In The Days Of Long Ago 

 

     Many years ago there lived a man that was named Saul.  This is a true story of what happened to him when he was doing bad things. Saul had a mother and father like you do.  No doubt they wanted him to grow up to be a good man and work for God.  Saul went to the school in Jerusalem.  He wanted the best education possible from the leaders in Israel.  He learned from the scriptures how God had led his people all these thousands of years. 

 

     Saul kept the Seventh day Sabbath holy and wanted to do right and keep the commandments.  But he did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. So that is why he started persecuting those that loved Jesus.

     Jesus did wonderful things to help people in their daily needs and to give them a desire to want to live a good life.

     Jesus wanted to help the people to prepare to live with Him in heaven.  He loved to bless the children.  He liked to be with them and tell them stories.

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     One day Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest and persecute the people that were obeying Jesus. 

     Suddenly a very, very bright light was shining all around him.  It was so bright that it made him blind.

 

 

     Saul heard a voice speak to him that said “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me”?  Saul said, who art thou Lord?

  Then Jesus said to Saul, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.”   Saul said, “what wilt thou have me to do”? 

     Jesus told Saul to go into the city and there was a man in the city that would teach him what to do.

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       Ananias came to see Saul and told him what the Lord Jesus wanted him to do. 

     Saul gave his heart to Jesus and was baptized.  Jesus gave Saul his sight again so he could see and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

     Now Saul truly believed Jesus was God, the true Messiah.

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   Saul learned how to love Jesus and the people that he was hurting. 

   Jesus had a very special work for Saul to do.  He was to tell other people about Jesus.   Jesus changed Saul’s name to Paul.  

     Now the rulers in Jerusalem wanted to get rid of Saul too because he loved Jesus, so they put guards by the gates of Damascus to try to get Saul.  

  

                                                          

    

         Saul’s friends put him in a basket and let him down the outside of the city wall so his enemies could not find him.  So the Lord Jesus took care of Saul and told him to spend his time preaching all about Jesus to the Gentile people.

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         Saul was faithful to Jesus and preached in many cities about God’s plan to save man from sin and how people can say “no” to the Devil and live Good lives for Jesus.

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     Some people did not like to hear Paul preach about a wonderful Savior, called Jesus.

     These people were so angry with Paul that they put him in prison.

     In the night time Paul and his companion were praying and singing songs of praise to Jesus in the prison.  The other prisoners could hear them.

     Suddenly there was a great earthquake.  In the dark, the jail keeper thought that the prisoners would escape and be free and run away. 

     Paul told the jail keeper that all the prisoners were still there.  The jail keeper came to where Paul was and fell down and asked what he must do to be saved.

     The jail keeper and all his household gave their hearts to Jesus and were baptized.

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   The Devil was so mad at Paul that he caused many people to hate him.  Paul was persecuted in many places.  He suffered a lot because he served Jesus and obeyed Him. 

 

    While he was in prison again he had opportunity to preach to the rulers of the nations.  Some of these rulers wanted to set Paul free.  They knew Paul was not doing wrong.  Paul knew the Lord planned for him to go to Rome.

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    Saul traveled to many places to tell people about Jesus and sometimes he would sail on the ships.  He had many hard times but the Lord was with him.

     Five times he was strapped, each time with 39 stripes.  He was three times beaten and also stoned and shipwrecked three times.  He was in many perils throughout his many journeys.

   Many people were humbled and blessed when Paul healed them of their sicknesses in the Name and power of Jesus.

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   Paul was a prisoner when he sailed for Rome.  There were 276 people on the ship.

     There came a day in the journey that the Ship was in a storm and the ship sunk but God saved all the people.  They were all able to get to a nearby island.  

      The people made a fire to get dry and warm up by.  When Paul was putting wood on the fire he was bit by a poisonous snake and he shook the snake off his hand into the fire and he was all right.  The people thought he would fall dead from the snake bite.    

     Saul was doing the will of God, so God could protect him.  This miracle was good for everyone to see how Jesus cares for His true children.

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   The Gentiles were the people who Paul was teaching.   They were not called Israelites.

    Paul did a lot of traveling to many places and a lot of people heard about Jesus.

   Many people will be in heaven because they gave their heart to Jesus and obeyed His Word.  

     This is what Jesus wants all of us to do.  Did you give your heart to Jesus?  Are you obeying His Word?  

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                                                                Jesus wants us to talk to Him!

 

                                                                                                                                                                      

                 Listen to God speak

                  Even when we are weak

               Jesus we can seek

                   We are His children meek.