“The Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’”

— Acts 9:5

How did Saul of Tarsus get changed? He was a religious zealot, persecuting the church wherever he could find it. He was committed to its destruction because he thought God wanted him to do this.

One day, as Saul approached Damascus, we are told in the ninth chapter of Acts, suddenly there was a light that shone upon him from heaven as if God turned on a great spotlight with a brilliant, dazzling whiteness that so struck him that he fell to the ground.

He was filled with terror and trembling, and he heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 9:4). In the Greek text there is an interesting emphasis that does not come out in the English. What it says there is, “Why Me do you persecute?” The emphasis is on the word “Me.”

That shows us that when anyone persecutes Christians, the apple of Christ’s eye, they are persecuting Him—that we are one body. He is the head; we are the body.

Consider Jesus’ question: “Why? What have I done to you, Saul? I left My throne in glory. I came down from the ivory palaces into this world of woe. I took upon Myself your guilt and went to a cross, and there I suffered in agony, even the very wrath of My Father, for you. I endured hell for you. Why are you persecuting Me?”

We should pray for the persecuted church—that they would continue to be faithful and that their attackers would be redeemed (as Saul was) or removed.

Jesus, Lord of the church, there are many today who are persecuting You. A new wave of cruelty and barbarism is being unleashed against Your people, and we grieve and ask, “How long, Lord?” before You lift up Your mighty sword and stop Your enemies…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, THE
MARTYRS WILL TRIUMPH.

“Many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified…”

— John 4:39

When people encounter Jesus, their lives are never the same again. We can see that in the instance of the woman at the well. This well was near Sychar in the region of the Samaritans who were hated by the Jews because they were half-breeds.

Jesus and His disciples were traveling through that region, and the disciples went off on an errand. Jesus met a certain woman at that well. She was a woman of ill repute. You may recall her encounter with Jesus: “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He’” (John 4:25-26). This woman dropped her water pot in amazement. She had confronted the living Messiah, and her life would never be the same again.

Amazingly, He directly told her that He was indeed the Messiah. At that point in His ministry, He generally kept that fact under the radar.

One of the first missionaries for Christ, she rushed to her region and called many of the townspeople to come and meet this amazing man, who was more than a prophet. They came and believed when they heard Jesus for themselves.

Whoever you are, whatever your background, the Lord can use you as a witness for Him. Then, others may also experience the transformation of heart that you experienced after your encounter with Jesus.

Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for Your work in our world. Daily You quicken dead hearts and bring people unto salvation. You call us to repentance and to gather in Jesus’ name. May You also use me as a witness to those who do not know You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, OUR
HEARTS CAN BE CHANGED.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.”

— 1 Timothy 1:15

Saul of Tarsus was born into a well-to-do family. His father was a Pharisee, and Saul followed in his footsteps. He was given the finest education. He was sent to Jerusalem to sit at the feet of Gamaliel. There he outstripped all of his countrymen in the religion of his fathers. He was blameless in the sight of men. He had a brilliant and quick mind.

When the crisis of Christianity broke in Jerusalem, he was the one who was going to be their champion. He persecuted Christians, hauling them into jail, torturing and killing them, and causing them to flee from the city of Jerusalem until there was now little fuel left for the martyrs’ fires that he wished to start.

He obtained letters from Caiaphas, who was still the High Priest, and set out to find and exterminate these Christians. He was, indeed, going to reverse the Great Commission. Jesus had said to go into all the world and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19). Saul was going to go into all the world and make sure the Gospel would not be preached to any creature.

Shakespeare says in Hamlet, “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough hew them how we will.” Saul was about to discover that Providence as he set out to destroy the church. Christ transformed him on the road to Damascus and changed him into perhaps the greatest missionary ever—the Apostle Paul. When Christ truly changes you, you are not the same anymore.

Lord, You who changed Saul into Paul, thank You for the transforming power You have over human hearts. Thank You for making me Your child and using me in Your kingdom. I pray today for those I love, whose hearts are still unregenerate. Lord, save them…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
SINNERS ARE CONVERTED.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

— Philippians 1:21 KJV

What is your philosophy of life? You say you don’t even have one? Oh, yes, you do. Everyone has one. Some have explicitly stated them or written them down. For most people, however, I am afraid they are more subconscious. These people may not even know they have one, but may I say that the less consciously it is declared, the more fully it controls a person’s life—even unbeknownst to them. You have a philosophy of life. What is it?

