From Persecutor To Preacher

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” - 1 Corinthians 15:10

Persecution of the Christian faith seems to be on the rise and getting closer to home. In many nations, it is illegal to be a Christian. In these nations, Christians are forced to go underground, putting their lives at risk as they worship and serve God. Even in nearby Canada, preachers have been imprisoned as they publicly worshiped during the Covid outbreak. Here in the United States, there are many who wish to hinder Christians and suppress the Gospel message.

In times like this, it is important for us to realize that God is still in control. He has the power to change lives, including the most ardent persecutors. An excellent example of this is Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a zealous persecutor. He made it his life mission to silence Christians and stop Christianity. Yet Saul had a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. The persecutor soon became a preacher.

I've been writing about those who've made a positive difference in this world for the glory of God. While my writing has not included an exhaustive list of Biblical characters, we have looked at a few great men that God has used to make an impact in this world. We would be amiss to address this kind of subject without mentioning the Apostle Paul. Early in the book of Acts, he was referred to as Saul, but after his conversion, he was referred to as Paul.

Paul seemed to be a one-man spiritual dynamo. Although he had been a zealous sinner, after his conversion he became a zealous preacher. Why was Paul used so mightily to make a difference? Let me share just a few reasons.

1. A DRAMATIC CONVERSION

First of all, Paul had a dramatic conversion. I don't know of anyone with a conversion story like Paul's. In order to get his attention, God had to literally stop him in his tracks. With a blinding light from heaven, he was forced to see things differently. The persecutor was made to know that when he persecuted the people of Christ, he was persecuting Christ Himself. There in shock and awe, Paul met Jesus Christ. This profoundly changed his life. More than once, he would later share his salvation experience with others. A dramatic conversion made a dramatic change in his life.

2. A DIVINE CALLING

Secondly, Paul had a divine calling on his life. The persecutor became a preacher. Even though had a fiery zeal in his persecution of Christianity, he had a greater zeal in spreading the message of Christianity after his conversion. He was called to preach the very Gospel he had resisted. He was called to suffer for the very Gospel he made others suffer for. The persecutor would become the persecuted. The one who sought the death of Christians was now a Christian that others sought to slay.

3. A DETERMINED COMMITMENT

Finally, Paul had a determined commitment. He counted everything as loss in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ. He was sold out to the Lord. Once he would be stoned and left for dead, just to rise up and go forward preaching the next day. He suffered beatings, imprisonment and shipwreck. He knew what it was like to go hungry. Yet in spite of it all, he remained faithful to the Lord. Ultimately, he wrote much of our New Testament. He had a determined commitment.

Paul's influence is still being felt today. Although Peter was the first to preach the Gospel to Gentiles, the thrust of Paul's ministry was aimed at the Gentiles. The Gentile world has been impacted with the Gospel because of the Apostle Paul. As a gentile, I am grateful for Paul's ministry, writing and influence. What about you?

Despite temptations to be proud of his accomplishments, Paul gave credit where it really belonged. “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Writing to the Galatians, Paul wrote, “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

What a testimony from a man that God used in remarkable ways!

Twelve Chosen Men

“And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.” - Luke 6:13

These days, modern ministers emphasize numbers. Take a look in a Christian bookstore. The popular authors are typically pastors of mega-churches or huge para-church ministries. Our Christian sub-culture recognizes and even idolizes men who lead large ministries. It seems that numbers matter.

Of course, in one sense, numbers do matter because each number represents a person. People matter. However, numbers can easily become an idol that diverts a minister's attention to men rather than the Master. Instead of worshiping God, we can easily focus on the size of the congregation.

Think about our Lord's ministry. Early in His ministry, He chose men to be His apostles. He only chose twelve. Why not fifteen or twenty? Why not a hundred or a thousand? By today's standards, bigger is always better. Or is it?

In Luke 6:13, the Bible says that the Lord called his disciples and chose twelve to be His apostles. Yet consider the ones He chose. He chose rough fishermen and a tax collector to be among His apostles. These weren't highly respected members of the community. A tax collector, for instance, would be a very unpopular man in his neighborhood. Jesus did not go to a college or among the wealthy to choose His apostles. From a worldly perspective, the choices He made didn't make sense. Many modern ministers would balk at His choices. Yet eleven of these men would be used to turn the world upside down.

