As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
(Acts 9:3-5 NIV)
The entire life of the human being depends on an Encounter ... On an Encounter with Jesus! This is the most wonderful experience anyone can have. Knowing Jesus gives us eternal life, sets us free, allows us to restore our relationship with the Father and enjoy the fullness of His blessing.
Before meeting Jesus, the apostle Paul was known as Saul of Tarsus, a persecutor of the Christian church, who because of his religious zeal thought that Christianity was a danger to the Jews. The Word describes the attitude of Saul in front of the church as follows: Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-2 NIV)
However, when he was on his way to Damascus, something extraordinary happened. A light surrounded the apostle and he met Jesus. After his Encounter, Paul said: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NIV). He became the most fervent preacher of the gospel, taking the message to all the corners of the earth.
What produced such a radical change in Paul's life? An Encounter with Jesus! And we see that the same thing happened with great men of God like Jacob, Moses or Peter. All were transformed by the power of an Encounter and they also received a powerful call that led them to fulfill the Lord's purpose.
It is important to understand that one of the fruits of an Encounter is a call to ministry: ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:15-18 NIV)
I know some people who try to implement the Vision as if it were a simple method, expecting to see great results just by following a few steps, but they forget the most important thing: that everything, including ministerial growth, begins with having an Encounter with Jesus.
I want to ask you a question: Have you had a personal Encounter with the Author of Life?
All ministerial success depends on your relationship with Jesus. I want to invite you to seek Him with all your heart. He longs to use you mightily to extend the kingdom of God throughout your life!
(Foreword, Ps. Cesar Castellanos, 2018, "THE ABC OF THE VISION", G12 Editors.)
Take your disciples to live the most wonderful experience that a person can have. Seeing their lives being transformed is priceless!