Osama/Paul? Keith Schramm teaches our Sunday morning bible class and brought up an interesting thought for us to ponder yesterday. We are traveling through Acts following Saul through Corinth and Athens and Ephesus and Crete. Keith reminded us of how difficult it might be for the people of that day to accept Paul's teaching based on his background of killing professed christians only a year or two earlier. Now, through divine intervention, he is making an appeal to preach and teach Christ and him crucified to many who remember him as a zealot for just the opposite. Keith used this angle to help us understand...Lets say our deacon of missions wanted to plant a church in Mosul, Iraq. He just found out that Osama Bin Laden had obeyed the gospel and was seeking support to work with the church there as well. The cards are in place. We have a field ripe unto harvest, we have a missionary, Osama, who is willing to commit to 5 years in Mosul to spread the gospel, and we have a church at home, us, who has the opportunity to support him. Will we? Can we forget what Osama has been credited with doing to innocent people all over the world for most of his life? Killing women, children, torturing thousands of others for his "cause." Substitute Osama's name in Luke's letter in place of Paul. Its no different. God uses the most unorthodox, un-prototypical vessels imaginable to further his kingdom. Are we faithful enough to believe it? God used a murderer and made him an apostle. There is no hurdle, that with God's help, we can't overtake.
Keith  ¶ 3:19 PM