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Saul and the Light - The Book of Acts · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And he fell to earth, and heard
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  Speaker 1: a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
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  Speaker 1: Acts 9.4 Thank you, Jesus, that through the life of Saul,
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  Speaker 1: I can declare that no one is outside the reach
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  Speaker 1: of our loving Savior. Thank you, God, that you are
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  Speaker 1: constantly reminding me that no matter how far I go,
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  Speaker 1: no matter how out of touch with you I seem,
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  Speaker 1: that at any given moment, you can and you will
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  Speaker 1: do whatever is necessary to grab my attention, to bring
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  Speaker 1: me back to you. Like Saul on his road to Damascus,
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  Speaker 1: when I am off track, remind me of who I am.
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  Speaker 1: Speak to me with the same boldness that you spoke
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  Speaker 1: to him, for I now understand that my purpose is
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  Speaker 1: more important than my comfort. Let me carry the same
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  Speaker 1: mindset into everyday life when I see others being ridiculed
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  Speaker 1: by somebody because of who they used to be. Let
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  Speaker 1: this story in Acts 9 serve as a reminder that
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  Speaker 1: no one is outside of the grasp of your love.
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  Speaker 1: Continue to transform my heart, not only from the inside,
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  Speaker 1: but do a mighty work so that it can be
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  Speaker 1: seen on the outside as a tribute to who you
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  Speaker 1: are and the power that you possess to turn a
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  Speaker 1: life around. Thank you for restoring my sight so I
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  Speaker 1: can see that there is more in store for me.
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  Speaker 1: In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for making prayer a priority
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  Speaker 1: in your life. To hear the Bible come to life,
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  Speaker 1: Stay tuned for the Bible in a Year. Brought to
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  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Saul and the Light In our last story, Philip was
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  Speaker 2: used to preach the gospel in Samaria. He preached in
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  Speaker 2: the desert to an Ethiopian official and baptized him. Now
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  Speaker 2: we peer into the dark heart of Saul. His corrupt
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  Speaker 2: and evil mind was filled with hatred towards Jesus and
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  Speaker 2: the church, yet no man is immune to the loving
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  Speaker 2: touch of Christ. No amount of hatred could ever darken
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  Speaker 2: the light of God's Son, inspired by the book of Acts.
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  Speaker 3: Welcome once again to today's episode of the Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year. In yesterday's episode, we heard how Saul's persecution
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  Speaker 3: of the church had led to a great scattering of believers,
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  Speaker 3: a dispersion. of Christians. What the enemy meant for evil
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  Speaker 3: to stop God's work in the world ultimately led to
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  Speaker 3: the message of Jesus spreading far beyond Jerusalem and even
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  Speaker 3: beyond Israel itself. We heard how Philip shared the good
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  Speaker 3: news with an Ethiopian man who then took the message
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  Speaker 3: of salvation with him to the ends of the earth.
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  Speaker 3: Today we'll hear how Saul, in the midst of his
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  Speaker 3: campaign to destroy the church and the message of Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: encounters the very one that he is persecuting. It is
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  Speaker 3: on the road to Damascus. He will be physically blinded,
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  Speaker 3: but have his spiritual eyes open to the truth of
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  Speaker 3: who Jesus is, and there receive the highest calling of all,
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  Speaker 3: which is to take the very message that he wanted
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  Speaker 3: to destroy to the ends of the earth. Let's listen
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  Speaker 3: now to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: His every breath was filled with hatred and murder, filled
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  Speaker 2: with zealous rage towards the church. Saul stood under the
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  Speaker 2: torchlight in the courthouse. He watched as the temple judge
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  Speaker 2: put pen to parchment. The words gave him complete authority
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  Speaker 2: to drag any man, woman, or child into the city
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  Speaker 2: streets and end them. The letters were his license to kill.
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  Speaker 2: Saul took the letters and shoved them into his bag.
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  Speaker 2: He slung it over his shoulder and left the temple
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  Speaker 2: in a fury. He mounted his horse and rode in
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  Speaker 2: the night towards Damascus. There he would round up every
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  Speaker 2: last Christian like cattle. He would put an end to
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  Speaker 2: the life of Jesus once and for all. The darkness
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  Speaker 2: was draped heavily over the skies as Saul rode. The
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  Speaker 2: stars were hidden by thick clouds. Saul's heart was as
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  Speaker 2: black as the night. He was hell-bent on destroying the
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  Speaker 2: followers of Jesus. He despised their gospel. It was a
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  Speaker 2: direct threat to everything he had built his life upon. Piety, holiness,
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  Speaker 2: and perfection. These were Saul's goals. He desired power. He
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  Speaker 2: desired holiness. He desired for God to approve of him
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  Speaker 2: because of his actions, not some act of grace or mercy.
