By Donnie Stubblefield
In Acts 9, we read about Saul heading out on his mission trip to Damascus. Saul is going with the purpose of doing God’s work according to Saul’s agenda. Saul will eradicate the people of the Way who are not following the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Law. Saul was leaving on his mission with a surge of energy after having been at the stoning of Stephen, one of “those people.” Saul was zealous! As Saul was on his Damascus road trip, suddenly he encountered a blinding Light. Saul fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Paul 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 Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes, he could see nothing. The men with Saul led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not drink or eat anything.
For three days, this independent, highly successful, highly driven, man-on-a-mission had to be led by the hand like a child. For three days, Saul had to process the voice of Jesus in his head. For three days, Saul had to think about the recent stoning of Stephen and all the others. For three days, Saul had to think with his heart and soul, not just his mind. AND after three days, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Truth of the Way that Jesus proclaimed moved from Saul’s head to his heart. Saul obeyed divine inspiration and went to Ananias and heard, “Brother Saul, the Lord–Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Saul could see clearly now and got up and was baptized. The distance from Saul’s head to his heart is about a foot. That foot changed God’s Word from religion to relationship. Paul was zealous!
In Spring of 1997, I went to the confirmation of my niece at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Kentucky. Her small group of confirmands stood before the church body and answered the questions asked by the pastor. They all stood in their white robes and red stoles, and were confirmed in their Christian Faith.
On December 1, 1997, Michael Carneal walked into Heath High School in Paducah, KY, and opened fire on a group of praying students, killing three and injuring five more people. Michael Carneal was in that confirmation class just 8 months earlier. He was alone and bullied. Michael was not in relationship.
Three of our greatest human needs are acceptance, belonging, and care. That is why we will be launching Faith and Friends for high school students beginning February 9, 2020, fro 6-7:30 PM at Philip Kolterman’s house, 1333 Valley Ct., Libertyville. Students need to be in relationship with one another and with Christ. We will discuss Hot Topics of the day and how to look for the Truth in Scripture to answer the daily challenges. We will close out with a time of prayer after sharing our Blessing, Beef or Burdens….sharing about how God has blessed our life in the last week…or a beef we have with someone or something and any burdens that we or someone we know are facing. All Faith high school students and their friends are welcomed to join us.
I pray that we all experience the foot that heals!
Our world needs fewer Sauls and more Pauls!