"Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful" (NLT)
The reason that this stood out to me was because it takes place after Paul had been baptized and presumably filled with the Holy Spirit. Especially in terms of the accounts that we read earlier in Acts of the extreme ways that the Holy Spirit worked through believers, my assumption is usually that as soon as we receive the Holy Spirit, we are suddenly at our maximum level (my point here is less about the word "powerful" and more about "became more and more"). This tiny part of a verse spoke to me today about the process that we are engaged in. The journey that is our life here on earth.
Just as when we are born as babies we are suddenly alive, yet we spend a lifetime growing in strength, understanding, and ability, I believe this verse displays that same process of INSTANT spiritual life, followed by long term growth.
This is one thing that I constantly have to remember. Instant transformation is possible and does happen, more often than we think. But the real inside-out transformation process is done by the Spirit over the long haul.
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