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  Speaker 2: Saul wanted to earn God's love. Saul's horse rode violently
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  Speaker 2: into the cold, dark nothingness. The road ahead of him
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  Speaker 2: was barely seen by a small torch Saul held in
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  Speaker 2: his hand. Damascus was not too far away. All of
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  Speaker 2: the sudden, Saul's torch snuffed out and his horse stopped abruptly.
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  Speaker 2: With his light removed, Saul could see nothing. The silent
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  Speaker 2: and dark night was maddening. Saul breathed heavily, trying to
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  Speaker 2: restore the flames on his torch to no avail. Then,
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  Speaker 2: like the night was being pierced by a blade, a
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  Speaker 2: bright light cut through the blackness. The jagged light surrounded him.
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  Speaker 2: Saul's eyes could barely stand the brilliance around him. As
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  Speaker 2: the light rushed forward, Saul was bucked off of his horse.
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  Speaker 2: He hit the ground with force, and his horse ran away.
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  Speaker 2: A voice as clear as can be spoke through the light... Saul! Saul!
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  Speaker 2: the voice said. Why are you persecuting me? Saul stood
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  Speaker 2: to his feet, trying to see who dwelled behind the radiance.
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  Speaker 2: Who are you? he asked with panic in his voice.
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  Speaker 2: Who is speaking? The light danced in a hundred different directions,
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  Speaker 2: like a weaved tapestry. It is I, Jesus, the one
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  Speaker 2: whom you have persecuted. Why are you kicking against the goads?
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  Speaker 2: Why do you deny who I have called you to be?
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  Speaker 2: The men who were following Saul could hear the voice
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  Speaker 2: but could not see the bright light dancing around Saul.
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  Speaker 2: They saw him on his knees, panicking as he listened
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  Speaker 2: to the terrifying voice of Jesus. Saul fell to his
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  Speaker 2: face and closed his eyes.
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  Speaker 3: Then the light vanished.
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  Speaker 2: Silence returned to the dark night and flames were restored
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  Speaker 2: to Saul's torch. However, Saul opened his eyes to discover
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  Speaker 2: he was blind. Saul's companions led him by the hand
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  Speaker 2: to Damascus. There he laid in bed for three days,
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  Speaker 2: silently seeking answers from God. He neither ate nor drank.
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  Speaker 2: He simply waited until God spoke to him about what
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  Speaker 2: he had seen and heard. There was a believer in
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  Speaker 2: Damascus named Ananias. He was an older man and very
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  Speaker 2: attentive to the will and direction of God. Early in
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  Speaker 2: the morning he sought the voice of Christ. As he prayed,
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  Speaker 2: the silent prompting of God's Spirit spoke to him. Rise,
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  Speaker 2: he said. Not too far from here, in the house
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  Speaker 2: of Judas, there is a man named Saul. He is
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  Speaker 2: praying and seeking God. You must go to him and
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  Speaker 2: tell him of me. Ananias shook his head. Lord, I
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  Speaker 2: have heard of this man. He is the cause of
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  Speaker 2: much evil to your people. His hands are stained red
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  Speaker 2: with the blood of believers. Go, for I have chosen
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  Speaker 2: him to carry my name and proclaim me to the Gentiles.
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  Speaker 2: I will show him how much he will do and
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  Speaker 2: suffer in my name, the Lord answered. So Ananias packed
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  Speaker 2: a small bag and left for the home where Saul
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  Speaker 2: was waiting. Saul was still shrouded in darkness. In the
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  Speaker 2: night he closed his eyes and saw visions of a
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  Speaker 2: man named Ananias. But all was a blur to Saul.
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  Speaker 2: Everything was confusing. He did not know what the Lord
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  Speaker 2: was doing. As Paul sat in darkness, his heart began
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  Speaker 2: to soften. Saul heard the door creak open Brother Saul,
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  Speaker 2: a voice said, I am Ananias. I have been sent
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  Speaker 2: by Jesus to heal you. Saul's heart ached when he
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  Speaker 2: heard the name of Jesus. The words of the bright
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  Speaker 2: light still echoed in his mind. Tears fell from Saul's
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  Speaker 2: blind eyes. Then as Ananias prayed over him, Saul began
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  Speaker 2: to regain his sight. It was as if scales were
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  Speaker 2: peeling away. In that moment, Saul's heart was changed. He
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  Speaker 2: not only saw the daylight, but he saw the light
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  Speaker 2: of Jesus. He understood in a moment all the things
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  Speaker 2: he had done.
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  Speaker 3: It was overwhelming.
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  Speaker 2: After being baptized, Saul presented himself to some of the
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  Speaker 2: disciples at Damascus. They were the ones he planned to
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  Speaker 2: kidnap and kill. They watched as he entered the room
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  Speaker 2: with his head held low. They were skeptical, but could
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  Speaker 2: clearly see that something was different about him. Peter sat
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  Speaker 2: among them. He was protective over the rest of the disciples.
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  Speaker 2: He did not want a wolf among sheep. Who is Jesus?
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  Speaker 2: he asked plainly. There was a long pause. Saul's face
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  Speaker 2: was filled with anguish and regret. He remembered what he
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  Speaker 2: had done and what he had said. There was blood
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  Speaker 2: on his hands. He is the Son of God, Saul answered.
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  Speaker 2: As he said these words, the entire room gasped. They
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  Speaker 2: were amazed that Jesus had touched the heart of someone
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  Speaker 2: so dark and so evil. Is this not the man
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  Speaker 2: who watched as Stefan was stoned? Someone shouted. He has
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  Speaker 2: probably come to kidnap us and bind us. But Saul
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  Speaker 2: remained with the disciples for a long while and learned
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  Speaker 2: under them. He listened to their words. He prayed with tenderness.
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  Speaker 2: Day by day, they watched this once evil man turn
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  Speaker 2: into a minister of grace. Soon he appeared in front
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  Speaker 2: of the Jews in Damascus and proclaimed the truth of
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  Speaker 2: Jesus as the Christ. so much that they plotted to
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  Speaker 2: kill him. So the apostles lowered him down and sent
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  Speaker 2: him back to Jerusalem with Barnabas. Thus began the epic
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  Speaker 2: journey of the suffering servant of Christ. The man who
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  Speaker 2: once sought the lives of Christians would lay his life
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  Speaker 2: down daily for the advancement of the gospel. Saul's life
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  Speaker 2: would prove as a symbol to all those who feel
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  Speaker 2: like they are too lost to come to God. He
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  Speaker 2: is proof that nobody is outside the reach of a
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  Speaker 2: tender and loving Savior.
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  Speaker 3: Saul is relentlessly pursuing the followers of Jesus, determined to
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  Speaker 3: destroy once and for all this new movement, the Christian
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  Speaker 3: faith that is threatening everything that he holds dear, all
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  Speaker 3: of his traditions, all of his religion. Saul was zealous
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  Speaker 3: for God, but he was misguided. He's still stuck in
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  Speaker 3: the chains of legalism and good works, unable to understand
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  Speaker 3: who Jesus is despite his years of studying the Law
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  Speaker 3: and Prophets. So Saul asked the high priest for letters
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  Speaker 3: to the temple in Damascus, authorizing him to round up
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  Speaker 3: as many Christians as he could, people known as followers
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  Speaker 3: of the way, and then to throw them in jail
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  Speaker 3: or worse. But God had other plans. And in today's reading,
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  Speaker 3: we hear how God went to supernatural lengths to reach
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  Speaker 3: Saul and to stop him in his tracks. For there
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  Speaker 3: on the road to Damascus, on his way to destroy
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  Speaker 3: the church, Saul was blinded by the light of heaven.
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  Speaker 3: This is the resurrected Christ himself. There on the ground,
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  Speaker 3: Saul could see nothing but the glorious light of Christ
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  Speaker 3: and the voice that came to him. This is Jesus
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  Speaker 3: asking Paul, why are you persecuting me? Jesus asked Saul,
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  Speaker 3: why are you fighting against me and what I am
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  Speaker 3: telling you to do? You see, though Saul did not
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  Speaker 3: yet know it, God had a heavenly high calling and
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  Speaker 3: purpose for him. God would not take away this man's
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  Speaker 3: zeal or deep understanding of truth and scriptures. Rather, he
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  Speaker 3: would fulfill the scriptures in the life of Saul, and
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  Speaker 3: he would become the great missionary of the church. So
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  Speaker 3: after being knocked off his horse, Saul then blindly stands
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  Speaker 3: to his feet. And already God is changing him. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: is changing him. For when he opens his eyes, he
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  Speaker 3: found that he could not see. Saul is now physically blind.
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  Speaker 3: And for many years he had lived in spiritual darkness
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  Speaker 3: and blindness and had physical sight. But now the tables
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  Speaker 3: are turned. God had begun to open his spiritual eyes,
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  Speaker 3: but he is blind and helpless. His companions lead him
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  Speaker 3: to Damascus, where he stayed for three days, fasting and
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  Speaker 3: drinking nothing. As Saul waited, not knowing what would come next,
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  Speaker 3: God was working behind the scenes, as he always is.
