SNT-0386-Paul's Conversion (Cummins)
Format: mp3
Walter J. Cummins graduated from the Power for Abundant Class in 1962.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Ohio State University in 1968 and his Master of Education degree in Secondary School Administration in 1978 from Wright State University.
He was ordained to the Christian by The Way International in 1968. He has studied at The Way International under Victor Paul Wierwille and K.C.Pillai. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he was director of the Research department of the Way International and served as assistant to the president.
DRAFT
SNT-386Paul'sConversion DRAFT
SUMMARY KEYWORDS: Paul, Damascus, Jerusalem, persecuted, Saul, Hebrew tongue, Gentiles
You know, as Reverend Anderson was saying earlier about the intro negative that's being made. A cost of $23,000 is no small amount for the number of people we have. And yet, with the people we do have, it's bigger, better than what you find in most places, in any place, as far as I know, like we many times say it's The Sweetest fellowship this side of heaven. Well, it takes dedication on the part of our people in order to stand with the ministry and to support different projects like this. And we have many wonderful people who stand in their own areas like Reverend Anderson stands with the film ministry, He takes the film out and shows it to people like Mr. John Townsend, who will soon be taking the film out also, and many other people in their areas, how they stand upon God, God's word, how they're dedicated to the ministry. I was thinking this afternoon about the people who have sat through this class on power for abundant living, how blessed they've been when they hear the word, how it just rings in their ears. It's so beautiful. It's a sweet sound. But six months later, where do you find a lot of them, many of them somewhere they fall on the side. The reason I was thinking about this is because we were making out a comprehensive exam. For the advanced class. It's an entrance exam, which every person who wants to get into the advanced class this next summer will have to pass in order to get in. We have many people like I say, who are dedicated, who want to stand on God's Word who are hungry. It's like this man, you were telling earlier about who is standing or who was hungry. And Father told them where you're going to get power, and he got it. There are people like this around the world who are hungry, they're hungry for God's word. And if they hunger, the Bible says they will be what? filled. That's right. It's not like someone said a couple weeks ago, the man who's laying on his deathbed and says, I'm hungry for God's word, somebody is a liar, either the man or the Bible. I take my bets on the man that he's the liar. Because the Bible says, those that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. This comprehensive exam is designed to let us know a little bit about the people who are coming into the advanced class. People who have who want to get into the class must have mastered the foundational class. And the principles are the foundational class, the advanced class entrance examination autolysis. Secondly, they must have applied those keys that they learned in the foundational class sufficiently that they can work most given passages in the Word. And thirdly, by working it by applying the keys. They'll gain a general knowledge of the Bible. They should, if they work, the people who do not work, who are not hungry, who fall by the side, so to speak, who are not really hungry and thirsty for the greatness of God's word. They just won't make the thing. God's word is available to everyone. God's word reaches everyone. We are teachers, we teach the people after we teach them, then it's their responsibility. The foundational class is open to anyone. But once you have heard the word, then it's your responsibility. Then it's up to you to decide, well, is this worth it? Is this God's Word or shall I throw the thing out? Or is this really worth something is this really take worth taking a stand upon? And this is for that's why the advanced class is for people who are really hungry and want to go on into many of the deeper things. Well, let's get into X tonight. Chapter Eight. In Acts chapter seven, we have the record of Steven where he preached to the people who were holding him captive. And at the end, they stone Stephen. And the first part of the first verse of chapter eight should really be the end of chapter seven, it says, And Saul was consenting unto or approving of his death, Stephens death. And chapter eight should begin there. And at that time, there was a great persecution against the church, which was a Jerusalem. For the most part, people had stayed around Jerusalem up to this time. And there was constantly the people were in the church, the Jews, who were in the synagogues, the temple. They didn't like the pressure that the Christians were putting on more as they were called at that time, the way. That's right, I'll show it to you in just a little bit. Don't jump out of your seats. Yeah. But they were centered around Jerusalem. And for the most part, that's all they had was where the people at Jerusalem. But they grew, and the power of God grew within them and in manifestation, and the pressure was put on the Jews. So the Jews came back, put the pressure on them. And so there was a great persecution against the church, which was a Jerusalem and they, the disciples, the followers, were all scattered abroad, throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, accept the apostles. They stayed at home, they stayed to Jerusalem, they stood. Why do you think they stayed? Grants? Those of you that know, why did they stay? Because God told them to write Sure, I imagined they were still walking. But because of the persecution, the majority of people were scattered abroad, someone, some of them went up to Syria, some to solutia. Over in Asia Minor, those areas, but they were scattered. And with them, they took something. The word verse to and development carried Steven to His burial, and made great lamentation over as for Saul, he made have aka the church, entering into every house, and healing men and women, committed them to prison. The wonderful man, devout Jew, sure, he was one of the big guys in the in the temple, read this and other places what Paul was, he was a big wig, so to speak, in the church in Jerusalem, the Jewish true, the Jews Judeans. But he went into every house, where the church was meeting, the Christian church, and hailed men and women, he took them to present verse four, therefore, they that were scattered abroad, went everywhere and kept their mouth shut. No. They went everywhere preaching the word, they preach the word.
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Well, Paul was wonderful man wasn't devout Jew, sure belong to the church, the Jewish synagogue, a man way up there. But the Christians, he persecuted those that had the power of God, he persecuted them. But they were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching one thing, the word. Hey, what do you think happened in Syria and selection a few other places. They heard the word and the word God. Now, so far, we've had no great persecution. And I hope we don't need one to get our people on the move. And I think in this past year, and in this current year, we've seen people in our ministry, who have taken a stand upon God's word and are starting to move with there are people here who are dedicated. Why do you people come Sunday night after Sunday night because you love God's word and you're dedicated to it right? Because you enjoy looking at the people preach or teach, right? Well, Paul wasn't always bad. As you know, in Acts nine, he was converted. But I'd like to, we'll come back to X nine. But I'd like to go to Acts chapter 21, which was some, oh 18 or 2022 years later, something like this. In Acts chapter 21. Paul was a Christian now, within the way, and he taken stand upon God's word. And he preached a boldly everywhere he went. He gone to Jerusalem all three or four times, and the pressure was always on him.
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So, that tells a couple other prophets and men of God, to tell Paul don't go up to Jerusalem. Paul says, None of these things move me. Don't you know that I'm willing to die for the Lord say, the real sincere man wasn't. But what was the will of the Lord, not to go to DRO. Slum. And he went, and he gotten the soup in chapter 21. And they took, took him they had him the people had him and they were beating him and so forth. And in verse 31, it says, And as they the people went about to kill him, tidings came under the chief captain of the band, that's 1000 men. He was the captain of these 1000 men, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Quite a riot when you say verse 32, who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down under them. And when they saw the chief captain, and the soldiers, they left beating Paul, they quit beating. You got the picture here with Paul went down to Jerusalem against the word of God. The people caught him, and they beat him. The captain comes along, the captain of the soldiers, 1000 men. Here's there's a big uproar, and it's a big riot demonstration, not a peaceful. It was a big uproar, and the people see the captain and his soldiers coming, and they stopped beating Paul, then the chief captain came near and took him and commanded him to be bound with to chain and demanded, who he was, and what he had done. And some cried one thing, some another among the multitude. And when he the captain could not know the certainty for the two malt, he commanded him, Paul to be carried into the castle. Sounds like many of our riots and unpeaceful demonstrations today was a little confusion there. Friend of mine, when I was at Ohio State, we were talking, you know, everybody's demonstrating for everything else. So why don't we get a few signs out there and pick it for the word? Sure. And he says, Well, I've seen other people do things like this, you know, they start out with just a handful of people with their picket signs, you know, and pretty soon you got everybody in the dorms and the fraternities and sororities, everything else. They're out there falling around with their signs, and they don't know why they have. One, some people were crying one thing, some people crying another. He couldn't make out heads or tails. So he commanded ball to be brought to the castle, verse 35, when he came upon the stairs, okay, they're going to the castle. And to get to the castle, they go up the stairs. So it was that he was born to the soldiers, for the violence of the people. For the multitude of the people following followed after crying away with him, irrelevant. So the soldiers had to bear in there. Verse 37, as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, may I speak unto thee? Who said, can you speak great? Ants? Nah, speak Greek. Art not thou that Egyptians which before these days made an uproar and let us off into the wilderness 4000 men that were murderers but Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Swertia, a citizen of no mean city, and I beseech thee, suffer me or allow me to speak unto the people.
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And when He had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs and back in with a hand under the people. And when there was made a great silence, he speak unto them in the Hebrew tongue, same Men, brethren, and fathers, hear you my defense, which I make now on to you. And when they heard that he's speaking the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence. And he said, I am barely a man which I'm a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of chameleon, and taught according to the perfect manner, the law of the Father's, and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day.
