What We Remember

And when he arrived in Jerusalem, he was attempting to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road and that he had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was going in and going out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. And he was speaking and debating with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they were trying to do away with him. And when the brothers found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus. Then the church throughout all of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being strengthened. And living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it was increasing in numbers.

Pray

Transformation

Transformation is a grand way of saying complete change.

We know about the transformation that Paul has had. We know that He has seen Jesus on the way to Damascus. We know that he has had a real, honest, and sincere, change of heart. We know about the preaching he has started doing declaring Jesus as the Christ. Which he has been doing for about three years according to Galatians 1:18. We know that he even had to flee because people wanted to kill him. We know this but he was still not trusted in Jerusalem. We can understand why his former colleagues are hostile to his coming to Jerusalem.

He is a dynamic speaker preaching exactly what they were trying to eradicate.

What Paul was trying to do away with And now he is preaching it.

But the disciples.

Surely after three years they have heard the reports from Damascus. They may not have had txt messaging and email but news didn’t travel that slowly. So why do they not trust him. It doesn’t even seem like the disciples knew Saul as a persecutor or as a Christian. They just heard the reports.

It wasn’t until Barnabas risk accepting Saul that he became accepted. And it wasn’t until he was accepted that he could freely witness. Well until people tried to kill him anyways and he left for Caesarea. In which he witnessed to Jews there.

Why did they not trust him? Because people forget and slowly and are slow to trust. Because they still even though they are the disciples even they are still human. And they were not sure what to make of Saul’s conversion. Is he real? Or is he undercover and can’t be trusted?

We as the church and as people are like this too

We forgive slowly if at all and we forget not at all And we need to be forgiving people. Too often do we judge people for who they were not who they have become. That attitude that people do not change. Which is a horrible attitude. When People come into the presence of the almighty God and are in communion with him. You will not leave unchanged, Because God changes people. We can’t change on our own. And we can’t make anyone else change. If you guilt them, or If you do better. They won’t change unless they want to change. But God changes people and you too can change and will be drawn to change if you are in communion with God

How willing are we to let that happen?

In us or in others?

Do we believe that God can change us and others? If we do then we won’t judge people by actions of their past but by actions of the present.

As I say this, forgiving doesn’t mean be stupid. But sometimes it does mean you have to take a little bit of a risk. And trust that they have changed like they profess. Now if nothing has changed then don’t expect a different outcome. When we set up boundaries that even may include ridding someone from our lives at that moment. We do this for ourselves, for our protection, for our healing. If nothing changes then don’t expect a different expectation. Example Alcoholic. They may say I have quit but unless something has changed in there life. Don’t expect anything but what has been. Change may include rehab, AA, different friends, different patterns. and then slowly we reopen the relationship. Testing for true change.

What happens if we don’t let people change? What happened to Saul? What would have happened if Barnabas hadn’t taken that chance? What kind of witness would he have?

Few things happen when we don’t let people change. They revert and say it didn’t make a difference. They leave and find people that will accept them. Which means we miss out. They become discouraged and feel that they will never change. And people around see the treatment and listen to this lie that they can’t change. But in the end a person must change for themselves not anyone else. We can’t find our love in anyone else but ourselves. And our self love is reflected in how we love others.

Not allowing people to change hurts not only those immediately involved but all around, And it limits the witness of God

Next Steps

Saul was given a chance to change his position his mind his ways, And he becomes the great missionary to the gentiles. Praise God!! He took the opportunity given to him to change. Is there Change that has to happen in your life? Take the opportunity for yourself. Called by God to love God and Love others as yourself.

I was wasn’t allowed to change at church in my home state. I left. A lot of youth leave for this reason we still see them as Children.

Are you ready to change but more importantly are you ready to let change happen in you and in others?

Maybe you aren’t letting someone change

Pray

Invitation

Need God to change me

Need to go to someone and say let me change

Need to go to someone and say I see you changing

Support

Or just acceptance

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