"And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. 'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 'Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.'" Acts 22:14-16, NAS95.

The good news of Jesus is personal. I don't mean it is personal in a manner that one should keep it to themselves, but rather that He meets each one of us in a different way. It is this personal encounter, dramatic for some and simple for others that presents us with our Christian story.

In this chapter, we have Paul once again telling his story. It is a dramatic encounter. He was changed from a radical persecutor wanting to eradicate this Christian way to a radical follower willing to give his life for his Savior.

Paul's conversion is probably one of the greatest proofs from the bible for faith in Jesus. No one like Paul could be turned like this without a true encounter with God. However, our story does not rest on his story. It rests on our own.

For years I have studied evangelism (Christian marketing), apologetics (arguments for faith), and the Bible (reasons for faith). While all of these are helpful for personal edification, none of them are as powerful sharing my own personal encounter with Jesus. I often hear people say, "I don't know enough to share my faith." You only need "your" story.

You will notice in this chapter, Paul doesn't mention the bible at all. He simply tells his listeners what happened to him. People are not looking for intelligent arguments or even reasons for faith. They are looking for a connection with their Heavenly Father. There is a hole in their soul that can only be filled with a deep knowing of Father God.

We carry this good news. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to share your personal encounter story. It is enough to help others have hope for the encounter they are looking for. Keep it simple. Just tell others what happened to you. 

Have a great day!

Wednesday

Love, 
Pastor Stuart