9/11 “Tweet Every Name” Project

26 individuals and groups have committed to tweeting the names of each victim of Islamic terrorism on 9/11/2001 tomorrow. Each individual will have their name, city, state, age, location on 9/11 and the #neverforget hashtag broadcast on Twitter beginning at 8:46 AM ET. Praise Jesus that we’ve not had another major terror attack on American soil in eight years.

http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/tweet-every-name-project-sep-11-2009/

Who was Paul of the New Testament?

Who was Paul? We know that he wrote many of the books of the New Testament in the Christian Bible, but who was he? Paul refers to himself in the New Testament letters to various cities as an “apostle” and a “bond-servant” of Jesus Christ. In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul tells Timothy that he is the chief of sinners and that he was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent aggressor.

Paul was indeed a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Once known as Saul of Tarsus, the Bible says in Acts 8:1 that he was in “hearty agreement” with the stoning of Stephen, one of the seven chosen by the apostles in Acts 6 to help serve food to widows. The witnesses to Stephen’s stoning even laid their robes at the feet of Saul in Acts 7:58. It was after Stephen’s stoning that the Bible tells us in Acts 8:1 that a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem. And it appears from the Biblical texts that Saul led the way. Acts 8:3 says, “But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.”

Acts 9:1-2 tells that Saul continued in his wicked persecution of the early church: “Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Saul was expanding his “outreach” to include those outside of Jerusalem, namely Damascus.

And then it all changed.

Acts 9 tells us that Saul was on the road to Damascus to bind up the church and bring them back to Jerusalem, presumably for prison or death, when suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. Jesus then spoke to Saul, asking him why he was persecuting Him, and told him to go to the city to understand what he must do. Saul was also blinded in the encounter with Jesus, although his traveling companions were not.

In Damascus, the Lord spoke to a disciple named Ananias, and told him to go to the house of Judas on Straight street and locate a praying man named Saul and to lay hands on him and restore his sight. Jesus also told Ananias that Saul was the chosen instrument and that he would be used to bear His name before Jews and Gentiles, and that he would suffer for His name’s sake. (Acts 9:15-16) I do wonder if Saul had any idea how much he would suffer physically, verbally and emotionally during his years of service to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ananias obeyed the Lord and located Saul and, after laying hands on him, something like scales fell from his eyes and his sight was restored. Saul ate food for strength and was baptized. (Acts 9:17-18)

Saul then began proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God in the synagogues (Acts 9:20) but many Jews and even the disciples feared him for they knew of his reputation as a persecutor. Some Hellenistic Jews even tried to put him to death, but his brethren helped him escape to Tarsus.

Saul and Barnabas traveled to Antioch where they preached the gospel for a year and it was there the disciples of Christ were first called Christians.

After being led by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul, who shortly there after is referred to as Paul, for Acts 13:9 reads, “…Saul, who was also known as Paul…”, took a missionary journey to Pisidian Antioch where they preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Jews, many of whom summarily rejected the message and instigated a persecution against them. (Acts 13:50) Paul and Barnabas then began sharing the gospel message with the Gentiles who then rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord. (Acts 13:48)

After leaving Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas traveled to Iconium and Lystra, where Paul was stoned by the crowds won over by the Jews and he was dragged out of the city and left for dead. As the disciples stood around him, Paul rose to his feet and entered the city.

Over the course of his missionary work, Paul traveled to many cities, towns and countries, such as Ephesus, Thessalonica, Syria, Athens and Corinth. During his journeys, Paul and the other disciples were imprisoned, seized and escaped threats of death. At the end of Acts, the Bible tells us that Paul resided in Rome for two years. He went on to write many books of the New Testament, including Romans, both letters to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, Galatians, Philippians and others, sometimes to reprimand them for living unholy lives and other times to offer them words of encouragement. Regardless of the number of letters written to individuals and entire cities, Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and, 2000 years later, his powerful words of righteous living before God are still with us.

So who was Paul of the New Testament? The self-described chief of sinners who persecuted the church then later suffered persecution himself, but always maintained extraordinary faith in Jesus. What have you done in your life that makes you feel unworthy of accepting Christ’s free gift of salvation? If that gift can be given to the chief of sinners, don’t you think the Lord can give it to you. Seek Him, and you shall find Him.