REACH: THERE'S HOPE FOR US

Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.   So he went to the high priest. ² He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
³ As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
⁵ “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! ⁶ Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”  Acts 9:1-6  NLT


Have you ever killed somebody? Sure you have......stick with me, and prayerfully you see that you too, are a murderer....and there's hope for you too!     See this passage opens up saying that Saul was uttering threats with EVERY BREATH and eager to kill the Lord's followers.   So even while evil was in the breath and heart of this man, who actually thought he was justified in the WHY he was doing what he was doing, the LORD had a use for him.  Surely Jesus had every justifiable right to blink and eye and this righteous terrorist would cease to breath, even exist.   Much like you and I, he could've blinked an eye when we said what we said about Democrats, Republicans, Tea Party folk, or maybe not them.    What about what you had to say about the President, or those hurting young ladies at the abortion clinic.   What about what you had to say or think about your Ex-boyfriend, girlfriend, husband.   Ok maybe not them....but what about the feelings you have about your boss, your co-workers, your neighbors...or that homeless guy...or young lady/man dressed inappropriately that had the never to walk into the Lord's House. 

See we are more like Saul than we want to believe.  I can hear it now....Ray, you've gone too far!  God aint for.......................(fill in the blank).  If I remember right my KKK brothers and sisters were followers of Jesus Christ, that too thought they were justified in hanging, beating, burning, dragging, and murdering some of  my people......and as God would have it....they weren't of the ones directly in the line of my existence, so here I AM DEAL WITH IT!   But ok maybe that doesn't resonate with you.....but what about this summer THEY DON'T BELONG OUT HERE...LET THEM STAY WHERE THEY ARE AT........if I was in a coma and awaken to these words, I'd swear a time machine had to have been invented.   From what I understand about JESUS, these were not His heart regarding the Samaritans or Gentiles. 

So see.....you too are a murderer if you've never shed physical blood, you've assassinated a few people's characters.  Even if it was by accident, you know believing something about someone, because a ?trusted? friend told you.....and you never took the time yourself to give that person, that creation of  GOD the time of day for you to know them yourself.  

So how does my JESUS deal with the ELEPHANTS that despise the DONKEYS, and the left that can't seem to get along with the right, or those hurling insults to those at Planned Parenthood,  or those carrying prejudices.....He says, " Why are you persecuting me?"  Remember whatever you do to the least of these.......you are doing it to Him.   So that being said if you are reading this.....and maybe you're a little peeved at me....that's ok....YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE ME, but if you expect to worship HIM IN ETERNITY, you GOTTA LOVE ME!  So with that being said.....if GOD reached out to SAUL (Saul wasn't looking for this encounter) HE can reach out to you.....and I pray you are humble enough to repent, and make a complete transformation to WIN more people, than you have divided them......leave the division of up to Him on that GREAT DAY!   FOCUS ON LOVING HIM, and OTHERS!  LGLP