Why did Jesus pick an ENEMY of the STATE to be His emissary?
Would you pick an enemy to represent your cause?
So why pick a murderous son of Cain for ministry rather than one
of the eleven witnesses who have experienced so much first hand?

Why was not one of the eleven promoted but rather an outsider
called in to further the GOSPEL?
Why send Barnabas to recruit this torch bearer rather than one
of the 10 bishops under Pete?

Was it that the eleven really hadn't attained it yet, or that in their
own minds that they had and didn't need to contend any further
but had fallen back to their entrenched positions of comfort?

I am a history buff. I enjoy reading of bygone wars and battles.
The case in point that was deleted in the HORSEFLY POST was
that so many christians are today like that WESTERN FRONT of
WW1, where the lines had been drawn in the sand and mud and
they fought it out for inches, often lossing more than gaining.
Or like the western desert war of WW2 where the allies were in
retreat under a couple of generals who both had only one play book
and Rommel knew their score.
Nothing changed there until MONTEY was sent to free the flagging
moral of those in retreat time and time again.
And that is what I hope to spur in this HORSE called christianityof.
And so I posted a harsh view about a horsefly that had buzzed by
and the lack of reaction this nahhing faith exerted in reply.

What about our age? Who would be best qualified to shake the
staid from their rostrums and their roosts? From the bunkers
and trenches they have hunkered down in lest some flak or shrapenal
piece pierce their slumbering reverie.

How many of youse preachers, you PAID LIP SERVANTS, actually
visit your frontlines, go door to door, rather than wait at the door
where your adoring squeeze your drab flab?
Or is it enough to just have cross exchange visits of preachers whom
you esteem as if they were some dignitaries while the greater need
is once more over looked?

Think on this,
if those trained and installed sychophants of yesterdays Sanhedrin
had recieved Jesus message instead of being so OBTUSE in their own
course, what might they have accomplished? Instead they became
so defensive reactionaires of their cause that they didn't see they
were straining so hard to keep even their last fortress MASADA which
they also lost, all because GOD pulled their self centered righteousness
off their course and from their miserable grasp.
Can you trained and documented GRASP what's being offered?
And how about the rest of us?
Or is this just something for them whom we esteem or them who
outwardly seem more than they truly are, or have to offer up.

PAX

Originally Posted by PASHA

Why did Jesus pick an ENEMY of the STATE to be His emissary?
Would you pick an enemy to represent your cause?
So why pick a murderous son of Cain for ministry rather than one
of the eleven witnesses who have experienced so much first hand?

Why was not one of the eleven promoted but rather an outsider
called in to further the GOSPEL?
Why send Barnabas to recruit this torch bearer rather than one
of the 10 bishops under Pete?

Was it that the eleven really hadn't attained it yet, or that in their
own minds that they had and didn't need to contend any further
but had fallen back to their entrenched positions of comfort?

I am a history buff. I enjoy reading of bygone wars and battles.
The case in point that was deleted in the HORSEFLY POST was
that so many christians are today like that WESTERN FRONT of
WW1, where the lines had been drawn in the sand and mud and
they fought it out for inches, often lossing more than gaining.
Or like the western desert war of WW2 where the allies were in
retreat under a couple of generals who both had only one play book
and Rommel knew their score.
Nothing changed there until MONTEY was sent to free the flagging
moral of those in retreat time and time again.
And that is what I hope to spur in this HORSE called christianityof.
And so I posted a harsh view about a horsefly that had buzzed by
and the lack of reaction this nahhing faith exerted in reply.

What about our age? Who would be best qualified to shake the
staid from their rostrums and their roosts? From the bunkers
and trenches they have hunkered down in lest some flak or shrapenal
piece pierce their slumbering reverie.

How many of youse preachers, you PAID LIP SERVANTS, actually
visit your frontlines, go door to door, rather than wait at the door
where your adoring squeeze your drab flab?
Or is it enough to just have cross exchange visits of preachers whom
you esteem as if they were some dignitaries while the greater need
is once more over looked?

Think on this,
if those trained and installed sychophants of yesterdays Sanhedrin
had recieved Jesus message instead of being so OBTUSE in their own
course, what might they have accomplished? Instead they became
so defensive reactionaires of their cause that they didn't see they
were straining so hard to keep even their last fortress MASADA which
they also lost, all because GOD pulled their self centered righteousness
off their course and from their miserable grasp.
Can you trained and documented GRASP what's being offered?
And how about the rest of us?
Or is this just something for them whom we esteem or them who
outwardly seem more than they truly are, or have to offer up.

