22/12/2020 - THE PERSECUTOR´S SUBMISSION

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So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:6

When Saul found himself surrounded by the radiance of God’s glory, he knew it came from the Almighty. When called by his name, he was certain that the voice was not of the enemy, but of the Lord. The message was too harsh for Saul to think that God was wrong about him; after all, he was wrong to persecute those who loved Jesus. Then he asked who He was, and the answer won him over.

It was a reckoning between the truth and the deception that dwelled in his heart. Speechless, Saul kept shaking. Then he surrendered to the Most High, asking how he should proceed. It was not easy to meet God like that. Moses’ vision was so terrifying that he was afraid and trembling (Hebrews 12:21); Saul’s was no different, because the light that surrounded him blinded his eyes. What do you want me to do, he asked.

True conversion to God does not come through emotional appeals, in which the person raises his hand, and the preacher says that they are saved. Of the hundred people who do this, at least 90% do not return to the services. I think this is our mistake because we don´t understand what we are doing. Is it the lack of power, or the encounter with God that we never had? Are we preaching the Gospel, or promoting our church? We have to think about it!

Saul had to fall to the ground to lose his arrogance, pride and other deviations that his religious soul had chosen. Even with the desire to serve God, man alone will never be able to do what is good. Without Jesus, we can do nothing, so we must be at the Lord’s feet continuously. On the floor, Saul saw that he was nothing without divine help. So he cried out to know what he had to do. Cry out too!

In the Old Covenant, when personal contact with God could not take place, man would climb the mountain, or go to the deserts. However, after Christ had overcome the devil, Saul was told to enter the city, where everything happens, and go to the place that was reserved for him. There, he would receive instructions. Don’t run away from problems; face them under the Lord´s guidance.

God does not need you to take refuge from temptations, but face them, because by His power, victory will come. When the Lord touches your life, He transforms you from a persecutor, weak and evil person, into a fearless, strong and good person. Thus, you are able to set an example that light is greater than darkness, and love is stronger than death. With Christ, you are more than a conqueror. Believe!

Saul went to the home of a man named Judas, perhaps an inn, where he would have stayed if he had not met God. He remained there in prayer and fasting, waiting for the Lord’s help. The Heavenly Father left him there for three days, just as He left His own Son in the tomb. He prayed and cleaned himself up, and God worked. Then he received power from on High!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares