Murderer to minister and the church is cancelled?

I have seen some amazing changes God has done in people’s lives. I have seen the power of the Spirit of God turn people from sinful ways. I have seen Jesus turn cold hearted people to loving and generous. I have seen some people live through terrible situations and come out better in the end. I have seen people that should have died in bad accidents walk away alive. I have seen people worship Jesus while going through physical and emotional storms. Most of all I know a story where Jesus turned a murderer to a minister.

He used to murder Jesus followers now he is one. This is the story of Paul. Paul was one of the first century enemies of Christianity. He went by the name Saul and was one of if not the number one enemy of Christianity. He got documents created so he could jail Christians or Jesus followers. Worst, some of the people he persecuted he was able to get them put to death. How could Jesus change this man? He did.

Long after this conversion and starting multiple churches, Paul had enemies. People questioned Paul’s motives.  In 2 Corinthians 4:1 it states, “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” Not losing heart is the same as giving up. Paul didn’t give up. Through the tough times in Paul’s life, he didn’t give up. Paul was under attack. They questioned his motives in Corinth. They said he used the gospel for his own benefit. They thought he deceived people (Verse 2) and the way this was put meant Paul was cunning and trickery. They didn’t like Paul.

This is Paul. The man wrote several of the books of the Bible I love. The man started churches in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Many came to know Jesus through him and people hated him? Believing in Jesus does not mean life is going to be easy. He stayed strong with his will and the message of God led him through tough times.

Paul constantly reminded us this in 2 Corinthians 4:5-6…”For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”

Paul didn’t do Christianity for his benefit but for Jesus’. Jesus was the focus not Paul. Paul worked hard not to make himself the focal point but Christ. Paul was once in darkness, Jesus changed that. Jesus bring light to dark places. This is what we are called to do as Christians bring light to darkness. Today we have an amazing opportunity to do that.

Over the next three days the weather is going to be miserable in the Midwest. For only the third time in my life church is cancelled. Just because service is cancelled, doesn’t mean a break from Jesus. I am looking forward to sharing the love of Christ with my family today. I am looking forward to Hailee and I watching a sermon online. I am looking forward to spending time in the word of God with my kids. I am looking forward to breaking bread and having communion with my family. It’s going to be a different Sunday but a Sunday I look forward to very much. It’s still a Sunday I can worship Jesus.

Even though many church buildings are closed the church is still thriving. How can you lift up Jesus today? How can you let the story of Paul influence you in a positive way? Today is an amazing day, you will never be as young as you are today, don’t waste it away. You can do amazing things.

Have a great day.

If it rains cats and dogs would you get a rabies shot

When it rains it pours.  Sometimes in life we feel we can’t get ahead,  we weathered a storm only to find out were in the eye of the hurricane. Life can get hard, and still get worse after that.

There were some athletes I followed who went through some nasty injuries.  One of which tore his ACL his freshman year in high school.  He fully recovered by the next football season and we ready to go. A week into the season, he tore his other ACL, he was down.  He fully recovered from it and was ready for the next season.  In order to play football, he wore two super knee braces.  While playing running back, he ran through the gap, his knee braces hit each other causing him to fall.  He was tackled without being tackled. He decided to stop playing football after that.

Sometimes in life, we weather a storm and things can get worse as in Paul’s case.  Paul got everyone saved from the storm. Next they were shipwrecked on an island (People from the island came to help them out) he was out helping them collect brushwood for a fire when a venomous snake bit him.  The native islanders thought this dude had ticked off God.  This is the next part of the story in some of Acts 28:4-6…

“The man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live. But Paul shook the snake off in the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.”

They thought Paul was bad and that is why he deserved to be punished twice.

They stayed away from this man, but it was not was it seemed.  Going off the Princess Bride, “I do not think that situation  means what you think it means.” Paul survived the situation, but how many times do you feel like that?

You make it through a bad situation only to get hit with another one.  A couple of weeks ago I came to an intersection where there was an accident, the lady had kids in her vehicle and was pretty angry/frustrated.  The kids were fine, but she was almost in tears saying, “My dad is going to kill me.” It ends up she just bought this vehicle and on the way home was in a crash with a couple of thousands in damages even though everything was ok.

Bad things can happen in life, but will you let those bad things consume you? Paul survived a nasty shipwreck and then he got bit by a venomous snake (I don’t recommend testing God on this one). He didn’t start saying “Why me God, why me?” He wasn’t depressed from this reason or think things were going to get worse. 

Have faith that life will improve and can improve.  Paul was able to make through some awful situations because of his faith in God and you can too.  Even through the worst of times God can offers us comfort.  Don’t give up on life because it won’t give up on you.  Things can and will get better.

Have a great day.