PAX

PASHA, Paul actually answers your question himself. He says that God chose him as an apostle for one reason and one reason alone. God wanted to display that He can use anyone, not matter how vile, no matter how lost, no matter how entrenched in anger and judgmentalism, no matter how religious, no matter how self righteous, if confronted with the grace and forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Like you, I too am frustrated with the present conditions of the church. But I believe there are some Sauls out there, who have no clue they will meet Jesus in a new way on their own personal road to Damascus experience and be transformed into Pauls, and we must always be there to not only warn or chastise as needs be, but encourage as well, and enlighten. If we cause the walls in peoples minds to close up to message of truth by our method of confronting with truth, what good can it ever do them?

I must remind myself often, as I too get frustrated with the status quo, that love covers a multitude of sins, and that those that have "hard words" from God must do their best to deliver said hard words in love and much patience. Sometimes I am better at it than others. LOL.

I hope that makes sense.

ACTS 9
15--But the Lord said unto ANANIAS, Go thy way:
for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and
kings, and the children of Israel:
16--For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

So when I ridicule those who set Paul on the IDOL PEDESTAL, then I
am in the wrong, or when I call a fool a fool rather than placate them
with silvery words, I must be wrong?

I seriously doubt that all the men of GOD who had a prophecy spoke with
words so skewed to appease the diseased of mind and soul.
Why then did so many end up being PUNISHED if they spoke in the
correct political IDIOMS that would appease the idiots?

For me GOD has a sense of HAHA, and this HAHA went out to that ZEALOT
who took so much delight in furthering his own cause at the expense of
everyone else, what did Luke about Paul's words to AGRIPPA? Acts 26
The most zealous right after his mentor CAIAPHAS.

BETTER I WERE HOT or here not, than to be so blase as so many wannabies
who speak of all the useless cummin mint and roe which Jesus was oft
pished about too. Matt 23

[Dewayne]

I have always thought, that the zeal Paul had to destroy the church,
What zeal could the Lord use through Paul to start the churches that he did.
just my thoughts....Dewayne

THAT"S the great thing about Paul, he was always on fire
even when GOD was warning him to back off from his headlong
rush to be attendance for PENTECOST.
But olde habits die hard.
CAN a leopard change it's spots?
Paul was a pharisee to the end, wish there were more like him.
GOD be praised though I am not a PAULIANNA but a follower of JESUS
who also didn't watch HIS P's and Q's.
And some of the early christians ACTS 3 didn't either, they KILLED
JAMES because of his outspokeness. Too bad we have nought of his
insights to reflect upon.

[Dewayne]

Originally Posted by PASHA

THAT"S the great thing about Paul, he was always on fire
even when GOD was warning him to back off from his headlong
rush to be attendance for PENTECOST.
But olde habits die hard.
CAN a leopard change it's spots?
Paul was a pharisee to the end, wish there were more like him.
GOD be praised though I am not a PAULIANNA but a follower of JESUS
who also didn't watch HIS P's and Q's.
And some of the early christians ACTS 3 didn't either, they KILLED
JAMES because of his outspokeness. Too bad we have nought of his
insights to reflect upon.

I have wondered at times just what our churches would do today if Paul of old walked in and went to preaching.

[winsome]

There is another reason why Paul was a good choice. He was highly educated, brought up in a Greek speaking part of the world, and a Pharisee.

That meant he could he could speak well to Jews and Greeks alike. He knew Scripture and perhaps best of all he would be welcome in any synagogue around the world. How far would the fishermen have got with their Galilean accents and probably poor Greek?

DEWAYNE, I am sure Paul would be ashamed of what we have
done with his heart felt epistles that were addressed to others
and not us, SO WHAT WOULD HE WRITE NOW TO THIS AGES
MANY DIVERSE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES?
Would they hold the same softness or would he rage as I oft do?

Winsome, why do folks always resort back to the carnal leave?
Consider what happened @ Pentecost, where the disciples could
speak in the other nations mother tongue.
But we need to recall a few verses,
John 20,
9---- For as yet they knew not the scripture,
that he must rise again from the dead.
have you never pondered about this insertion, that they didn't know
scripture when they heard it so to speak, STRAIT FROM THE HORSES
MOUTH?
or the other insight of the beknighted who were trying to raise a
similar edifice as the MOSIANIC's had and which we christians and
yes even the Muslims have copied/cloned, aped/mimic'd and still
we are spinning off course,
see ACTS 6
2--Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them,
and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God,
and serve tables.
3--Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report,
full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over
this business.
4--But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,
and to the ministry of the word.

In one of my bibles it is written to the STUDY of SCRIPTURE is
John20 ia any indication of what seed had germinated in them.

