How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!

Acts 26:14 (Amplified Bible)
And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice in the Hebrew tongue saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you continue to persecute Me [to harass and trouble and molest Me]?


We need to take a moment and ask ourselves...are we really living with the intentions of following God's will in our lives, or are we more in tune with our own will? We must take serious inventory in how we do things. Every time we are hard headed, strong willed, obstinate or self-invested, we are hurting and prosecuting Jesus. We must stop demanding things are done our way, and stop insisting on things to happen the way WE want them to. We grieve the Holy Spirit when this happens, when we choose to rely on our own self respect, and demand it to be our way. When we finally come to fully understand that the one we are persecuting is Jesus, "it is the most crushing revelation ever." We can never be free from the "me, me, me" trap until we experience the baptism of the "Holy Spirit and fire." (Matthew 3:11 (Amplified Bible)
I indeed baptize you in (with) water because of repentance [that is, because of your changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.)
Are we letting the Words of God truly penetrate our hearts, and make a difference in our lives? Or do we say one thing and our lives portray something completely different? We can preach and preach all we want, but if our lives are completely opposite, it is not only harming those around us, it is ultimately persecuting our Savior. All that we do should be done in a oneness with God, not based on selfish ambition. Jesus is focused on one thing, and that is the spirit of oneness. His Word tells us,"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29). No matter what happens, or what people do, we could be used by others, forgotten or ignored, but it should not matter...we need to always submit to Him, and while living our daily lives, we must make sure that Christ is not persecuted.

("My Utmost for His Highest"--Oswald Chambers)