Acts 9:1

Acts 9:1 says, And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,  Verse two adds, And  desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.  Saul was on his way to Damascus with letters from the high priest authorizing him to persecute Christians there.  Until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will always be working against those who have.  Verse three continues, And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  As Saul was on the road to Damascus, something was about to change in his life.  He was surrounded by a great light from heaven.  If we are a Christian, at some point in life we have encountered the light of Jesus Christ.  Verse four concludes, And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  Saul fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutist thou me?"   As followers of Christ, we have all been on our own road to Damascus.  We may not have been actively seeking to persecute Christians, but before we encountered Christ, we stood against Him and His people.  I was never surrounded by a bright light from heaven and never heard an audible voice, but a still, small voice whispered to me one night, "James, James, why persecutest thou me?"  No, I didn't hear those exact words, but the meaning was the same.  Until I believed in and accepted Christ as my Savior, I stood against Him.  We might say that is not the same as what Saul was doing, but in some respects, it might be even more damaging. My Damascus Road was Shiloh Baptist church, where I was every time the doors opened, as the saying goes.  So, everyone knew where Saul stood in relationship to Christ, but no one knew where I did.  I was identified by the world as one of God's people, but He knew better.  People who identify themselves as Christians and have never encountered Christ in a personal relationship are much more of a threat to God's kingdom than are those who openly oppose Him.  When we profess to represent Christ in the world, but don't really know Him or are not following His leadership, but our own desires, people are watching.  When people point to us and say, "See, that is what God is like," and it is said with a negative connotation, then we need to fall to our knees and ask God's forgiveness and direction.  We must never be hiding in the church while all the time we are on our personal road to Damascus.