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  Speaker 3: He appeared in a vision to a believer in Damascus,
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  Speaker 3: a man named Ananias, and God told him that he
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  Speaker 3: was to go to Saul. Understandably, Ananias was concerned because
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  Speaker 3: he had heard about Saul, how vicious he was, how
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  Speaker 3: he was attacking Christians and attempting to destroy the church.
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  Speaker 3: Did God really want Ananias to go talk to this man?
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  Speaker 3: Notice that God did not chastise him or get angry
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  Speaker 3: for his questions. He simply affirmed the command and explained
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  Speaker 3: his purpose, saying in Acts 9, verses 15 and 16, Go,
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  Speaker 3: for he, that is Saul, is a chosen instrument of
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  Speaker 3: mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and the
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  Speaker 3: kings and the children of Israel. For I will show
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  Speaker 3: him how much he must suffer for the sake of
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  Speaker 3: my name. Ananias, what a great man, then obediently fulfilled
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  Speaker 3: his calling. And he went to Saul, and he laid
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  Speaker 3: hands on him, and immediately he embraces him and calls
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  Speaker 3: him brother. This man who was an enemy of the
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  Speaker 3: church is now being called brother, a part of the
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  Speaker 3: family of God. Don't miss the importance and the significance
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  Speaker 3: of this. Not every one of us would have been
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  Speaker 3: so quick to embrace Saul. But Ananias, knowing that God
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  Speaker 3: had a great purpose for this man and trusting in
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  Speaker 3: God's will, welcomed Saul and prayed for him to receive
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  Speaker 3: the Holy Spirit. In that instance, Saul's eyesight was restored,
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  Speaker 3: the scales of his eyes fell, and he now sees again.
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  Speaker 3: Saul was then baptized and immediately is transformed into a
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  Speaker 3: force for the gospel, a fearless, faithful evangelist who would
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  Speaker 3: spread the gospel, pointing others to Jesus everywhere he went.
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  Speaker 3: The disciples were confounded and confused and a little uneasy,
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  Speaker 3: but as they heard this man preach, as Saul witnessed
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  Speaker 3: of the good news, They were sure now that he
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  Speaker 3: is a changed man, and the murderer becomes a missionary.
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  Speaker 3: Soon Saul returned to Jerusalem, but when he tried to
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  Speaker 3: join the disciples there, again he was faced with some
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  Speaker 3: fear and skepticism. But a man by the name of Barnabas,
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  Speaker 3: just as Ananias had done, welcomed his new brother in Christ.
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  Speaker 3: He stood up for Saul before the disciples, and then
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  Speaker 3: Saul was accepted. joining those in Jerusalem, boldly preaching Christ
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  Speaker 3: to all who would listen. It wouldn't be long that
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  Speaker 3: Saul would face the same oppression and opposition and persecution
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  Speaker 3: that he had brought to the church. Now he was
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  Speaker 3: the hated and hunted one, but nothing would stop this man.
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  Speaker 3: He was unstoppable. Saul is an incredible testimony to God's
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  Speaker 3: power to redeem and change even the most lost and
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  Speaker 3: hopeless person. Saul would carry God's grace to the ends
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  Speaker 3: of the world. fueled by the power and the passion
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  Speaker 3: of the Spirit within him. And both Jews and Gentiles
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  Speaker 3: everywhere would believe the saving message of Christ, because the
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  Speaker 3: man who hated Christians is now becoming the greatest Christian
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  Speaker 3: who ever lived. Let's pray together. Dear God, thank you
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  Speaker 3: for today's scripture, which reminds us of your great grace,
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  Speaker 3: your amazing grace, that can take us when we're going
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  Speaker 3: the wrong direction and turn our lives around so that
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  Speaker 3: we can become your followers. We know this is all
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  Speaker 3: true because Jesus is alive, because you are risen, Lord.
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  Speaker 3: And we follow you and trust in you and obey you.
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  Speaker 3: And may we be bold in our witness, using our
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  Speaker 3: own testimonies to tell the world who Jesus is. For
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  Speaker 3: we pray in Christ's name, amen. Thank you for listening
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  Speaker 3: to today's Bible in a Year. I'm Pastor Jack Graham
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  Speaker 3: from Dallas, Texas. You can download the Pray.com app and
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  Speaker 3: make Bible study and prayer available the priority of your life.
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: And if you appreciate this podcast, please share it with
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  Speaker 3: someone else. I also want to encourage you to go
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  Speaker 3: to jackgraham.org. That's jackgraham.org, for we have resources that are
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  Speaker 3: free and available for you so that you may know
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  Speaker 3: Christ and grow in Him. God bless you.