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Pastor Lud Golz
Pastor Lud Golz

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  Home | Transcript Archive | December | December 07, 2009

Monday, December 07, 2009

We have seen in our study of Stephen’s life that the outcome of his impact appeared to be nothing but negative. Acts 9 begins with this negative perspective. 

But beginning in verse 3 there begins to be a change. A rather dramatic change, in fact. A blinding light overwhelmed Saul and his companions as they were nearing the city of Damascus. Then he heard Jesus speaking, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “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.” 
 
When he got up he couldn’t see, so his companions led him to Damascus. The Richter scale measuring the turmoil in Saul’s mind and heart topped out. “For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.” Now, the question I would like to pose is this: What initiated this earthquake eruption in Saul’s mind and heart? 
 
When Jesus said that Saul was persecuting Him, in what way was he doing this? My own conclusion is that Saul was persecuting Jesus by persecuting Christians. And the one with whom this all started was none other than Stephen! So, did Stephen’s life have a positive outcome? Well, not at first. But since Jesus was actively involved in Stephen’s life, and used his witness to provoke Saul to become this major persecutor of the Church, something very special was beginning to take place. 
 
The point I would like to make is this: The positive impact of your life and witness might not be apparent at first, but trust God to do something good through it. 
 

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