Same Gifts, New Purpose-----Thursday, April 29, 2010 by Dave Sonnenberg

SAME GIFTS, NEW PURPOSE


Thursday, April 29, 2010

By Dave Sonnenberg



How we direct the gifts we have been given by God is important! I love the story of Charles Colson- a member of President Nixon’s Administration sent to prison for his involvement in the Watergate fiasco. Colson was a brilliant man- aggressive, determined, focused, obsessive, and even outright mean in the White House. He was one of the most hated people in America in the early 1970’s. No one could challenge that he was a supremely talented human being- one whom leadership came naturally. Yet, one could question how he used his leadership while in the White House.

As he faced the prison term and spent time in prison, God did something in his life. God somehow got through- slowly and gently. . . .so that when he left prison he had new ideas on how to spend his life. His talent and leadership were still there. He just rechanneled it into Prison Ministry- reaching out into the Prisons in America in a hands on way, speaking up for the imprisoned, and working to start a National Movement. He has become a great evangelist and a leader in Christianity. Whether you agree with everything he does or says is not the point. What matters is we see someone who’s same gifts were used- however, they were rechanneled into a more fulfilling life purpose.

This is essentially the same story as Saul. God got through to Saul in some dramatic way. Although we see this a dramatic event, it also appears that his conversion took time. I am sure it took a while for him to show himself as “the real deal” or as “a changed person” because of his past history. Yet, as we will see in the coming days- God uses his gifts of leadership and passion in a new way- to the sparking of new communities of faith and to supporting them in the midst of an environment hostile to the faith. Same as Colson- rechanneled gifts that already existed.

How are we doing? God indeed blesses us with gifts. Are we using them to his glory in our daily lives? Do we need to be re-channeled in some way?


Acts 9: 1-22

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ 5He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ 7The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ 11The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, 12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’ 13But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 14and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ 15But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 16I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ 17So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ 18And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul Preaches in Damascus

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, 20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’ 21All who heard him were amazed and said, ‘Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?’ 22Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.