Who Are You, Lord? 主啊，祢是谁？

[Dexu Xia]

 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.  Acts 9:5

At age sixteen, Luis Rodriguez had already been in jail for selling crack. But now, arrested for attempted murder, he was in prison again—looking at a life sentence. But God spoke into his guilty circumstances. Behind bars, young Luis remembered his early years when his mother had faithfully taken him to church. He now felt God tugging at his heart. Luis eventually repented of his sins and came to Jesus.

In the book of Acts, we meet a zealous Jewish man named Saul, who was also called Paul. He was guilty of aggravated assault on believers in Jesus and had murder in his heart (Acts 9:1). There’s evidence he was a kind of gang leader, and part of the mob at the execution of Stephen (7:58). But God spoke into Saul’s guilty circumstances—literally. On the street leading into Damascus, Saul was blinded by a light, and Jesus said to him, “Why do you persecute me?” (9:4). Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” (v. 5), and that was the beginning of his new life. He came to Jesus.

Luis Rodriguez served time but eventually was granted parole. Since then, he’s served God, devoting his life to prison ministry in the United States and Central America.

God specializes in redeeming the worst of us. He tugs at our hearts and speaks into our guilt-drenched lives. Maybe it’s time we repent of our sins and come to Jesus.

By:  Kenneth Petersen

What guilt are you experiencing or have experienced? How do you sense God is calling or has called you back to Himself? 

Jesus, I’ve strayed from You, but I feel You tugging at my heart. Forgive me of my sins, I pray.

 [扫罗]说：“主啊，祢是谁？”—使徒行传9章5节

路易斯 · 罗德里格斯（Luis Rodriguez）16岁时就曾因贩毒而入狱，后来又因谋杀未遂而再度被捕，可能会被判终身监禁。但在他罪孽深重的处境中，上帝向他说话了。在狱中，年轻的路易斯想起儿时母亲如何按时带他去教会，他感受到上帝正触动他的心。路易斯最后认罪悔改，归向耶稣。

使徒行传记载一个名叫扫罗（也叫保罗）的犹太教狂热分子，他恐吓胁迫耶稣的门徒，要杀害他们（使徒行传9章1节）。有证据显示，他就像是帮派领袖，也是杀害司提反的那群暴徒中的一员（7章58节）。但上帝向罪孽深重的扫罗说话──真的说话。扫罗在前往大马士革的路上，被强光照瞎了眼，耶稣对他说：“你为什么逼迫我？”扫罗问：“主啊，祢是谁？”（9章4-5节）就这样，扫罗归向了这位他曾逼迫的耶稣，开启他新的生活。

罗德里格斯信主后继续服刑，后来获得假释出狱。此后，他开始服事上帝，投身于美国与中美洲的监狱事工。

即使我们罪孽深重，上帝也能把我们从罪恶的深谷救赎出来。祂能触动我们的心，向我们这些充满罪恶的人说话。也许，现在正是你我认罪悔改、归向耶稣的时候。

作者：  毕恺腾

你曾犯过哪些罪，
或是你现在正沉溺在罪恶当中？
你怎样感受到上帝曾经或正呼唤你回转归向祂？

耶稣，我曾远离祢，但是我感觉祢触动我的心弦，求祢饶恕我犯的罪。