Common Sense Reborn

May 14

¹Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.  He went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  ³As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

⁵“Who are you, Lord?”  Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.  So they led him by the hand into Damascus.  For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.  (Acts 9:1-9)

So begins the conversion of Saul.  Saul hunted down Christainity’s first followers with a fervor that would catch the attention of Jesus himself.  Instead of just destroying Saul, Jesus knows that He can use Saul to reach more people, both Jew and Gentile alike.  By blinding Saul, and then returning his sight in the presence of Peter, Jesus has gained His greatest enemy and turned him into His greatest warrior.  Saul will emerge from this circumstance as the Apostle Paul.  His fervor to destroy Christianity will soon become a fever to grow the Church greater than ever before.  

What trials has God brought you through to make your life richer and more rewarding?  How can you transform from Saul to Paul?  Who needs to hear your story?  I know the answer to that last question.  The answer is the world needs to hear your story.  And if you want to share it, email me and I’ll help you write your testimony, or just email your testimony to me and I’ll post it on the Common Sense Reborn website.  

Reading plan:  Acts 14

Deeper reading plan:  Esther 3, 4

Prayer and meditation:  Pray for the sick, pray for the lost and their loved ones.  Pray for redemption for this lost world.  Pray for a reviving rattle to shake COVID off this planet.  And continue to pray for all those in medical professions, grocery stores, supply chain operators, first responders, and the amazing teachers still doing all they can to teach the students they love so much.  Pray for all the businesses trying to recover and keep their associates able to provide for their families.  Pray that the world can reopen without a surge of new COVID outbreaks.  And pray that the world has undergone a lasting change and the flame of revival has been lit!

Fitness challenge:  Distance Run day!  Put in thirty minutes of work and see how far you can go!