Jesus Still Saves

Memory Verse: "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:" (Acts 9:3, KJV)

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-31.

If there is one conversion encounter I love in Scriptures, it is this one. This conversion story goes ahead to prove the Almightiness of God in the affairs of men. And it leaves me with the conclusion that there's nobody Christ cannot save unless He's not interested in that soul.

For every stubborn soul the Lord is interested in, He knows how to secure their attention and turn their focus to him. And one way He does this is by having them go through some form of crisis. Trouble.

There are some souls that Christ didn't have to do much to get them saved. For them, belief [in Christ] came easy, really easy. They naturally trust Christ and believe the Bible completely. Others learn from tradition or family. But others came to faith because of some crisis. Some have been hostile to the Gospel and critical of Christians, until something dramatic happened that shook them, and brought them to their knees.

A crisis, in fact, can be the best thing that ever happened to us. As author, Catherine Marshall commented, these crises bring us "face to face with our inadequacy and our inadequacy in turn leads us to the inexhaustible sufficiency of God."

Saul turned Paul was a die-hard critic of the gospel. He was a committed enemy of Christ and His followers. But everything changed after he had a dramatic encounter with Jesus Himself. Instantly, his confidence was shattered. He became vulnerable, ready to put aside his preconceived ideas and he was completely open to the truth. This man who formerly fought believers became a passionate advocate of the same Christ he once persecuted.

Others experience crises resulting from physical problems, like a blind man who was healed by Jesus' touch. Trying to explain what happened, he responded, "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see" (see Jn.9:25). His life never would be the same, he had encountered Christ.

There are many ways that God can get our attention, sometimes in dramatic ways. But other times He acts quietly and subtly.

Do you know someone who resists the Gospel and you desire them to encounter the Lord? Ask the Lord to secure their attention and turn their focus to Him in the best way possible.

One beautiful thing is that, Jesus still appears to people and He is still in the business of saving souls.

Ponder Point: The best salvation experiences that's sure and lasting are the ones Christ appeared to them Himself, giving them a personal revelation of Himself.

Action Point: Write down the names of people you desire salvation for and commit to praying for them.

Prayer Point: Father, I commit these people (pray with your already prepared list and read out their names) into Your hands. I pray that You would intervene in their lives. Do a work, a quick work that they might commit their lives to Jesus. Amen.