Just twelve men were chosen by Jesus. In spite of the large crowds that followed Jesus at times, their devotion was often fickle. They liked to see the miracles, hear His teaching and get free food from Jesus. There was a time when His teaching was so strong that all of them forsook Jesus. All that remained were the twelve apostles.

Ultimately, Jesus would die, rise again and ascend back to heaven. The message of the Gospel would be entrusted to His apostles. They were given the Great Commission. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, these men took the Gospel to the world. Despite their limitations and imperfections, they were used to make a powerful difference that is still being felt today.

It is time for us dismiss our worldly thoughts about ministry. God does not need huge crowds to accomplish His work. He is just looking for a few devoted people. When Gideon was about to go to battle, he had many soldiers at his disposal. Yet God chose just three hundred men to go into battle so that when victory was achieved, only God would get the glory for it.

I think there are lessons to be learned from our Lord's choosing of twelve apostles.

First of all, God can use small numbers to accomplish great things. It isn't the size of the crowd but their willingness to obey that makes a difference. God will use one surrendered saint more than a thousand fickle followers. D. L. Moody once said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.” Moody was used in a mighty way to spread the Gospel in the 19^th Century. God is not impressed with large numbers of people, but He loves to use a few consecrated followers.

Secondly, God uses weak people more than strong people. Strong, powerful and proud people tend to receive and enjoy the accolades and praise that only belong to God. The twelve that Jesus chose were not brilliant, popular, or powerful men. These were weak and flawed men. Through their weakness He showed Himself to be strong. He can use weak people like you and me.

Third, God sees more than a man's outward appearance. He knows our hearts. He knew, in advance, that one of His disciples was a thief and would eventually betray Him. Think about this for a moment. Judas walked close to Jesus, heard His teaching and saw the miracles. Yet He still rejected Jesus. The Lord knows who is really devoted to Him.

After our Lord ascended back to heaven, the apostles were unleashed upon an unbelieving world. The Spirit used these men to spread the Gospel and impact many lives.

He can use us to do the same today.

Unsung Heroes

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets.” - Hebrews 11:32

I've been writing about Biblical characters who were used of God to make a positive impact in this world. We studied some well-known people like Abraham and Moses. Also, we've thought about lesser-known men like Enoch and Josiah. These were men of faith that were used greatly by the Lord to make a difference in this world.

As we think about their lives, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. How many people do we know that we'd put on the same level as Moses or Abraham? I can only speak for myself, but I don't belong in such a class of men. Yet I find it refreshing to know that God uses people of all backgrounds. Regardless of your educational background, financial situation or professional credentials, God can use you. But I need to clarify something. He can use us if we don't get too big for Him to use us. Let me explain.

When we think about making a difference, there will always be a temptation to seek the spotlight. Pursuing the applause of men is a counterproductive motive. So many fall into this trap. They want to make a difference --- as long as they get public credit for what is accomplished. Such pride is shunned by our Lord. The Bible says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Moses, for instance, was known for his meekness, and God used him. It was his pride that kept him from entering the promised land. Our usability is contingent upon an humble attitude that leads us to realize our frailties and seek God for help. In such a situation, He alone gets the glory.

The Bible has many stories of unsung heroes. Some are named but get little attention from us. Others are unnamed, remaining obscure in spite of God's involvement.

The writer of Hebrews gives us a summary of heroes in the 11^th chapter of the epistle. As the chapter winds down, the writer goes into a list of people who were valiant and victorious in the faith. Many of these are not named in the text.

Let's be honest. Most of the people reading this will never be famous. Our names will never mentioned in history books. Yet it is better to make a positive difference in obscurity than to be well-known for all the wrong reasons.

If you really want God to use you to make a positive difference, you have to leave your pride and reputation at the door. God specializes in using humble people who seek to glorify Him.

President Ronald Reagan is credited for saying, “There is no limit how much good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.” Glory seekers tend to grab the attention of others, sometimes taking credit for the accomplishments they didn't even do. Such vanity is empty and useless.

I'd rather be a positive difference-maker than a glory-grabbing hypocrite who does nothing for anyone else. Politicians fight over who gets credit for economic good news. They are just as quick to blame others if the news is bad. No wonder we have so little respect for politicians. Let's resolve to never be like that.

