Tis the Night Before Christmas...

Perhaps it is the caffeine from the Mt. Dew I drank for dinner, since I haven't had one in several weeks, that has me awake at 4:15AM on this Christmas Eve!?! Then again, maybe it is the words of the Lord that I read prior to falling asleep that has stirred my thoughts and emotions...

Several months have passed since I began the "To Live As Christ" bible study written by Beth Moore. The study, which looks at the life of the apostle Paul, has been extremely eye-opening for me in several ways. Last night as I was rereading a portion of the bible study, the RED words in Acts 9:15-16 caught my attention:

"But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Something really strikes me about this passage.

To understand this, a little context is in order. As my recent posts have alluded to, I am trying to better understand the roots of my beliefs. Not that I question them or am searching for answers - I am quite confident in that respect. However, I have not really been able to defend my faith when questioned by skeptics. Modern culture and skeptics echo the sentiment that Christianity is a crutch or a convenient social construct to standardize morals. Numerous movements seek to undermine the credability of the Bible or to prove that Jesus wasn't the risen savior. Neither of which have gained any significant ground in over 2,000 years worth of efforts...

With that said, the thing that strikes me about the Acts passage is the statement "I will show him how much he must suffer..." Whether this SHOWING refers to the few days that he was blind and praying, or over the course of his ministry, or both I don't really know. But the greater question is the thought of what man says "yippee" I get to be stoned, shipwrecked, imprisoned, mocked, ridiculed, etc., etc., etc. - and willingly do it for some social crutch or common moral construct? Especially since the 10 commandments had long since been in place if we were just looking for moral law!

I believe the only reason a man of Paul's stature (a Pharisee) would do such a u-turn is to have had a real encouter with the Lord Jesus. One that he could hear the words of the Lord echo day after day in his mind - one the continued to reassure him of the calling and purpose for which he was called. Something I'm sure he would have to have been reassured of frequently throughout his missionary journeys and the numerous trials.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, I'm going back to bed so I don't wake the mouse... :)

Merry Christmas and God bless!