Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Let’s continue our personal discovery of Jesus on the road of enlightenment.

Today’s scripture, Acts of the Apostles 22:3-10 (NLT) shares…
[3] Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. [4] And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. [5] The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished. [6] “As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. [7] I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ [8] “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ [9] The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me. [10] “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’

Consider…
There was a time recently that I was supposed to meet someone for lunch and due to my misunderstanding I went to the wrong restaurant, 30 minutes out of the way. I didn’t realize I was in the wrong place until I received a text that said he was at the restaurant I was supposed to be at.

Today’s scripture makes me think of my experience because Paul said in verse 3, “I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.”

That’s key, because Paul’s early experience with God was like many of ours, it was mimicking what he saw rather knowing for himself.

One of the most common responses I’ve heard, when asking a person about their Christianity, is the church legacy and attendance. A word of warning if that’s your response too, Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 (NLT)…
[21] “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

You see our obedience, not church attendance, will add us to Jesus’ (the groom) guest list in the Kingdom of Heaven.

This begs the question, what is our Heavenly Father’s will?

Micah 6:8 (NLT) answers…
[8] No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Said another way, God’s will is that we…

• Obey Him
• Love like Him
• Submit to Him

I base my paraphrase on Ephesians 4:21-24, 31-32 (NLT) which also says…
[21] Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, [22] throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. [23] Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. [24] Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

These verses expound on Micah’s answer by telling us to…

• Change our ways
• Submit to God’s Spirit
• Be righteous and holy like God

I appreciate the fact that Apostle Paul makes things plain, thus he says in Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)…
[31] Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. [32] Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

You see, when we know Christ for ourselves, we’ll stop mimicking others and start following Him.

Speaking of following Christ, Jesus says in Luke 6:46-49 (NLT)…
[46] “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? [47] I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. [48] It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. [49] But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

Christ wants to be the firm foundation on which our lives are built. As a matter of fact, God sees us as His house.

The enlightened Apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 2:19-22 (NLT)…
[19] So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. [20] Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. [21] We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. [22] Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Notice Jesus is the cornerstone, meaning the One everything is built around. Paul learned this on his road to enlightenment of who Jesus really is. If we’ve made Jesus our Lord and God, we’ve learned it to.

Today, the Holy Spirit is telling us to see, and follow the Light (John 8:12), which is Jesus.

Moreover, the Holy Spirit is telling us to stop mimicking others and start imitating Christ, as Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT) exhorts…
[1] Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. [2] Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Because when we do this, Ephesians 5:8-10 (NLT) will become our testimony…
[8] For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! [9] For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. [10] Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

We must always be careful to do what pleases Jesus, our Lord.

Fortunately we don’t have to guess what pleases our Lord, because Jesus said in John 15:10-11 (NLT)…
[10] When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. [11] I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

Imitating Jesus is simply obeying God by loving others.

So today, like the Apostle Paul after his enlightenment, let’s shift from persecution of others to a pursuit of them for Him, in love.

The Holy Spirit is telling me to leave you with 1 John 4:12-17 (NLT)…
[12] No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. [13] And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. [14] Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. [16] We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. [17] And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Live in God, by obediently living in love, like Jesus.

Today’s song is…
Be Like Jesus

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)