Acts chapter 9 tells the story of the conversion of Saul, who went
on to become the Apostle Paul.
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats
against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and
asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found
any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take
them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
One translation says Saul was
"uttering threats with every breath against the Lord's followers."
He sought the government's permission to take them captive, take their
rights away, and hold them as prisoners.
In North Carolina and Mississippi,
recently, discriminatory legal actions have been taken against the LGBT
community. People with closed minds cannot handle that LGBT people are
different from the majority, mainstream society. They want to extinguish
our identity. They seek permission from the government to take away
rights and protections that are common to all Americans; to discriminate
against us and take us captive.
It's almost like some of these
anti-diversity people want to cram everyone into little pods shaped just like
themselves, in hopes that everyone will conform, change, surrender and come out
looking no longer like our God-intended selves... looking and behaving just
like them in form and features but without FREEDOM.
Now, at this point, I could churn up a pep
rally for LGBT people or any other downtrodden minorities on the defensive, but
look at this scripture:
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from
heaven flashed around him.4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say
to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he
replied. 6 “Now get up and
go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Saul was ON THE WAY to put his plan into action when JESUS showed
up and STOPPED him! A bright light flashed around Saul, probably blinding him,
and he dropped to the ground. His knees gave out and he could no longer stand!
And Jesus stopped him in his tracks, and told him, "I am Jesus, the one
you are persecuting."
Are you
getting this? Saul was out to get Jesus' FOLLOWERS. But Jesus told him,
"It's ME you keep persecuting."
We are
all God's children: LGBT or straight, whatever race, religion or
socioeconomic status, Jesus died to claim us ALL as His own. And when
someone tries to harm God's children, take from us, threaten us, discriminate
against us or otherwise, God Himself stands up and says, "You mess with
them, you mess with ME!"
The
Lord's followers that Saul was after did not even have to fight. God headed off
the attack and stopped it before it even reached His children.
Not one
hair on one head was harmed or even blown out of place. God stopped Saul and
put him on "pause." He said, in essence, "You just sit
here awhile and have a think about what you stand for and why."
Continuing
with this scripture passage:
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they
heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up
from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they
led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was
blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In
Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on
Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is
praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come
and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about
this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with
authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my
chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and
to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must
suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his
hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you
on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and
be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something
like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was
baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his
strength.
God sent Ananias to Saul to minister to
him, the threatening opposition. Ananias was a believer. Ananias
had to obey God and reach out in kindness to Saul, the one who had been out to
capture believers. When Ananias obeyed and laid hands on Saul, it was
THEN that Saul was able to see again. Scales, it says, fell from his eyes
and he was able to see.
And what did Saul see? He saw a
follower of the Lord, who had just been God's conduit to free him from his
blindness and change him on the inside.
God did not handle this situation by
having his people retaliate in anger and hurl insult for insult.
We are, right now, to stand our ground -
but not lose our cool. The Holy Spirit gives us self-control. God
will provide every strength and ability we need to stand firm through this
trial. We need to stand firm, Jesus Style... "and, having done all,
to stand." (Ephesians 6:13)
So how do we win this battle Jesus-Style?
Here are four suggestions I would like to share with you:
1. Jesus often answered a question
with a question.
Matthew 21: 23When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the
elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, "By what
authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this
authority?" 24Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you
one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do
these things. 25"The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven
or from men?" And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, "If
we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?'…
When people tried to corner Jesus asking
him ridiculous questions, Jesus kept His cool and responded using a very wise
tactic. Sometimes answering aggressive questions with even your very best
answers will just lead to another question, then another, and another, and can
end up in an argument. Jesus did not take the bait for this trap.
Instead, he asked a question back to his accusers. This put the
focus and pressure on them, and the foolishness of their motives was brought to
light.
2. Jesus never wavered on His
purpose or who He was.
Luke 9:51 - "As the
time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for
Jerusalem."
Jesus, knowing he had come to Earth to die
to save God's children, "resolutely" pushed forward toward the
fulfillment of this purpose. He did not allow himself to be stopped,
slowed down or dissuaded by persecution, temptation or distraction. He
knew what He had to do, and he determinedly set out to do it.
What is your purpose? If you don't
know, you need to find out! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you, and then listen
patiently. Once you know your purpose, you will be motivated to fulfill
it; distractions and nonsense will have no sway over you. And always keep
your eyes on God.
Colossians 3 "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your
sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at
God’s right hand. 2 Think
about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life,
and your real life is hidden with Christ in God."
So don't let people's petty or derisive
words or actions - or discrimination or attacks of any kind - distract you from why God put YOU on this Earth.
3. Jesus knew when to draw near to His Father and rest.
Luke 5:16 says, "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."
Sometimes you need to get out of the crowd and go spend time alone with God.
Always remember that, in the
midst of the battle, God will give you rest. One of my favorite
scriptures is Matthew 11:28. (I actually claim this as my birthday
scripture, because my birthday is 11/28!) Matthew 11:28 says, "Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary
and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."
When you have been facing opposition, accusations,
discrimination or whatever kind of battle you might find yourself in, remember
Jesus. Remember, at the end of the day, to lay your burdens down at his
feet and let Him take them for you. You will not survive a battle without
doing that. Jesus gladly spoke this invitation out of his own mouth, and
His words are true and alive! Lay your burdens down. Let Jesus give
you rest, refreshing and renewal. He will give you living water, so that
you will never again be thirsty.
No battle lasts forever. Like
Ecclesiastes says, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every
purpose under heaven." So let's not just focus on battling, but
let's purpose to live our LIVES...
Jesus-Style.
Amen.