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For your geography, Tarsus, in case you don't know is up. It's not down around Jerusalem in that area. It's up, you know how the Mediterranean Sea goes up, and then over, when you go around the corner, and Tarsus is up there. A city in solution. That's where Paul was from, but he had been taught by Gamaliel in Jerusalem. So he knew quite a bit about the synagogue you'd been in there. And, of course, we knew this from before two, verse four, and I persecuted the word this is that's the article in Greek. And I persecuted the way onto the death. binding and delivering into prisons, both men and women, as also the high priests, that bear me witness, in all the estate of the elders, from whom also I received letters under the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were they're bound, introduce them for to be punished. Paul had been with them, he had brought him to prison, bound them so forth, he persecuted the way, as it was called, verse six. And it came to pass, that as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly, there shone from heaven, a great light, round about me. Okay, Paul is talking here and his defense. And he's giving an account of that incident in chapter nine, where he was stopped on the way and converted. There was a great light, round about me, versa. And I fell under the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest Tommy? And I answered, who aren't the Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecuted. And they that were with me, saw indeed the light. And we're afraid. But they heard not the voice of him that speak to me. Now, this is what started me working this thing that they heard not the voice of him that speak to me, because I'd read in chapter nine, that they heard him heard the voice. But here it says, they heard not the voice of him that speak to me, Paulson. So keep your finger here for a minute and look at chapter nine, where we have the original accounts of Paul on the way to domestics. chapter nine verse one, and saw yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord went on to the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of the way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus. And suddenly they're saying round about him, a light from heaven. And he fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest saw me and he said, who aren't the Lord? And the Lord says, I am Jesus, who not only executed, it is hard for the to kick against the pricks, and he trembled. He trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what will they'll have me to do? And the LORD said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journey with him stood speechless, hearing a voice. hearing a voice, but seeing no man. Yet over in chapter 22, when Paul was giving the account, he says, I heard the AR, they did not hear the voice, the men that were with me. Right? Here it says, He heard the voice and night in 22, it says, they did not hear the voice. Am I right or wrong? You didn't read what's written, never heard that before. Really, you can see the difference in the English though, from the Greek. It's a little more vivid. In chapter nine, it says, they heard a voice. They heard the voice. What it says. And verse, And in chapter 22, it says, they heard not the voice of him that speak to me.
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They didn't hear the voice, speaking literally, from the Greek, the voice of which speak to me. In other words, they heard the voice. But they did not understand or hear what was being said. heard the voice. But they did not understand exactly what was being said. Why didn't they understand what was being said? They just didn't understand it. But there must be a reason. So there's a third account of this later on. When Paul goes through trial here, and so forth, and they ship them off to Siberia, which is over on the Mediterranean coast. And he stays there for a couple years in prison, and the people. He goes before a couple different judges, and finally he goes before King Agrippa in chapter 26. And Agrippa, allows Paul to speak for himself. In verse nine, Paul is speaking now, he says, I barely fuck with myself. Verse nine. I barely thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, which thing I also did it in Jerusalem, and many of the saints that I shop in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them, even had him put to death. And I punished them off in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Paul must have been quite a villain. One time we're upon verse 12. As I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, oak King, dressing King Agrippa. I saw in the way, a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, haha, we will hear that say that. Speaking and saying, in what dialect, the tongue, the Hebrew tongue. I don't know too much about these people that journeyed with Paul. Because it doesn't say. But I do know that it would be a very rare occasion in the east for anyone to travel alone. And there were many soldiers who occupied the area. And I could see easily how Paul would journey with the soldiers or even some other group. If he's going to Damascus. Perhaps that's up in Syria. You know, he's getting close to mascus. Perhaps there's a lot of Syrians they're speaking Syria. I don't know if that is If you've ever gone across the state border line
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you know there was a What'd he call it, some porpoises in the tank and it was mating season. And you know what porpoises do during mating season? Well at any rate you know, there was some complaints because there's a lot of school children coming in here, you know, to the zoo. And so they told him if the told the we call zookeeper i guess that's what you call if you feed them doubts. I will take care of them. You know, they won't have this problem, I guess. So the the zookeeper gets himself a loaded doves and walks starts walking towards the porpoise tank and over there swimming around and right in the middle of the path there's a line and he couldn't go around it because there was rush and so forth on the side so the line was sleeping. He didn't want to wake him you know? So he steps very quietly over that line the policeman saw him and arrested him and you'll never guess why use rested for carrying doves across the state line for immoral purposes
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well. We were an X point six. Okay. He was speaking to me in the Hebrew town. Have you ever gone across the state line down here?
