Breathing threats against followers of Jesus Christ and conversion to the way of Christ.

Acts 9:1-9

• Authorization given to imprison the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all of Christianity.
• A Light shone around Paul, and he fell to the ground.
• Companions Hear but do not See.

 Authorization given to imprison the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all of Christianity.
“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” Acts 9:1-2

During the persecution in Jerusalem, the followers of Jesus Christ scattered, and many were found in Damascus. Saul hunted them down and traveled from Jerusalem to Damascus to arrest them. As seen on the map below, Jerusalem is seen towards the south, just west of the Dead Sea [Salt Sea] where the red square is. Damascus is towards the top of the mage, towards the east at the burgundy circle.

Saul was consenting to the murder of Stephen and a great persecution and scattering of Christians arose at that time [Acts 8:1-2]. From there, Saul was still breathing threats and murders against the followers of Jesus Christ. In the United States, we see the vehement despise for the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Christianity is being erased from all sectors of society. This includes being abandoned by the churches, absent in government laws, policies, and executive orders, absent in the schools, and not wanted in any sector of society. In other places around the world, such as Africa, China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc. the persecution, imprisonment, and death of Christians is physical.

We see countries around the world uniting in their opposition to the Good News, against the followers of Jesus Christ, and against Christianity as a whole. In fact, the majority of the countries of the United Nations do not hide their atheism and opposition to belief in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Their faith is in a one world government with a global culture that are empowered by the beast that governs by giving people what to speak, do, feel, and think. Already, countries around the world, including the United States, are adopting the “Sustainability Goals” of the United Nations. Very soon, when the United Nations becomes the undisputed one world government, all nations and people will be “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord“. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:8

Saul went to the high priest of the Jewish government and asked for documents of authorization to round up those following the way of Jesus Christ. Saul would then arrest them and bring them to trial, where many were kept in prison and others murdered. Today, we can be sure that authorization has been given to arrest Christianity with the intent of bringing the Gospel of Christ to extinction. We can be assured that churches are being monitored to control the spread of the Gospel along with Chrisitan organizations and groups. Men and women influencers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are literally being imprisoned in countries across the globe and in the United States they are vanishing [out-of-sight out-of-mind].

The best part of all this is that no one escapes the eyes of the all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present God who has a Son named Jesus Christ. He has books that archives everything that everyone has ever done, and all Believers will be archived in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

We are the salt of the earth, and our Lord Jesus says that when the salt loses its flavor how will the earth be preserved? The earth, this world, becomes good for nothing. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how will it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13 God is bringing judgment to this world, to throw it out and allow it to be trampled by lawlessness.

Jesus Christ says, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthe w5:11-12

A Light shone around Paul, and he fell to the ground.
“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?” Acts 9:3-4

Saul was coming from Jerusalem and was near Damascus when He experienced seeing the Light of Jesus Christ. As seen on the map below, Jerusalem is seen towards the south, just west of the Dead Sea [Salt Sea] where the red square is. Damascus is towards the top of the mage, towards the east at the burgundy circle.

Saul had papers of authorization from the high priest in Jerusalem to arrest the Christians attending the Damascus synagogues. When he came near Damascus, a light suddenly shone around him from Heaven. The Light was our Lord Jesus Christ. Saul fell to the ground and Jesus asked him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Jesus knew him by name, and He knows each one of us by name. In fact, the names of His followers are in His Book of life. He also has a book of judgment with all the other names written in it. “…those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2

In today’s culture, everyone who lives for the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel is persecuting Jesus Christ. They would have to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to hear the voice of the Lord speaking and asking them, “Why are you persecuting Me?” Most have their own conscience ruined by following the commands of the beast that fights against the presence of the Holy Spirit within the conscience,“…having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…” 1 Timothy 4:2 They are not able to fall at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even then, there are still some, like Saul, who are persecuting Christians but still sensitive to the goodness of the Holy Spirit. With Paul [who is Saul after his conversion], these people “…strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” Act s24:16 We fall at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As vehement as Saul was against the way of Jesus Christ, he was someone who heard the voice of the Lord and became one of His sheep. That is how the born-again experience works, that is the process of sanctification, and our walk in Holiness, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; neither will anyone snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28

“And [Saul] said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Acts 9:5

The way of Christ was growing so rapidly that it was hard for Saul to come against Christians with any success at all. When we realize who Jesus Christ is, we understand what He means when He says to this atheistic world, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Although this world’s population follows the beast and we Christians are the minority, it is very difficult for the global culture to kick against Jesus Christ. For example, global warming is in the world which the global government will not be able to overcome. Global warming is the Fourth Plague of Revelations 16:8-9.

