Commemoration of the Appearance of the Sign of the Precious Cross over Jerusalem at the Third Hour of the Day during the Reign of Constantine (351); the Holy Martyr Acacius (286-305)
Acts 9:20-31; John 15:17-16:2
Read Acts 9:20-31
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
We see a close call in the epistle today brothers and sisters. Saul is on the run for his life, having been discovered by the authorities to be preaching the risen Lord!
We can’t really blame the disciples for being suspicious of this newcomer as well. Last they had heard, he was leading Christians in chains to the authorities for persecution. Barnabas steps in to vouch for him and Saul delivers his own witness testimony, and the Christians begin to see the incredible workings of the Lord in this mysterious man.
If you ever get discouraged about the state of your own gifts and talents or ability to use them for the Lord, remember this incredible incident. God took the most sophisticated and ardent apologist of Judaism, someone zealous in persecuting and extinguishing Christianity, and turned him into His most successful apostle! There is no end to what the Lord can do with us with our unreserved ‘yes’ to His will.