NOW COMPARE WHAT JESUS DEMONSTRATED TO THOSE DIRTY DOZEN
Luke 22,
27--For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth?
is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

How did Jesus serve? in endless talk? What language did he speak when
He was in SIDON or in Caesarea Philippi? Do you think they couldn't speak
GREEK, LATIN or ARAMAIC?
So why did Pete suddenly pull that vain thought of, folded hand?
Because he had been a poor study adn student
Because of his BIAS which Paul later exposes in Gal. 2.
The GREEK WIDOWS weren't his cup of brew so to speak.
Jesus also promised that the believers would be able to do MUCH
MORE THAN HIMSELF, see JOHN 14
12--Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
for the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
But take heart I have heard that reasoning you postulated, and it is
purely crap generated in the SEMINARIES of the DEAD who would
lead the living to SUNLIGHT.


ALL I ASK OF ANYONE is that ye open your GOD BLESSED or blasted eyes
and stop looking for those short cuts where many many are still hung up.
OPEN your BOOK and trust GOD to reveal HIS TRUTH.
It took 2 years for me, alot of notes, and still everyday I learn something new,
now in the 10th year of STUDY in GOD's tutelage.
AM I FINISHED? NOT TILL THEY FIRE UP THE KILN TO RENDER MY REMAINS
DOWN.
IF YOU WANT the BEST, one goes to HIM who knows it best, but
if, you want to settle for second rate, you can alsways fall back into
the hands of blind and often vain men.

PAX

[Battig1370]

The foundation of the christian churches, started from one of, or all of, three versions of the Damascus Road Event. Luke who is credited as being the author of the book of Acts and has been called "the father of Christian Church History." Acts addresses those who are in need of information about the foundation of the Christian Church. It was after the Damascus Road Event, in Antioch, that the followers of Saul/St.Paul's Lord were first called Christians. This was the beginning of the Christian Church. From the time when the Day of Pentecost came the people of 'the Way' led by Jesus' brother James, and the other disciples of Jesus with their followers were a unified church baptized with the Holy Spirit, which Saul referred to as saints.


The introduction of Saul/St.Paul's Lord who called himself Jesus caused the first division by going after the weakest link first who was Peter. By the fifth century CE, the true followers of the historical Jesus became just another footnote in Christian Church History. Christian Church History is a wittness to what has happened in Saul/St.Paul's christ's name But fortunately Jesus' promise held true because it's The Word of God --- "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Word will by no means pass away." > Matt.24:35


Lets examine/test who is Saul/St.Paul's Lord who called himself Jesus? Before the spirit of Saul/St.Paul's Lord is examined/tested, know the testimony of Jesus, and be born again of the Spirit of God.


To inherit eternal life do the two great commandments: "Love God --->"; Love your neighbor as you love yourselves, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. --- " --- "Love your enemy" --- "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" --- "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" > Matt. 5:44-48.

John 3:3-8 > unless one is born again that is to be born of the Spirit , he cannot see and enter the kingdom of God.
John 4:24 > God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
1 John 4:16 > God is love; and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him


1 John 3:1-24 > "Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destory the works of the Devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of god. In this the children of God and the children of the Devil are manifested:"


Something very sad is revealed about Saul/St.Paul when he confesses near the end of his life. Saul/St.Paul confesses, "--- O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." > Romans 7:13-25. With the body/flesh Saul/St.Paul served the law of sin, which make Saul/St.Paul a Man of Sin.



Prisoner; - is a person confined against their will ---> "I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ'" --- "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord," > Ephesians 3:1, 4:1. --- "Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ" --- "being such as one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Chirst." --- "Therefore salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Jesus Christ" > Philemon 1:1, 1:9, 1:23.

Saul/St.Paul was prisoner of his Jesus ever since his Lord as an angel of light struck him down and blinded him without warning. And after that, Saul's Lord told Ananias, "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake." > Acts 9:16

To those that know the Jesus in the Gospels, the Father did not compelled Jesus to suffer and die on the cross, and Jesus would not strick down and blind someone without warning, and Jesus would not compell anyone to suffer and make them feel like a prisoner, not even Saul.

The underlined characteristic above are not attributes of holiness or even sainthood, but many christians may disagree.



Lets examine who Saul's Lord was and is before he got struck Saul down and blinded him without warning

There are three versions of the Damascus Road Event, which version is true, Version 1 > Acts 9:3-18, or Version 2 > Acts 22, 6-14, or Version 3 > Acts 26:13-19? I have been told by believers in Saul's Lord that all the versions are trustworthy and accurate because it's the Word of God, but how is that possible. Just to let you know, all three versions are written by the same author, but he was not Jesus.


