A Street Called Straight

A STREET CALLED STRAIGHT

ACTS 9:1-19

THERE ARE A FEW EVENTS THAT HAPPEN, IN OUR LIVES THAT WE REMEMBER PARTICULARLY WELL. WE CAN PICTURE THEM VIVIDLY, NO MATTER HOW FAR THE YEARS SEPARATE US FROM THE EVENT, IT SEEMS AS IF IT WERE JUST YESTERDAY.

THESE EVENTS NEED NOT ALWAYS BE GOOD OR MAJOR IN THE STORY OF LIFE, BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY REMAIN SIGNIFICANT TO US. THESE EVENTS COULD BE: THE BIRTH OF YOUR FIRST CHILD

THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE

WHEN YOU MET THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE

PERHAPS IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT OUR CONVERSION EXPERIENCE, THE DAY YOU ASKED THE LORD JESUS TO COME INTO YOUR LIFE AS SAVIOR AND LORD.

I BECAME A CHRISTIAN ON OCTOBER 03, 1974, AT A YOUTH EVENT, AT THE MAUGERVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH DOWN ON THE SAINT JOHN RIVER. DR. STUART MURRAY WAS THE SPEAKER AND IT WAS AN EVENING SERVICE, BECAUSE IT WAS HELD ON A SCHOOL DAY. MAC PURDY WAS MY COUNSELOR. IT WAS NOT A DRAMATIC CHANGE AS I HAD BEEN GOING TO CHURCH ALL MY LIFE, BUT I DO REMEMBER FEELING LIKE A LOAD HAD BEEN LIFTED OFF MY SHOULDERS. THE ONLY THING I CAN’T REMEMBER WAS THE EXACT DAY. I REMEMBER THE OCTOBER 03RD PART BECAUSE IT WAS MY PHYSICAL BIRTHDAY AS WELL.

WHAT IF YOUR CONVERSION EXPERIENCE LASTED MORE THAN ONE DAY? WHAT IF YOU KNEW THE PLANNING THAT WENT INTO YOUR CONVERSION BEFORE IT HAPPENED? DO WE REALLY KNOW WHO THE KEY CHARACTERS WERE IN OUR CONVERSION?

IF WE WERE TO EXAMINE OUR CONVERSION EXPERIENCES, MOST OF US COULD RELATE TO THE CONVERSION EXPERIENCE OF PAUL IN SOME WAY.

WE ALL HAD A TYPE OF DAMASCUS ROAD EXPERIENCE, ALTHOUGH NOT AS DRAMATIC AS SAUL’S. SAUL’S DAMACUS ROAD EXPERIENCE SET THE STAGE FOR WHAT WAS TO HAPPEN AT JUDAS’ HOUSE IN DAMASCUS. IT WAS THE START OF HIS CONVERSION, BUT NOT THE FINISH OF HIS EXPERIENCE.

IF WE LOOK BACK AT OUR CONVERSION WE WILL SEE THAT WE TOO HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE THE GOSPEL WAS PRESENTED TO US, OR WHERE WE REMEMBERED, PERHAPS FROM OUR YOUTH, WHEN THE GOSPEL WAS PRESENTED, THAT LEADS US TO THE POINT OF OPENING OUR HEARTS TO THE LORD. I ATTENDED MANY SUCH YOUTH RALLYS WITH MY FRIENDS BEFORE GOD SPOKE TO ME AT THIS PARTICULAR ONE.

THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN MY CONVERSION THAT I WILL NEVER KNOW, AND SOME WHO DID NOT KNOW UNTIL THAT NIGHT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN IT. ANANIAS DID NOT KNOW UNTIL GOD SPOKE TO HIM THAT HE WAS TO GO TO SAUL. MAC PURDY DID NOT KNOW HE WAS GOING TO SPEAK TO ME UNTIL THAT NIGHT IN MAUGERVILLE. THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT ANANIAS AND MAC HAD MADE THE SAME PROMISE TO GOD. IN THE WORDS OF THE HYMNWRITER “WHERE YOU LEAD ME I WILL FOLLOW.” THEY WERE PREPARED TO LEAD PEOPLE TO THE LORD AND READY WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF.

BUT THERE WERE OTHERS INVOLVED. JUDAS OWNED THE HOUSE WHERE SAUL WAS TOLD TO STAY. HE HAD TO BE OPEN TO IT. THE MEN WITH SAUL HAD TO HELP HIM TO THE HOUSE, WHICH WOULD BE QUITE DRAMATIC WHEN YOU CONSIDER IT WAS AFTER THE EVENTS ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS.

THERE IS ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN OUR CONVERSION THAT WE WILL NEVER KNOW ABOUT, BUT WHO WERE VITAL. THEY WERE THE PRAYER WARRIORS, THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO PRAYED FOR THE SPIRIT TO MOVE THAT NIGHT IN MAUGERVILLE. THESE WERE THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD PRAY FOR NAMELESS INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD BE IN THE CHURCH THAT NIGHT.

THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE PRAYING FOR YOUR CONVERSION AS WELL. SOME PEOPLE ARE CALLED TO PRAY FOR PEOPLE IN HOTEL ROOMS DUE TO WORK, ON THE STREETS, HOMELESS, AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE.

WE MAY NEVER MEET THESE PEOPLE THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN, BUT THEY ARE COMMITTED TO PRAYING FOR NAMELESS SOULS, AND HAVE MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THOUSANDS.

BUT IF YOU WERE A CHRISTIAN AT THE TIME OF SAUL OF TARSUS, WOULD YOU DARE TO THANK GOD FOR SUCH A MAN? IN OUR WORLD IT WOULD BE LIKE THANKING GOD FOR THE LEADER OF NORTH KOREA, HITLER, THE MAN WHO KILLED THE MANY CHILDREN IN THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS. COULD YOU DARE TO THANK GOD FOR THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS?

OBVIOUSLY WE DO NOT THANK GOD THAT THESE EVENTS TOOK PLACE. I DON’T BELIEVE WE SHOULD EVER WELCOME MURDER. I’M SURE THAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOUR PRAYER WOULD NOT BE FOR THEIR SALVATION BUT FOR THEIR “REMOVAL” SO THAT EVENTS LIKE THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN BY OTHER PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE.