Lake Eufaula Christian Church
The good news of the Bible is that U-turns in faith are not only allowed— they are encouraged, commanded, and welcomed by the Creator who became our gracious Redeemer. The story of Saul on the road to Damascus vividly makes that point.
Saul was a devout Pharisee who demanded strict obedience to the Jewish law, and as Christianity was rapidly growing, his sole purpose in life was to wipe out Jesus’s followers and kill Christianity.
Not satisfied just killing Christians in Jerusalem, he set out to confront any in Damascus and bring them back in chains for public execution.
“As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, “’I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’” (Acts 9:3-5) And so, in the blink of an eye the confronter became the confronted. The hunter became the hunted. The accuser was now the accused. And the pitiful heap struck down on the Damascus road made an immediate U-turn.
“So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” (Acts 9:6) Saul was blind and had to be led to Damascus where he “was three days without sight, and neither ate not drank.” (Act 9:9).
This was an incredibly humbling experience, and a time when Saul must have challenged all his previous ideas about who God was and what actually pleased God. He wouldn’t find out until Ananias arrived to tell him God’s will for him.
Ananias received his mission from God in a conversation. The Lord told him to find Saul who is praying “and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” (Acts 9: 12).
Ananias protested helping a man who had harmed so many Christians, but the Lord told him to “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.” (Acts 9:15) The world of Christianity would be changed forever because Ananias obeyed God, restored Saul’s sight and baptized him for forgiveness of his sins.
Saul’s name was changed from Saul of Tarsus to Paul the Apostle, and he became Christianity’s greatest missionary, preaching Jesus wherever he could and writing 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament.
Is your story anything like Saul’s? Have you been gladly walking hand-in-hand with this fallen world’s sins? Or maybe someone very close to you is walking down a road of addiction, sinful pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, greed, or lust?
If so, know that you’re not too far gone, nor is your loved one. It’s simply time for a U-turn. It’s called repentance. When you repent, you turn away from the sin, and you turn to Jesus and let Him lead your life.
We at LECC enjoy our Jesus journey at 415897 Highway 9, Eufaula, with Sunday school at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m., and Wednesdays all-age classes at 6:30 p.m.
Please come visit us and park with ease in our one-way U-turn driveway that makes getting in and out of church as easy as absorbing God’s word with our welcoming congregation.
God Bless You!
Jeremy Little, Minister