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That's where it was. If you're driving in since by Cincinnati there Yeah, I'm talking about the interstate down here, right beside Cincinnati. What most of the license plates say Ohio or Kentucky? For those of you that have ever been in this situation, a while Sure they do. But the minute you get across the border for some oddball reason they say Kentucky most of them. That's not a very odd thing. There's just one little river in between. And yet on one side right away, so we should get across Kentucky, Kentucky, Kentucky, over here. It's Ohio, Ohio, Ohio.
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They were going to Syria, Damascus in Syria. And I could, it's very likely that Paul was traveling with some Syrians. And that's why this verse makes it even more clear how they could hear the voice but not understand the Hebrew dialect. The word tongue is dialect. They could not understand that Hebrew dialect. And that's something they could not understand the voice. In saying to him in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest AMI, it is hard for the to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom not persecutors. Now just a minute. We read in chapter nine, something a little bit different than this. He says in chapter 26, Saul, Saul, why persecutest Ami? Number two, it is hard for the to kick against the pricks. Number three I am Jesus whom thou persecute us, whereas over here in chapter nine, he says, Saul, Saul, why persecutest AMI number one
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then, who are talking then number three? I am Jesus who now persecutors then number two, it is hard for me to kick against the pricks. Now we have a little little what happens to God's word when you change it. Yeah, remember when the old devil got Eve to change a word that you have the word any longer? Why? Let me tell you something, if you've got the word change isn't the word anymore? Is it? No, then something's wrong here, right? Now, here, the air is not in the mind, you understand perfectly what's written, but it's in the translation. And this translation goes way back, because well, no, I guess not, wouldn't say way back. Because these words from it is hard for the in chapter nine, it was hard for me to kick against the pricks. And the trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will they'll have me to do? And the LORD said unto him, all that that I just read, is not in any critical Greek text. It's not it's not in the, in the critical Greeks. It's in the one that King James was taken from, but it's not in the critical text. The reason they put this in here is because they read it in chapter 26. It's just they put it in the wrong order. And if you add to the word what happens or change the word you no longer had, you will no longer have the word. real sincere people I imagined put it in. But they were wrong because they got it out of order. Because it doesn't say, I am Jesus, whom that persecutors it's hard for me to kick against Brexit. It says, it's hard for me to kick against the pricks. Then I said, Lord, what should I do? And he says, I am Jesus who now persecuted. Sure, the order of the words in the word have to be one. Perfect, right? God's word is perfect. So the words and the order of the words have to be perfect. They added to it changed it around, they no longer had that perfect word. But if you take that out of there, and let it set and recognize that the scripture interprets itself in the verse, and watch scripture, build up, how this builds up in chapter nine, he says, I am Jesus who now persecute us. And up above he says, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? In chapter 26, after he says, Saul, Saul, why persecutest Ami? He also has, it is hard for the to kick against the pricks. Now what does it mean to kick against the pricks? We have an Orientalism here in the east. When the ox is plowing pulling the plow in the field, and the man who is falling behind the plow has a stick called a good stick, which has a big spikes sticking out of it. And if the ox starts to turn one way, though, punch, you know, let them have it with that old spike. And they also have it they carry it back by his back of his feet, you know, so if he kicks he hit that old spike. I don't feel so good. And that's the Orientalism here or the the illusion he's making here. That's Paul's are Saul Saul. why persecutest thou me? It's hard for you to kick against the pricks. Don't be an old ox. Sure you're kicking against the pricks? Why not just Paul a straight row. Quit kicking against the pricks quick persecuting me.
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Read on. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecute us. But, but he was reproved there wasn't a reproof, but right, here's the correction, and stand upon my feet. For I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make the a minister and a witness both of these things, which now has seen, and are those things in the which I will appear under the delivering the from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee, I took you out of them, and I'm sending you back to him, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan and to God that they may receive remission should be remission of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. This account we have here of what he He spoke to Paul. We did not find these, this particular business from verse 16, down to 18. In any of the other three accounts that we read, this adds to it. But it's the word adding to the word don't get jumpy, but if you add something to the word that's a sin. You don't go around adding to the word nobody does. But we have scripture build up in where in which, in one place, it will say one thing in another place of Scripture, it may add something to it. And that's what we have here. He add something to what Luke wrote in chapter nine.
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Paul tells him what God told him here look at chapter 22. Again. Paul was on his way to Damascus, and a light shone roundabout. In this company he was with.
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He was he heard a voice thing Saul, Saul, why persecutest? Tommy, it's hard for the to kick against the pricks to buck against me, get your feet hurt that way. And he says, Lord, what shall I do? He says, or who else who marked all or excuse me, he does. I am Jesus of Nazareth whom not persecute us. And he says that the men that were with him, heard the voice, but they didn't hear to the point of understanding they did not understand the word spoken. And we read in chapter 26, that it was in the Hebrew dialect that God spoke to him. Back in chapter 22, verse 10, and I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord told him what to do? No, he told him, like back in chapter 26, what the score was, he had led him to himself to Jesus. As we, as you've many times read in Acts, chapter nine, where Anand is addresses him as Brother Saul. He was born again on the way to Damascus. But there was still something missing something Paul didn't have. And he asked him, Lord, what shall I do? And the LORD said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and there at Damascus, it shall be told thee, of all things, which are appointed for the to do. Paul takes a trip to Damascus, verse 11, when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me. I came into Damascus. And one and a nice, a devout man, according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, came unto me, and stood and said unto me, rather saw, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked upon him, look up upon him, the same, our means the same instant, just like he received his site immediately. And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will, and see that just one and sort of hear the voice of his mouth, for thou shalt be his witness, unto all men of what God has seen and heard. And now why Tereus don't arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. And Paul goes on telling a story here to a grip, or though this is to the people. He's on the steps, you know, at the Castle Hill, telling his story. His account, standing on the steps of the castle, talking to the people, and he says, it came to pass, that when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance that means I saw vision, the word trance, again, the same one used the Peter, where he was in a state of mental receptivity. And I saw him, saying unto me, make haste. Incidentally, this was about three years later, he's giving this account. You can't read this an axe, you have to go to Galatians to find out the time here, but it tells you I saw him saying it to me make a and get the quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive my testimony concerning me. And I said, Lord, they know that I am in prison and beat in every synagogue them that beloved, the that believed on the and when the blood of a martyr or witness Steven was shed, I also was standing by and consenting or approving of his death, and kept the Raymond of them that slew him means they held their Coots. He kept the Raymond them that slewing. And he said unto me, the part four I will send the far hints under the Gentiles. God told him, says, getting the soup around here, go to the Gentiles. Told him up in verse 18, make haste and get the out of Jerusalem, they will not receive thy testimony concerning me down here, he says, depart, and I will send the Farhana unto the Gentiles. Verse 22, and they gave him audience and to His Word. Sure, they gave him audience into his word, right? They enjoyed it.
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won a bet. All you have to do is read a little farther. And you find out what he's talking about you. They gave him audience under this word. Maybe I can emphasize that better. They gave him audience under this word, and that's all they said. That's it your speeches over cut, you know, like that. Oh, okay. They gave him audience onto onto this word under this point, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Isn't Paul wonderful? No. They said, away was such a fella from the earth. For is not fifth he should live. All speech do any good. His defense know what father told in the first place? Don't go up to Jerusalem. Why was such a fella from the earth for it is not fit that he should live they say. And as they cried out and cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air. That must have been quite a place as better than any college demonstration I've ever seen, through their clothes off and threw dust into the air. What was the revelation of Paul not to go where? to Jerusalem? Right. The will of the Lord was not to go to Paul went there. He got in the suit. He found they bound him. They beat him. The captain comes takes him away. He makes this wonderful speech. And the people says, Paul, we love you know, they said, Yeah, I'm off the face of the earth don't contaminate the place, get rid of it. Sure. They didn't want him around.
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Well, all gotten a suit. But I'll tell you something. In spite of this, Paul is one of the greatest men that ever lived one of the greatest men of God. Because,
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and other times and other places. And most of the time as you're reading the book of Acts, Paul stood, he loved God's word. Before Paul was saved, converted on the way to Damascus. He was rotten through and through. He killed Christians had them killed. He approved their death.
