Copy and paste the link into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMFHC1hXbUQ
Or search YouTube for Conversion of St Paul
By Quodvultdeus
“Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named
Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Behold, here am I, Lord.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go to
the street called Straight, and inquirer at the house of Judas for a man from
Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man
named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his
sight.’
“But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many
about this man, how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he
has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name.’
“But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen
instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons
of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.’”
Acts 9:10-16
What could be the explanation for suffering? Did Job or Jeremiah or any of the Old
Testament characters figure it out? Did
any of the disciples/ apostles escape it?
Yet, just having the answer to the ‘why’ is passive and intellectual. Suffering and pain are active and
personal.
There is no intellectual answer that can solve
suffering. God sent His Son as the
ultimate response to pain. Jesus
experienced ‘stubbed toes’, disappointment, betrayal, humiliation, pain and
death. He absorbed our suffering into
Himself and when he conquered death, He held out hope to each of us.
His incarnation did not ‘solve’ human suffering. Those who believe in His gracious gift do not
escape suffering. When Jesus died for us,
it was an active and personal response.
No explanation is more intimate than His sharing of such
experiences with us and the Word of God is there to help us understand that we
are not alone in our suffering. All that
is happening is for our good (even when we are disobedient and obstinate) and
for His glory.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays with and for you each day)
PS: Find my statement
of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (where you
will also find a series of beginner Bible studies to share). You can easily find
the WeakDay Devotion online by doing a Google search for ‘WeakDay
Devotion’. (Also, there is an android
‘Goggle Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone. Not sure about Apple.)
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS
·
David – as his health waxes and wanes during this
challenging time. Pray for Heidi who cares for him and his
little companion dog, Sparky. Pray God
watches over him and steadies his steps and his heart.
·
Voddie
Baucham – Has come through his heart surgery
at the Mayo Clinic in Florida and will be released soon, but will tarry in
Florida during continuing healing. Please
keep praying for him, and his wife, Bridget and others attending him. Click on the link in his name if you want to
learn more of his adventure to date.
·
Cathy – please
pray for her as she faces stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Her chemo has begun. She will have a CAT scan this week. She is Barb (my sister-in-law’s)
sister-in-law. They have a beautiful
family. Please pray for them and their
health carers as they travel through this journey.
·
Elaine and Jim
Pounder and their Little Church ministry have
had a very difficult 2020. They need
your prayers for healing strength and time with family as their ministry
continues to spread around the world in a model of home churches. They have
begun a YouTube channel
and I urge you to subscribe and watch their sound and warm videos (https://www.youtube.com/user/thelittlechurchworld
). And website: The Little Church World.
·
USA – Pray the Lord will demonstrate His power in
unexpected and uniting ways during these times of unrest and confusion. Help hearts settle and rest in Him
alone. Let the truth of God’s Word and
ways, overcome the drive to destroy our founding, Bible-based values. And pray for Christ-centre, Bible-based
revival in the USA and religious freedom for Christians wherever they may be.
·
Hans –
a dear friend in Germany, continues his immunotherapy for lung cancer. His MRI and brain scan went well. Pray for his ongoing strength through the
pain, patience and God’s mercy. Continue
to pray for his healthcare providers and that he is surrounded by faithful and
compassionate Christian friends who will support him through this journey. Pray for his Mom (age 83) who is unwell
herself, that their time together will be filled with extraordinary good
memories and lots of love.
·
Isaias and Judith
(Ambassadors for Christ the Philippines) – the Philippines is a
remarkably difficult mission field and Isaias and Judith and their entire
family have maintained a teaching and discipling ministry there for dozens of
years. They are both facing some serious
health issues and need your fervent prayers.
Please visit their new website: https://afcph.org/ to learn more. Pray our Father keep these servants strong,
in good health, safe and supported and that they keep a balance in their
lives. They
need funds badly now. It would only take a moment to send encouragement
to Isaias Catorce, who teaches and leads the groups at icatorce@gmail.com
·
J&R – recently
had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with them and would appreciate prayers
that God uses His words in their hearts to draw them to Him for Eternity!
Pray for those in full-time service
Pray to uphold our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word, are bold and courageous in the face of evil. Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.
Pray for those with ongoing health concerns
Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile health. Pray God takes special care with them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on them during this challenging time.
No comments:
Post a Comment