It is hard for this global culture to kick against the events of the Seven Trumpets of Revelations 8, 9, and 11. It’s hard for them to kick against the events of the Seven Plagues of Acts 16. “…they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.” Revelation 16:8-9

“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

When Saul saw the Light shining all around him and heard the voice of our Lord Jesus asking him by name, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” he trembled and was astonished. Likewise, when we see the fulfillment of prophecy happening in this world since 1945, this should cause us to be astonished and to tremble. The voice of Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is speaking to us. He wants us to know in the Spirit that He really is the Christ and Son of God. Click here to see a list of fulfilled prophecies since 1945.

Everyone should be asking what Saul asked, Lord, what do You want me to do?” Obedience to the word of God is all we need to do, and He want sus to arise in His Spirit, to be born-again, and go into the presence of the Holy Spirit. The voice of the Holy Spirit will direct us what to do, which is all centered on belief in God our Creator, acknowledging Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and embrace the presence of the Holy Spirit. “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ” Romans 10:9

Saul is without sight for three days.
“And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” Acts 9:7-8

We live in days where the word of God is being corrupted and doesn’t seem to be the same Scriptures we have always been familiar with. This is especially true with online sources and the many, many, different versions of a single verse. That is why the most important Scripture that will ever be written is our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart. The most important aspect of our faith is always to believe in God as the Creator, to acknowledge Jesus as He who forgives unbelief, and to embrace the presence of the Holy Spirit. There are no contradictory verses in the Holy Spirit, nor in our born-again experience.

With that said, the verses above say that those who were with Saul stood speechless, “hearing a voice and seeing no one”. O.K., many of today’s atheistic culture hears a voice but they do not see Jesus Christ in hearing that voice. They hear the voice of the beast with two horns like a lamb as described in Revelations 13:11-12 This beast gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through them by giving them what to speak, do, feel, and think. Then the verse above says that “Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one.” O.K, he did not see Jesus Christ, but he saw the Light to enable him to realize “something was rotten in Denmark” and he wanted to be done with persecuting the way of Jesus Christ. Later, his blindness would be healed to know Jesus Christ fully, and he would receive the Holy Spirit, Acts 9:17-18

In today’s culture, everyone is hearing a voice but seeing no one. The global population is hearing the voice of the beast [without a face] that speaks to them within the physiology of thoughts and feelings to influence what people say and do. The followers of Jesus Christ are hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd that comes through the Holy Spirit [without a face]. “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18 The voice of the beast expresses unbelief in God, discards the need for Jesus Christ, and fights against the presence of the Holy Spirit. The voice of the Good Shepherd speaks of belief in God, lifts up the name of Jesus Christ, and welcomes the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Saul went three days without eating or drinking and didn’t eat until after his blindness was removed and he received the Holy Spirit, Acts 9:19. That describes my born-again experience. I saw the Light bright enough to know something was “…rotten in Denmark…” and I wanted nothing more to do with the “food” I was being fed by the atheistic culture. I felt that people should be decent human beings to one another and not to make life more difficult for them. I knew that I and others were fed weirdly and within the spirit I was saying, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20 “Three days later”, my eyes were opened, and I saw Jesus Christ fully as I gave my life to Him and the Holy Spirit began to work in my life. I began to eat the nourishment of the word of God in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I’m a 1959 “Baby Boomer” and was in the age of my late 5o’s before I realized that today’s culture are empowered by the beast with uncanny knowledge, heightened intuition, extraordinary skills and talents, amazing physical abilities, fabricated emotions, uncanny authority over others etc. I was blind to that but obviously I never fit in with today’s atheistic culture. I think it is horrid and a subtle persecution for people who know everything to take advantage of, abuse, and use those who don’t have a clue. Even so, my Lord Jesus Christ has been a light to my path over the decades, and He has kept me from falling deeper and deeper into the destruction, darkness, and traps of this evil culture. From every fiber of my soul, I say to my Lord and Savior, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and confirmed That I will keep Your righteous judgments. I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.” Psalms 119:105-107

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11