Testifing to King Agrippa Saul said, "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of the Jesus of Nazareth. --- many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities." >Acts 26:9-11.


"I persecuted this Way to the death, blinding and delivering into prisons both men and women" > Acts 22:4


"Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Jesus, went to the high priest, and asked letters from him to the synagogue of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way wether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." > Acts 9:1-2


Here Saul shows the that he was an enemy of Jesus and a servent of his Lord the Devil Jesus said to his enemies, "If God were your Father, you would love Me ---" > John 8:42-47.


At the time when Saul got struck down and blinded by the blinding light without warning, his Lord was Satan transformed as an angel of light who said, "I am Jesus," when Saul asked, "Who are you, Lord?" Act 9:5 + Acts 22:8



After the Damascus road event Saul/St.Paul said, "I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not: and Saul cried out, "I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. > Acts 23:6. Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites " For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in" > Matthew chapter 23.


When Saul/St.Paul was in 'a trance', in Jerusalem, Saul saw his Lord saying to him, "Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me" > Acts 22:18. It was not Jesus that said, "Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me." because before Jesus was taken up into heaven, Jesus has already commissioned His disciples, that His Life and Testimony is to be taught, and to be observed in all nations. Also Saul was not one of those that Jesus spoke to here, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." > Acts 1:8


Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." > Matt. 28:18-20


From the Day of Pentecost to the Day of Damascus Road Event, Saul was an angry ambitious zealous servant of Satan trying to destroy the Way of the Lord which was speading rapidly as described in Acts 9:1-2, Acts 22:4, and Acts 26:9-11. Saul was not serving Satan well because he was not keeping up in stopping 'the Way' of the Lord. Satan had better way to derail the people of 'the Way', that is to deceive and this was the purpose of the Damascus Road Event. Because Satan said to Saul, "I am Jesus" on the road to Damascus, He has succeeded to decevie the world through Saul in believing He was and is the same Jesus who was taken up into heaven in Acts1:11. But Saul did not know that no one shall see this same Jesus until He returns in like manner > Matt. 24:30, > Luke 21:27, and > Mark 13:26. Saul did not know that Jesus said, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord", which is The Day of the Lord to come ." > Luke 13:35 and Matt 23:39.



Jesus warned about signs and wonders "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive The Very Elect."> Matt. 24:24


Saul said,---> "Truly the sign of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds".> 2 Cor. 12:12. --- " Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentles by them." > Acts 15:12.

J
ohn's Revelation ---> " the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image." > Rev. 19:20 --- "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, ---" > Rev.16:14.


Here is what Saul/St.Paul wrote about his God/Lord, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." > 2 Thess. 2:11 . This is very true because of who Saul/St.Paul's God is, but Jesus would never send anyone strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.



Let us examine/test the spirit of Saul/St.Paul's Lord Jesus Christ.

---" And to you who are trouble rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire "taking vengeance" on them that know not God and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be "punished with everlasting destruction" from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believed ( because our testimony among you was believed ) in that day. --- And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and "shall destroy" with brightness of his coming. > 2 Thess 1:7-10, and 2:8.


And let examine/test the spirit of the beast in St.John's Revelation

---" And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly would was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, --- And he had power to give life unto The Image of the Beast, that The Image of the Beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship The Image of the Beast should be killed. > Rev.13:12-13 and 15.

As you noticed in Saul/St.Paul's Lord Jesus Christ and the Beast in St.John's Revelation are the same wicked Spirit/Deity, and their disciples/followers will do the same, they will take vengeance, causing everlasting destruction, kill and destroy with fire and cause massive suffering which will be much worse than your worst nightmare.



The Spirit of Saul/St.Paul's Lord will be revealed not to be Holy, and because of this, the name Jesus will be taken away from Saul's Lord so Satan can no longer deceive the nations, and as result the name Jesus will be restoted to be Holy again for all mankind forever and ever. Mankind will no longer curse the name anymore.


Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega said, "Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his works" > Rev. 22:12 and Matt. 25:31-33. "Blessed are those who do His commandments"

[christkid777]

Perhaps the one thing about Paul/Saul that stands out the most to me is that Paul was a doer of deeds. He was not a vain talker. Even though he preached salvation by grace he was always busy about the works of the kingdom. And God bore witness to Paul by backing him up with signs of power. Even to this day there are many "anointed" revealer's of Gods Word and purpose but they are not doers and they have no power. And God has expressed no interest in establishing their credibility by backing them up. Most of them consider themselves fit to lead others and to tell them what to do but they themselves can not be led. It takes more than a great swelling testimony of one's self to gain the confidence of God's true people. Paul was an example of faith, works, miracles and perserverance. And he had God's testimony about himself as well.