Be an unsung hero in your home, work, church and community. Others may wish to take the credit for what you do, but keep in mind that God sees it all. The deeds we do, especially in secret, will ultimately be rewarded by Him.

In heaven, the unsung heroes won't be unsung anymore. God will honor and reward them. I want to be among that crowd, don't you?

Ultimately, all the glory belongs to only One. Let's work for His glory each day!

When Revival Came

“And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.” - 2 Chronicles 22:8, 10-11

As humans, we tend to overestimate what we can do for ourselves and we underestimate what God can do with us. It is wrong for us to assume that our gifts, talents and abilities are a substitute for God's mighty touch. Truly, our gifts, talents and abilities are on loan from Him, to be used for His glory. It is tragic when we take God's blessings for granted or use them for selfish reasons.

It may seem impossible for God to use one man to change an entire nation, but God did this with a man named Josiah. Josiah did not grow up in a godly home. In fact, his forefathers were just like everyone else at the time --- pagans. Yet God did something radical through this man. Josiah was used to make a powerful difference in his country.

Josiah became king of Judah at an early age. When he was 26 years old, a turning point occurred in his life and reign. While doing maintenance work to the temple, the high priest found a copy of the law. When the law was read, Josiah rent his clothes in profound concern. This led to a great revival in the land of Judah.

The revival under Josiah occurred as God moved in response to three things:

1. REVELATION

First of all, the Word of God was read. Revival began in Josiah's day when they found and read the book of the law. I feel that the 21st century church has drastically underestimated the power of God's Word. It is true that flashing lights and colorful entertainment will draw a crowd, but it takes the Word of God to change lives. The Word of God is always an important component of revival. If we want to see genuine revival here in America, it will require preachers, deacons and lay members to all return to the Bible. The preaching of the Word needs to be an important part of churches once more. We need to revive Bible reading, Bible study and Scripture memorization in our own lives. We need to return to the Word.

2. REPENTANCE

Secondly, when the law was read, Josiah rent his clothes. This act of repentance marked a time of real change. When Josiah heard the law read, he knew that he and his people were guilty of violating that law. The repercussions of their sin was terrifying. When a person is faced with the guilt of his sin, repentance should be the result. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. Things were about to change in the land of Judah because of the king's repentance. Today, repentance is needed in America. It needs to begin among those in spiritual leadership. For the most part, a church's spiritual condition mirrors that of its pastor. Pastors need to repent. Deacons need to repent. Sunday School teachers, Christian workers and the average church member needs to practice Biblical repentance. The lukewarmness of our times needs to give way to fiery zeal. We need to be about our Father's business once more. There has never been a genuine revival that did not include repentance. Too many church members are expecting sinners to repent, but refuse to repent themselves.

3. RENEWAL

Finally, Josiah re-instituted worship in Judah once more. They observed the Passover, among other things. They put away their idols and returned to God. They experienced a time of refreshing. Revival had come. The people got back to sincere worship once more. As I write this, our world unsettled because of war in the Ukraine. Here in America, we are suffering from inflation, Covid and uncertainty. We have deep divisions that separate us. Things look rather bleak right now. In the American Church, the situation looks dire. There are too many empty pews in America. Churches have little influence on the culture. There is overt pressure on ministers and ministries to compromise with the world. We need revival right now in America.

God brought revival to Judah through one young man, Josiah. Don't underestimate what God may do with you. It could be that He will use you as a catalyst for revival in your home, church and community --- maybe even the world.

Here's the inescapable fact. God doesn't need us, but we desperately need Him.

The King And His Kingdom

“And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.” - Acts 13:22-23

After the tyrannical reign of Great Britain, George Washington and others had the wisdom to organize the American nation under a democracy rather than a monarchy. Looking back, this decision is considered to be a key to America's rise to prominence.

While monarchies are very few in our world, we are tempted to think that the concept of a monarchy is old-fashioned, stale and fruitless. Of course, the key to a monarchy's success is the quality of king or queen that occupies the throne.

