Thought of the Day !!

Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers.

                              Acts 9:1 (NLT)

Let me tell you about Dori and her two children.  They were Muslims who escaped Syria by night when rebels took Dori’s husband.  They made their way to Jordan. They got there and were in need of everything, for they left everything behind.  They went to the local mosque but no one would give them anything.  Then some Christians showed them love and gave them more than they needed. 

Dori was eventually converted to Christianity.  But doing so meant that her life would become even more dangerous. In many parts of the world you will be persecuted for being a person who is born a Christian but killed if you are a convert from Islam.  Dori fears for her life daily but continues to follow Jesus.

Let me tell you about Shukri.  He was an Iraqi Christian who loved all people, Muslim and Christian alike.  He felt Jesus calling him to go to Mosul with his family and hand out bibles.  He went and handed them out at mosques.  This led to six men from ISIS surrounding him and killing him, but only after bibles had gotten into the hands of many Islamic people.

                                                Stories from Killing Christians by Tom Doyle

The first people who persecuted Christians did so even before we were called Christians.  The earliest believers called themselves followers of the Way.  These early Christ followers were first persecuted by the Jewish leadership.  One such man who was adamant about destroying this new religion was Saul of Tarsus. 

Saul was the epitome of a persecutor of the early believers.  He hated them, thought they were an ungodly cult, and had the desire to rid the world of them.  You could say that Saul was the first terrorist to strike against Christianity.       

We know Saul of Tarsus better by the name he took later on, which is Paul.  This is the man who was converted after seeing a bright light and hearing Jesus call him.  This is the same man who wrote most of the New Testament and started up numerous churches. 

Paul had an appalling past.  He had hate and unforgiveness, a couple of things that were totally contrary to Jesus’ teachings.  Yet God chose him to bring the Good News to so many.  If God can use a man like Saul of Tarsus; if He can use people like Shukri and underground Christians in Jordan, He can surely use you or me.  What might God be calling you to that you’ve been putting off?

In the love of Christ,

greg