Galatians 1
Let's take ourselves back and see life through the eyes of Paul. Before his transformation, Paul (Saul) was very knowledgeable in Scripture and most likely very respected among in the Jewish community. I found it interesting to learn that the name "Saul" means significant one. After his his transformation, He took on the the "Paul" which means "little". It was this humbling event, not only in his name, but in his spirit, that made him available to be used by God and become an Apostle, an ambassador for Christ. Once a former enemy of the followers of Jesus, who he brutally persecuted, he is now preaching the gospel of faith that he was once was obsessed with destroying. He finds himself faced with controversies between grace and law, faith and deeds, and as a result of his transformation that took place on the road to Damascus, Paul is writing a letter proclaiming the reality of our liberty in Christ. Despite all the controversy going on around him, Paul's supreme passion always remained to please God. The revelation leading to his transformation could only be attributed by a direct encounter with the Living God. I pray everyone is blessed with such a great encounter. Our mission is the same and couldn't be made any clearer. Each of us reading this has had some encounter with Jesus. It is what fueled our passion to live for Christ. Despite all the craziness that goes on in our lives, our supreme passion and focus must remain on pleasing God. As we begin our Church year, I pray we all quiet our hearts and our minds and take time to hear from the Lord. Paul gives us a great example on putting one's agenda aside and serving God. It's not about building our own kingdom, we're here to advance and build His.
Randi
Let's take ourselves back and see life through the eyes of Paul. Before his transformation, Paul (Saul) was very knowledgeable in Scripture and most likely very respected among in the Jewish community. I found it interesting to learn that the name "Saul" means significant one. After his his transformation, He took on the the "Paul" which means "little". It was this humbling event, not only in his name, but in his spirit, that made him available to be used by God and become an Apostle, an ambassador for Christ. Once a former enemy of the followers of Jesus, who he brutally persecuted, he is now preaching the gospel of faith that he was once was obsessed with destroying. He finds himself faced with controversies between grace and law, faith and deeds, and as a result of his transformation that took place on the road to Damascus, Paul is writing a letter proclaiming the reality of our liberty in Christ. Despite all the controversy going on around him, Paul's supreme passion always remained to please God. The revelation leading to his transformation could only be attributed by a direct encounter with the Living God. I pray everyone is blessed with such a great encounter. Our mission is the same and couldn't be made any clearer. Each of us reading this has had some encounter with Jesus. It is what fueled our passion to live for Christ. Despite all the craziness that goes on in our lives, our supreme passion and focus must remain on pleasing God. As we begin our Church year, I pray we all quiet our hearts and our minds and take time to hear from the Lord. Paul gives us a great example on putting one's agenda aside and serving God. It's not about building our own kingdom, we're here to advance and build His.
Randi
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