When Israel asked for a king, the request was met with opposition by its unofficial leader, Samuel. God reminded Samuel that their request was actually a rejection of deity. Israel's appeal for a king was a rejection of God Himself. Nevertheless, God permitted them to have a king. Their first king, Saul, started out with a great deal of success. However, as time went on, his reign turned into a disaster. Saul had rejected God and overstepped his authority. Saul ultimately rejected the word of the Lord through his disobedience. God finally rejected Saul and his reign.

In his place, the humble shepherd boy, David, was selected. David became the greatest king Israel would ever know. David was a difference maker. He was a valiant and victorious warrior. Under his leadership, Israel became a great nation. The impact of his reign is still respected by millions today.

Why was David such a great king?

1.  HIS HERITAGE

First of all, unlike his predecessor, David was from the tribe of Judah. God had already chosen the tribe of Judah to be the proper tribe for a king to come from. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah,” was the prophecy given by Jacob long before. You see, Saul was man's choice for king, but David was God's choice.

2.  HIS HUMIILITY

Next, David was noted to be “a man after God's own heart.” David had humility. He sought God. He worshiped God. He praised God. David was unashamed of his faith in the Lord. Often, He sought the Lord before going into battle. God was his delight.

3.  HIS HELP

David was a man of courage. He was the only Israelite that had the courage to stand before Goliath and win. But make no mistake about it. The victories that we attribute to David really should be credited to God. It was God who made David a mighty warrior. It was God who chose David as king. It was God that led him to victory after victory. To us, David seemed to be a great man, yet it was his God that truly was great.

David reigned as king. His kingdom was a successful kingdom. Yet his mighty reign was just a foreshadow of a King to come. Jesus Christ, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, came to earth to ransom fallen men. He was the One who was born, “King of the Jews.” Through faith in Christ, we enter His kingdom. Yet this King is coming again. One day, this King will establish an earthly kingdom. This kingdom is likened unto David's but will be far superior. Jesus Himself will reign as King of this kingdom. Unlike David's kingdom, our Lord's kingdom will be eternal.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” He told us, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” We should seek more than a conservative government.  Instead we are told to seek a kingdom to come. Jesus is the King of that kingdom.

At times, it seems this world is spiraling out of control. Yet we know that God is still in control. The King is coming soon! The old hymn summarizes it best:

The kingdom is coming, O tell ye the story,

God's banner exalted shall be!

The earth shall be full of His knowledge and glory,

As waters that cover the sea!

The Reluctant Leader

 “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” - Joshua 1:5

Often when a man graduates with a business degree, he feels ready to lead a corporation. Sometimes a seminary graduate feels that he should pastor a mega-church immediately upon graduation. There is great disappointment, however, when the first leadership position is something small and unappealing. Quite honestly, a college degree does not fully prepare a man to lead a multi-million dollar enterprise. There needs to be wisdom and experience that can only come by “paying your dues.” Placing an inexperienced man in a great leadership position will place the organization and its people in peril.

Spiritual leadership is much more difficult than business leadership. In business, a leader has great tools at his disposal to get things done. He can motivate his employees with perks, bonuses and raises. Under-performing employees can be motivated to improve with the threat of termination. Spiritual leadership does not always include such tools. Instead, leaders must model, inspire and correct with limited human resources. A spiritual leader needs divine guidance and wisdom in leading people.

Joshua was not a man with great leadership ambition. Even though he was personally chosen to succeed Moses, he seemed apprehensive to the call. Throughout Joshua chapter 1, we find God continually encouraging Joshua in his new role. Why would God need to give such encouragement? The answer is simple. Joshua needed it.

Joshua was a reluctant leader. It is one thing to be a student, learning from afar. It is another thing to have the huge burden of leadership placed on your shoulders. Power hungry people fail to appreciate the burden of responsibility a leader must bear.

A second problem for Joshua came in the form of intimidation. Think of all the great miracles that occurred during Moses' leadership. It was during Moses' leadership that the plagues and miracles occurred in Egypt. Moses was the one divinely chosen to lead the enormous exodus from Egypt. The parting of the Red Sea, the provision of manna and other miracles occurred as Moses led the people. How would you like to follow a leader like that?

