Great Sinners, Great Saints - November 19, 2010

Daily Reading

Acts 9-10

Daily Verse

But the Lord said to Ananias,

"Go! This man is my chosen instrument

to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings

and before the people of Israel."

Acts 9:15

Daily Thought

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man, Saul, and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem."
~Acts 9:13

Home from college, my high school friend waved me over.

His name was John, but we called him "Animal." All-city nose guard, he was crazy on, and off, the football field. A wicked wit, he spoke in rhyme, funny and filthy.

"Hey Animal," I smiled, anticipating a barrage of profanity, blasphemy, and debauchery.

Instead, I got Grace. I got the Gospel. I got introduced to his friend, Jesus Christ.

"John, what happened?"

"I got Jesus." Jesus got John.

"The great (and toothsome) sinners are made out of the very same material as those horrible phenomena, the great Saints."
~Screwtape, a demon, "Screwtape Proposes a Toast," by C.S. Lewis

Nice people make nice Christians, but watch what happens when God grabs a person of passion.

To God's Glory,
Dave Price

Daily Prayer

It's amazing grace, my God. I was a sinner, and You changed me. Now, I am a saint. May I never forget the transformation, and may I never tire of telling the story.

The goodness, the righteousness, the holiness of Your Son is now mine. I still sin, I know I do. But no longer am I a sinner. I am a child of God, not by anything I have done, but by the work of Jesus Christ. May the passion I used to display toward worldliness and wickedness be given to godliness. All the more so.

Amen