in the bustling streets of ancient Jerusalem a city steeped in history and secrets a vibrant Hub of Commerce culture and conflict amidst the hustle and bustle a man known as Saul of Tarsus walked with strong beliefs he was known for fiercely following the customs of his ancestors as a devout Pharisee Saul was determined to find and punish anyone who went against the laws of Moses earning a reputation for persecuting followers of Jesus of Nazareth cease that Christian now Saul was unaware that his life was about to change dramatically as fate had other plans in store
for him this is the story of how Saul's life changed Forever on the road to [Music] Damascus Jerusalem is a busy City the market is full of people buying and selling things Merchants lined the narrow Cobblestone roads their stalls overflowing with colorful textiles fragrant spices fresh produce and intricate handcrafted Goods the air was filled with the sounds of haggling the clinking of coins and the occasional bleeding of sheep or Lo of cattle being led to Market Saul a strict man walks through the crowd with a serious look on his face Saul was on a mission
he had received received letters from the high priest giving him permission to arrest any followers of Jesus in Damascus and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial Saul and his men burst into the homes of every Christian family and prosecuted them this is a time of great fear for Christians in Jerusalem Saul departed Jerusalem with a contingent of men riding swiftly along the ancient trade routes in search of Christians it was a long journey but Saul's determination fueled him on their last day of travel when the sun was highest in the sky a dazzling light
suddenly surrounded Saul and his companions the light was so bright that it threw Saul off his horse and he tumbled to the ground fear gripped the group but before anyone could respond a commanding voice filled the air Saul why do you persecute me and Saul asked who are you Lord I am Jesus whom you are persecuting now get up and go into the City and you will be told what you must do immediately Saul became blind and could not see his friends had to lead him into the City and it has been 3 days of
his blindness he did not eat or drink he spent his time praying and trying to understand what had happened meanwhile in a simple home in Damascus ananas a kind man is praying a soft light surrounds him as he receives a message from God asking him to visit Saul and pray for him however ananas was terrified and said to God lord I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem and he has come here with authority to arrest all who call on your name but
God assured him that Saul has been transformed and no longer serves as the prosecutor of Christians but will be used to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ ananas obeyed the Lord he went to the house where Saul was staying and found him praying he gently places his hands on Saul's head a soft light shines from it and Saul's eyes opened he can see again Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus and began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the son of God God his bold preaching angered some of the Jews in Damascus and
they plotted to kill him but Saul learned of their PL so his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the city wall and he escaped to Jerusalem when Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples but they were all afraid of him not believing that he was really a disciple due to how he treated them in the past however Barnabas a kind man explained Saul's Encounter With Jesus to the other disciples they believed him and welcomed Saul into the body of Christ the disciples accepted Saul
and he moved freely in Jerusalem speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Saul now known as Paul traveled far and wide to spread the gospel Paul's letters to the early churches full of wisdom and encouragement became part of the new Testament guiding Christians for generations to come and so the story of Saul's Journey of Faith continues to inspire and challenge Believers around the world Saul the fierce persecutor became Paul the devoted Apostle his life is a powerful Testament to the transforming power of God's grace from Darkness to light from hate to love Paul's story
reminds us that no one is beyond Redemption I