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I haven't seen too many people in our churches, they do this. They go around killing people. But they did in that day. They killed put him in prison and Paul was one of them. Paul was one of them. He put Christians in prison and had them put to death. But God saved him on the way to Damascus because God knew that Paul would stand upon His Word. God knew that Paul, when he heard God's Word would just stand upon that he would be bold when he would present God's word Paul Ross along is born again filled with the Holy Spirit moving like nobody else in his area and sofa, Paul is moving, he was bold with God's word. All sudden, Father says don't go down Jerusalem again. Fall down going anyway.
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Goes down to Jerusalem, he's bound He's beat. He makes a wonderful sermon to these people on the steps.
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And they say, throw him up. don't contaminate the face of the earth with his appearance here. All have gone against the will of God, because you know something, took a stand against. Father forgives us soon, just like he forgives your mind. And Paul started walking. And Paul, again, was bold with God's word, he stood upon God's word, he walked upon God's word, in spite of what Paul was before he was born again. And in spite of what Paul done here, where I went contrary to God's Word, God loved him. And he knew Paul would stand on His Word at times, most of the time after he was saved. So God loved him and he saved. And if I hadn't been for Paul, we wouldn't have the revelation that's addressed to the church. As Paul wrote it, we'd still be back in the Gospels and certain other works that are not addressed to the church. But God knew Paul would stand and he knew he would write this word, so that we could have God's word
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he told King Agrippa just looked at it verse in chapter 26, that he was not disobedient to that commandment from God. And if you're looking at chapter nine, after he had been with Annamaya, and he had been filled with the Holy Spirit. And he preached the Word in Damascus. In verse 24, some Jews were there again, some soldiers working with them, and they're laying Wait, was known of Saul, because they, and they watch the gates, day and night to kill him. Sit around the city at the gates and wait and wait. Killing verse 25. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. Verse 26, when when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples. But they were all afraid of him, and believe, not that he was a disciple. This was years later, there's a few verses between 2526 Because he didn't go to Jerusalem right away. But when he came to Jerusalem, they were afraid of him, because they'd heard how he was persecuting the church. Some of their own people had been put into prison by Paul. He has say, to join himself to the disciple, but they were all afraid and believe not that he was a disciple and believe that. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him. And how he had preached reluctantly. Who you kidding? No, he preached boldly at Damascus, in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spoke, speak boldly, in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Gration but they were, but they, the people went about to slay him, which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Siberia, and sent him forth to Tarsus, then had the churches rest, the church rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and we're edified and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. Paul stayed out of Jerusalem, things went a little better. The church had rest. We stayed out of Jerusalem. They multiplied the Paul I wanted you to see in here after he learned about the greatness of God's word, after he heard that God's word is just par excellence. Above all else. He stood he received the word how with meekness you stand, hold it fast. Hold a fast as the word of as The Faithful Word and you hold the fourth as a word of life with boldness. And that's what Paul did when he found out that there was something greater greater than persecuting Christians. He took God's word and he showed it to people with boldness. He was bold when he showed that word that people read throughout all Judea and Galilee and Sumerian. And were at all was out of Jerusalem. took him up to another place. The church was at a fine. Paul went back to Jerusalem, four or five times. One time he went, they had a big council meeting. All the leaders got together and so forth. They were wondering what to do about these Gentiles, you know? And the verses the circumcision, the circumcision said, Boy, you got to get circumcised, you got to do a bunch of other things, wash your hands and brush your teeth and so forth. The Gentiles are we don't want to do any of this stuff, you know. And Paul was at that meeting.
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And another time he was there. The first time he was told not to go back. That's the account we read.
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He was told not to go back, but he went, and he got in. But in spite of what Paul said, Paul did at these different times, when he was not walking upon God's Word. God loved him. And he knew what was in Paul. It's like Jesus says, He knew what was in men remember that? Paul, God knew what Paul was. He knew what that Paul would stand. He knew a lot of you people would stay in here tonight. He knew that there was something greater and that once you heard God's word, you take a stand upon it, that you'd be edified, and start walking with the greatness of God's Word. Everybody is entitled to hear the Word of God once. After you hear the word of God, then it's your responsibility to do with it what you want to do with it. You can either chuck it or you can stand upon and you can walk with the boldness, that of the Word of God, you can move forward with the greatness of God's word like Paul did, in spite of follow up of what Paul was. God knew what better qualities he had. He didn't look at those shortcomings. He looked at Paul's lungs as the things that Paul excelled in, when it came to God's word, he knew he would stand and God knows you'll stand. You love God, you love his word. Then stand on God's word and walk forth with boldness. Oh bless you.