may have despised the very thought of Christianity and we wanted nothing to do with anything that even related to the subject. In some cases, it was just too much pressure associated with being a Christian, in other cases it was the environment of “religion” that actually opposed and hindered us from truly living a sincere Christian life. We may have had Christian values instilled in us from early childhood but our mindset never fully grasped the concept while all around us we viewed different images of Christians being “evil and wicked”.
I once heard the testimony of three men who lived their lives as terrorists. These men grew up in a country where they were trained to hate not only Americans, but Israelites and even Christians. At young ages these men were recruited into an organization that went about on various assignments and missions to detonate buildings, cars and even themselves because they believed and were trained to understand that this was their ticket into heaven and that there would be a great reward waiting for them as a result of their sacrifice. But one day they heard about Jesus and instantly their lives were transformed.
My brother, my sister, the bottom line is that we ALL have done so many things against the very One who sacrificed so much for our freedom and redemption. He has shown us time and time again just how much He loves us and yet still we refuse Him. Thank God that the same power that saved Paul and these three young men is still available to deliver anyone who would dare to call upon His name. Now we are able to say with a conviction that indeed He is able to save.
Is that your testimony today?
Word For Today: And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest…And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven - Acts 9:1,3 – Oh, the depth of love that our Saviour has for us even when we are intent on fighting against Him.
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