PREACH THE GOSPEL AND THE POWER OF GOD.

In Acts 9, Paul who was in agreement with the killing of Stephen wanted to stop the Jews from turning to Jesus. He began a great wave of persecution of the believers began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem. Paul was like a wild man, going everywhere to devastate the believers, even entering private homes and dragging out men and women alike and jailing them. One day, as Paul was nearing Damascus on his mission to persecute Christians, suddenly a brilliant light from heaven spotted down upon him! He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Paul! Paul! Why are you persecuting me?” Paul asked: “Who is speaking, sir?” And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city and await my further instructions.” The men with Paul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! As Paul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind. He had to be led into Damascus and was there three days, blind, going without food and water all that time. Meanwhile, in Damascus, the Lord spoke to a believer named Ananias had a vision. Ananias prayed for Paul and he could see and was immediately baptized. He went at once to the synagogue to tell everyone there the Good News about Jesus that he is indeed the Son of God! Paul became more and more fervent in his preaching, and many received Jesus as their savior. FRIENDS, PAUL HEARD JESUS' VOICE AND RECOGNIZED JESUS AS LORD! THEN HE PREACHED TO THE JEWS AND LATER TO THE GENTILES. GOD USED PAUL TO INCLUDE THE GENTILES (ANYONE WHO IS NOT A JEW) INTO HIS KINGDOM. NOW ANYONE CAN COME TO JESUS! In Romans 1:16, Paul said, For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is God’s powerful method of bringing all who believe it to heaven. This message was preached first to the Jews alone, but now everyone is invited to come to God in this same way.