Paul was a persecutor of the church.  He hated Jesus Christ.  As we said earlier, Jesus seeks us.  We don’t seek Him.  And here’s this man persecuting the church, martyring believers.  As he was on his way to Damascus, to bring more terror to the church, a bright shining light appeared, brighter than the noonday sun.  And a voice spoke from the heavens and said, “Saul, Saul why persecutest thou me?”  He said, “Who art thou, Lord?”  The voice came back and said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.  It is a difficult thing for you to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:3-5).  What a great truth there!  “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.”  He never knew Jesus personally.  Jesus takes it personally when the enemy messes with His church; whether it be humanity or the satanic kingdom.  He’s making intersession for us.  He’s going to ultimately cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess that He is Lord to the glory of God our Father, hallelujah!

So, when things continue to get rough around us… how about Easter Sunday being chosen by our President to be the “Day of Sex-Gender-Confusion-Worship Day” or whatever they named it.  Can you imagine picking Easter Sunday to make this the official day for this segment of society that stands mocking the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth?!  That’s where we’re going as a country.  Jesus said you’re going to be hated for His namesake, and you’re going to be hated for the purity of the gospel.  If we’re living lives that are replicating, and not only replicating—if we’re living lives that are emblematic of that ministry that Jesus had and that life that He manifested, we will be hated for His name, we will be hated for this message that we bring.  A message of love.  A message that says that, as sinners, you can be made right with God.  A message that says hell was not created for men, it was created for Satan and the angels.  You can only go to hell by choosing to personally reject the lordship of Jesus Christ.  

We’ve talked about the gender thing, and many of these sins against the goodness of God, the wisdom of God, the love of God.  But it’s not any sin, John 16 says, that will send a man to hell.  It’s not murder.  It’s not adultery.  It’s not covetousness.  The Scripture, speaking there, makes it very clear that this work of the Holy Spirit in the last day is going to manifest by the ministry of the church.  Jesus said, “I’m going to send you the Holy Ghost, which is the Comforter.  If I depart, I will send Him unto you.  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:7-8).