Tag Archives: road to damascus

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Presidential Prayer Team; C.P. – Good Kind of Jealous

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In recent headlines, the IRS admits targeting conservative groups. You may wonder if God cares about the way His people are treated. Yes, He loves His people passionately. Case in point: on first reading of today’s verse you may think the “you” Isaiah refers to is God. But in reality he is speaking to the nation of Israel.

For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you shall perish. Isaiah 60:12

God was getting ready to do an amazing work in Israel. He promised to bless and protect them. He said, in a sense, “the way they treat you is the way they treat Me.” He identified with them. In the New Testament we see another clear picture of God identifying with His people. On the road to Damascus when Paul was struck blind, Jesus asked, “Why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4) The “me” Paul was persecuting was Christians.

God’s eyes are on this nation. He sees the persecution that is rising up in this country. He identifies with a believer’s pain. Know that God jealously loves you and cares for you. Pray for those in the United States who oppose Christians to repent, look with favor on believers, and for many to receive Jesus as their Savior.

Recommended Reading: John 15:12-25

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The Joy of Exalting Christ – John MacArthur

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“Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:1).

Next to the Lord Himself, Paul is perhaps the greatest illustration that joy is not necessarily related to one’s circumstances.

Paul wrote to the Philippians from a prison cell, yet he spoke of joy and contentment. His life was a series of difficulties and life-threatening situations (see 2 Cor. 11:23-33). In fact the Lord, shortly after confronting him on the road to Damascus, said, “[Paul] is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15-16). Yet in every situation Paul found cause for rejoicing.

His compelling desire to exalt Christ drove him to endure trial after trial. When Christ was exalted, Paul rejoiced. That was evident in Philippi where, after a brief ministry in which God redeemed a businesswoman named Lydia and expelled demons from a slave girl, Paul and Silas were falsely accused, unjustly beaten, and thrown into prison. Even that didn’t stifle their joy, for at “about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).

That was such a powerful testimony to the joy of the Lord that soon afterward the jailer and his entire family believed the gospel and were saved.

Even when imprisonment prevented Paul from ministering as effectively as he desired, and when others usurped his apostleship and preached Christ out of envy and strife, he remained undaunted (Phil. 1:18). His circumstances were secondary to the priority of exalting Christ.

Is that your perspective? It can be! If your priority is to exalt Christ in every circumstance, whatever furthers that purpose will bring you joy.

Suggestions for Prayer:  Ask the Lord to help you maintain the priority of exalting Christ in every area of your life.

If you feel envy or resentment toward others who proclaim the gospel (Phil. 1:15-17), confess that and learn to rejoice whenever Christ is exalted.

For Further Study: Read Exodus 15:1-21 and Psalm 99. How did Moses, Miriam, and the psalmist exalt the Lord?

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A Choice in the Matter – Greg Laurie

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And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”—Acts 9:17

After hearing the voice of Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul (later to become Paul) was left blind. He was led to the home of a man named Judas in Damascus, and he had no idea what would happen next.

Enter an unsung hero named Ananias. God appeared to him in a vision and said, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight” (Acts 9:11–12).

But Ananias said, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem . . .” (verse 13).

I can understand the reticence on Ananias’ part. The idea of Saul’s becoming a Christian would not even be believable or plausible.

Yet God was unmoved by Ananias’ protest. He said, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel” (verse 15).

So Ananias obeyed, and Saul received his sight. Everything happened just as God said it would.

Sometimes God will ask us to do something we may be reluctant to do. But we have a choice in the matter. We don’t have to obey God. When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to them, he went—in the opposite direction. And eventually Jonah ended up doing what God wanted him to do.

So you can be a Jonah, or you can be an Ananias. You can say yes, or you can say no.

Man has his will, but God will always have His way.

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