The world and the kingdom of Christ define success differently. To me, the only success that really matters is that which is of eternal value. Consider the example of Paul. He was not only a great apostle, a missionary, apologist, evangelist, statesman, and preacher, but he was also an unparalleled expert in the art of living. He had discovered the secret of a life worth living. He states it in a very succinct, terse, sententious form: “For to me to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21 kjv). There it is. Seven, simple, single-syllable words: “For to me to live is Christ.” There is a divine philosophy of life given to us by our Maker. I do not believe anyone could improve upon it, even if volumes were written.

Here is the great discovery of the secret to a successful life. Paul had discovered the art of living: “For to me to live is Christ.” And what does that mean when life is over? He finishes the verse: “…and to die is gain.”

Lord Jesus, who is my life, thank You for this beautiful philosophy of life. Thank You for being my life, my light, and my salvation. Thank You that all I need I have in You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
CHRIST CAN BE OUR LIFE.

“Those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who turn the many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.”

— Daniel 12:3

In this verse, Daniel gives a goal to set your heart on. Lift up your eyes. You are not one of the animals of the field to be satisfied with the husks on the ground, but lift up your eyes unto the stars.

Decades ago, I went into a suite of offices for some purpose. I don’t remember where it was or why I was there, but I remember one thing: When I got ready to leave and had finished my business, I was in something of a hurry, and I opened a door to the hall and stepped into a 3 x 4 foot broom closet. I instantly stepped out again, shamefacedly closed the door, and looked for the proper exit. I probably was in that broom closet for between one and two seconds.

Wouldn’t it be sad if I spent the rest of my life talking about that broom closet where I spent, at most, two seconds of my life? May I say to you, this world to which you give all of your energies and time and thought and effort will be less than two seconds of your eternal life. It has well been said that many people spend more time planning a two-week vacation than they plan where they are going to spend eternity. God has made you for forever. Some people cannot see beyond next year.

God of all creation, give me strength to lift my eyes to the stars, and as I count them, as Abraham did, let my faith and hope grow. Let me be a part of bringing people to righteousness and of imparting Your wisdom to others…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE LIFT
OUR EYES TO THE STARS.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us…”

— Ephesians 3:20

God is the God of “much more.” Consider the following verses from His Word. For example, here is 2 Chronicles 25:9 (nkjv): “And the man of God answered, ‘The Lord is able to give you much more than this.’” “Much more than this” is a favorite phrase of God’s Word:

• “…will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30).
• “…how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things…” (Matthew 7:11).
• “For if…we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10).
• “For if through the trespass of one man many died, then how much more has the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many” (Romans 5:15).
• “But the law entered, so that sin might increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded much more” (Roman 5:20).

And on and on and on the texts go.

Lord God, we pray that You who are the fulfiller of dreams, that You will bring greater achievements for the church of Jesus Christ around the world, according to Your good and perfect will. Give me strength for today to be useful in Your kingdom…

BY HIS STRENGTH, WE WILL
EXPERIENCE “MUCH MORE.”

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”

— Psalm 20:7

One of the best known stories of the Bible is that of David and Goliath. For days on end, the armies of the Israelites faced the armies of the Philistines. And daily Goliath taunted the Israelite army, which cringed before this giant of a man who was nine and a half feet tall. All of their courage and their PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) had fizzled out. Their self-confidence had reached its limit, and it ended up in despair.

Then along came this stripling named David, who went out to take on Goliath saying, “I come at you in the name of the Lord of Hosts.” There is such a thing as Godconfidence, or Christ-confidence, which is infinitely better than self-confidence, though that is better than no confidence at all. With “Christ-confidence,” we can do all things. Jesus said, “…if you have faith and do not doubt… if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done” (Matthew 21:21).

David had practice as a shepherd, slaying a lion and a bear that threatened the sheep. But his real trust was in the Lord, and that is why he prevailed. And so can we—if we trust in the Lord.