A third problem was the expectation of the people. You see, it is tough to follow a popular, successful leader. When Paul “Bear” Bryant retired as Alabama's football coach in the early 1980's, it was tough for his successor to fill his shoes. Most people even forget who that coach was. Ray Perkins followed Bryant, but he never lived up to the level of success that Bryant had. It is difficult to follow a successful leader.

Though Joshua was reluctant to lead, God gave him an awesome promise: “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Wow! Notice three things that God gave to Joshua. God gave Him his power, “There shall not any man be able to sand before thee all the days of thy life,”; Joshua would have God's presence, “... as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee,” and Joshua had God's promise, “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Consider the leadership of Joshua for a moment. It's true that Joshua never had the same accomplishments as Moses. But think about what did occur under Joshua's leadership. He led Israel to cross the Jordan River. Israel defeated Jericho under his leadership. The sun actually stood still as the Israelites fought the armies of five Amorite kings. Joshua led Israel to conquer the land. The land was divided to the Israelites under his supervision. No, he didn't have the same accomplishments as Moses, but Moses didn't have the same accomplishments as Joshua did either. Their work, while similar, had differences. God kept His Word with Joshua. God faithfully led Joshua to victory in the promised land.

When God calls a person to a specific work, there is often reluctance to obey. Our reluctance usually has to do with the perception we have of ourselves. We know our weaknesses, our past failures and our flaws. We know that we are incompetent apart from God. That is how Joshua felt. Like Joshua, we need to turn our focus from ourselves and our weakness, and look unto the One who is calling us. God is able to do what we cannot do. With His leading, great and miraculous things can take place. It happened with Moses. It happened with Joshua. It can happen with us.

Joshua may have started out as a reluctant leader, but ultimately his life became a testimony of what God can do through weak people.

He can do the same with us.

The Man Who Refused To Compromise

 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” - Hebrews 11:24-26

When we think about difference makers in the Bible, one of the first names to come to mind is Moses. Moses was a key figure in the Old Testament. He is credited for writing the first five books of the Bible. He is the man that God chose to lead the Israelite exodus from Egypt. Moses is the man that God gave the law to. After all these years, Jews and Christians look back to Moses and honor him for his incredible leadership.

Moses had a rough start to life. As an Israelite child, he was under condemnation of death. Instead, his life was preserved in the household of Pharaoh's daughter. Moses grew up with all the advantages of Egypt's best. He probably had nice clothes, proper training and a strong education. While these things helped Moses, they did not define him. Instead, his life took an amazing turn as he came into adulthood.

From the Scriptures, we learn four things about Moses that set him apart and led him to be the great leader of the Israelite exodus.

1. HIS CHOICE

First of all, Hebrews 11:24-26 states, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” As an adult, Moses made a choice to stand with his suffering brethren. Can you image the temptation he had to stay in Pharaoh's home and enjoy all the luxury? Yet Moses made the courageous decision to leave there. Today, few are willing to leave the allurements of sin. Not many are willing to suffer along with the people of God, even though eternal glory awaits those who do. Moses refused to compromise. Let's follow his example.

2. HIS CALLING

Secondly, he had a divine call at the burning bush. He didn't seek the call. In fact, he tried to run from the call. Ultimately, he obeyed God. The Lord used him to make an impact that would be memorialized forever in the pages of God's Word. Moses was a called man. He was a man who had a divine unction to carry out an impossible task.

3. HIS COMMUNION

Next, Moses had close communion with God. From the burning bush unto his death, Moses had an intimate relationship with God. Exodus 33:11 says, “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” That is a remarkable testimony. When a man walks with God, he is unique. Few men really have an intimate walk with the Lord, but Moses did. No wonder he lived an uncompromising life.

4. HIS COMMITMENT

Finally, Moses had opportunities to stray from his calling, but he remained firm. Despite the complaints of the people, uprisings from rebels and insurmountable obstacles, Moses stayed faithful. He refused to compromise his walk with God or his calling.

Today, Christians are being pressured to compromise. This pressure is getting stronger and stronger. To make things worse, even some in the church are calling for us to compromise. Like Moses, let us stand firm on the Word of God. Refuse to compromise with the world. Let us hold to Biblical convictions regardless of the cost.

The lure of the world may seem tempting at times, but we need to remember that glory awaits those who follow Jesus. Let's bear the cross so we can win the crown.