Lord Jesus, thank You that I can always trust in You. Make me into such a person as You can entrust with Your work. Help me to never put confidence in the flesh, but in You and Your power and strength…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
FACE THE GIANTS IN OUR LIVES.

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth.”

— Colossians 3:2

The Bible tells us that we are to believe that we have the promises of God. If God has promised it, it is as good as done and we are by faith to believe that it has come to pass; so in a very real sense, that is biblical. However, the Scripture also tells us that we are not to set our affections on things here below, but are to set our affections on things above.

I remember a young man, like so many today, whose whole life centered on a really great-looking sports car. That piece of machinery had become his idol. He did all but bow to the ground before the car or light votive candles and sprinkle a little incense on the candles in front of it. God has made us for greater things than some pile of metal. In a few years that young man’s fancy automobile will be fit for nothing but a junk pile.

God has made you an immortal soul; He has fitted you for the stars. Too many are groveling in the mud flats of materialism. Set your affections on things above— attempt great things for God. You know what? He might just give you that pile of bolts and metal. As C. S. Lewis once put it, “Aim for heaven and you get earth thrown in. Aim for earth, and you get neither.” God may be pleased to give you all sorts of things, but your heart should be set on things above.

Dear Heavenly Father, set my heart on things above today. Let my treasure be on things above. Let me truly value the things of Your kingdom. I thank You for my earthly things and ask that, although I possess them, that they not possess me…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, OUR HEARTS
ARE SEALED FOR HEAVEN.

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…”

— Acts 17:6

Several decades ago, I read a statement in a book entitled The Strong Name. It was written by a professor at the University of Glasgow. His name was James Stewart. No, he never went to Hollywood—he had greater things on his mind. This is what he said:

If we could but show the world that being committed to Christ
is no tame, humdrum sheltered monotony, but the most exciting
adventure the human spirit could ever know, then those who
have been standing outside looking askance at Christ would come
crowding in to pay allegiance, and we may well see the greatest
spiritual revival since Pentecost.

I wonder what your friends think of your Christianity, of your religion? Is it some tame, humdrum sheltered monotony? Sadly, for some of us our friends could say, “That describes it pretty well.” Or is it the most exciting adventure the human spirit can ever know? Well, I’ll tell you, it’s going to inevitably be the first and not the latter unless you believe Paul’s text: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV).

Peter once said to Jesus: “See, we have left everything and followed You. What then shall we have?” Jesus replied, “…everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My name’s sake shall receive a hundred times as much and inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:27, 29). Following Jesus is an adventure in this life, and as it has been said, “the rewards are out of this world.”

Dear God, thank You for creating us for adventure and great stories. Help us to trust You to see us safely through the endeavors set before us. Thank You for the opportunities You give us. Help us to undertake them with all our might…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, OUR
LIVES CAN BE EXCITING.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.’“

— Mark 16:15

One of my great heroes of the past is William Carey (1761-1834) of England. I trust that every Christian knows who he was. Carey was a poor uneducated man who did nothing but fix shoes, and yet he had a dream. On the wall in front of him in his shop he had placed a map—a map of the world. He sat there fixing soles, but dreamt of fixing souls in lands where the Gospel was not known.

Carey was laughed at. He was told to shut up and sit down, but he wouldn’t do it because there was a dream. And so he set out on a long trip to India. He launched something 200 years ago called “The World Missionary Movement.” To take the words of Winston Churchill and apply them much more accurately, we can most certainly say that “never did so many owe so much to so few.” With so little support and help, missionaries have done the greatest work in the history of the world. Today, 200 years later, the work William Carey dreamt of has been started and planted in virtually every nation on earth because he had a dream and with God’s help, he fulfilled it.

Carey learned a number of languages. He wrote a dictionary in English and the Indian language of Bengali. He translated the Bible into numerous different languages. He became a scholar. He let God use him fully for the Gospel. May God help all of us to fulfill the task He has for us, one that helps spread His eternal kingdom.

God, Giver of dreams, give me dreams and visions for You. Let me fulfill the dreams You have planted in my heart. Thank You for the ones that have already been fulfilled…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
FULFILL THE DREAMS HE GIVES US.