40 Days of FIRE – Day 34
Day 34: Acts Ch.9. We are all sinners with a past; we all come to Jesus with baggage. How sad that some so-called “Christians” will not let others be saved will not trust their conversion because they know how they were before God transformed their life. Shame on any of us who would have that kind of contempt for the grace of God. Ask God to help you model His grace and forgiveness which He has demonstrated in your own life.
JESUS today YOU will SAVE me.
Eat This Book
Read Proverbs Chapter 14
Acts 9
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.
36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.
The POFW Daily Bible Reading 
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Acts 9:6 KJV
God always intended the Gospel to be preached by men. He already had Saul’s undivided attention, yet He sent Saul to Ananias to hear the Gospel. Similarly, God sent an angel to Cornelius, but instead of sharing the plan of salvation with Cornelius, the angel told him to send for Peter to learn how to be saved.
It is God’s plan that His Word should be spread by men. As mentioned by Bro. Wilson, many false religions have their origin in words supposedly spoken to specific men by angels, but Paul said, “…though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed,” (Galatians 1:8 KJV).
We need to be God’s messengers in this hour speaking God’s good news of salvation to everyone who will hear. When God lays it on our hearts to specifically go to and speak with someone, we need to be quick to obey and to trust Him for the results. God is orchestrating great things, and He will use ordinary men and women (like you and me) to do them. Let us be about our Father’s business in these last days and be the ones who share the Gospel with the Pauls and Cornelius’ of our day.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Romans 10:14-15 KJV
Acts10 :3-4 (English Amp) About the night hour ( about 3:00 p.m.) of the day he saw clearly in a vision an Angel of God entering and saying to him, Cornelius ! [4] And , gazing intently at him, became frightened and said, What is it Lord ? And the angel said to him. Your prayers and your ( generous) gifts to the poor have come up [ as a saccrifice] to God and babe been remembered by him. Cornelius, was a centurion captain of what was known as the Italian Regiment. He also was a man who venerated God and treated Him with reverential obedience. We need to be God fearing people who will pray for Fort Worth to be release and saved. 40 days of fire that people will make up there mind for God’s kingdom in Jesus name.Thank you for protecting our Country. We all need Jesus now.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel
God isn’t looking for talent, he’s not looking for anybody with special abilities he doesn’t care about what a person can do for him. God does Not I have preferences for who he wants to use all the time. Sometimes he just needs an Able Body. We know Paul to be and extraordinary apostle but it was this man who answered the call and did what the Lord told him to do and used him to heal Paul. It would be like God telling us to go to pray over a convicted killer on death row who absolutely hated you. Paul was sending out Creed’s to kill Jewish people, and ananias was a Jew himself, God told ananias to go talk to the very man who wanted to kill his people. While God can do anything and could have used anybody ananias stood up and allow God to use him. God is looking for obedient available people to reach the people that nobody else wants to reach
9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near. Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
———
Within minutes just walking going on a mission…
…A life style, a mind set, a doctrine… EVERETHING was chanced,
God is able! He can choose a healing process, or a miraculous transformation,
An instant miracle. God the omniticient one knows how to handle human kind….
We know the rest of the story🙌
3. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5. And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
10. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here , Lord.
Here we have two very different ways God had to use to get someone’s attention. The question is, what does God have to do to get our attention? Does he have to knock us down and blind us, or can He simply call our name? Lord, help me be sensitive to Your voice and to Your will.
Forgiveness is essential in the kingdom of God! Jesus even declared it as a requirement for our own forgiveness. That implies that if I cannot forgive, my own forgiveness will be withheld. More importantly, how will I truly believe in the absolute forgiveness of God if I cannot forgive the trespasses of others? Without that belief, we are incapable of truly receiving God’s forgiveness.
When you consider those in the world and how they are bound by unforgiveness, it is easy to see it’s importance in the kingdom of God. Through forgiveness, we establish trust among the body. Through forgiveness, we close another potential door for pride to rear it’s ugly head. Through forgiveness, we allow an opportunity for God’s love to truly do it’s work amongst the body.
Even worldly families are capable of forgiving one another to retain peace within the home. How much more so should forgiveness be seen in the house of God? It is essential for God’s work to be complete! It is essential for unity and love to be established in strength, so it is essential for the body to be healthy and strong. So forgive and it shall be forgiven you!
“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!
Acts of the Apostles 9:13 NLT
I’m reminded of when the Lord called Jonah to go speak to the people of Nineveh Jonah went in the opposite direction. Jonah was a very well-known prophet of God and he was blatantly disobedient and rebellious against God when God gave him a word to speak. Ananias was a servant who heard the Lord’s voice and though he was fearful because Saul was such a dangerous person he was still obedient because he loved the Lord and he had God’s Kingdom in mind. Help us, Lord to be Kingdom Minded and fully dedicated. THY KINGDOM COME.
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
God’s purpose in saving Saul was to use him and show him suffering (i.e. passion) for His name’s sake. His purpose was to show Saul how to passionately serve Him! It takes some sacrificing and suffering – if we allow Him, God will show us just like He did Saul.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. J. Soliz
The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria,
and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord.
And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.
Acts 9:31 NLT
“He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!”
Acts of the Apostles 9:4-5 NLT
Saul was on a downward spiral going against the Lord Jesus Christ and His people. It’s never going to be in your favor when we attack what God is doing. Thankfully Saul finally seen the truth and his eyes were open.
““What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’”
Isaiah 45:9 NLT
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
THY KINGDOM COME
SPEAK THE WORD
33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.
There is POWER in the name of JESUS. 8 years of disease is no match for the name of JESUS. We are called and challenged to GO everywhere and speak the name of JESUS over the lost and sick alike.
We must not be fearful or intimidated by what we hear of see. We can and must confront all sin and disease in the name of JESUS.
iRepent
iPraise
iPray
iWork
iGive
iReap
iGo
iBlessYouInTheNameOfTheLordJESUS
iLove the Kingdom
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
What a great question. Why are you persecuting me Paul…All Paul could do was say, “Who are you Lord?” Paul would soon find out that Jesus was indeed alive and well and everytime he persecuted Holy Ghost filled believer’s, he was in fact persecuting Jesus.
Matthew 25:40 KJV
(40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
We must always be careful of how we treat our brothers and sisters in the Lord. The way we treat each other is the way we are treating the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is why we must forgive one another, love one another, and serve one another.
*Saul (Paul was his name after his conversion)
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Most of the time God doesn’t give us His full plan all at one time. We must be obedient step by step. Saul was instructed to go into the city, then he would be told what to do.
Don’t resist taking the first step because you don’t know what the entire mission involves. Have faith to move when God says move just like the Israelites had to move when the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night moved. Trust the Lord – He has our best interest at heart.
Acts 9
Really God?
13-14 Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”
15-16 But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”
17-19 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.
“Really God?” to “Revival God!”
A question I asked God concerning some people several months ago. The first time I seen them they appeared in my eyes frightening. In the midst of the crowd
God said them that’s the ones I want you to reach for to care for. Hesitancy and unbelief could have kept the miracles that are now taking place to not have become reality. Ananias would have missed the awesome miracle that was getting ready to take place in the life of Saul! How many Sauls have we passed up
because of our ; “Really God?” I could have missed the beautiful fellowship and the the conversion of a wonderful couple if I had not obeyed the voice of God. Really God turned into a Reality of souls saved life’s transforming and hearts being mended. Saul became greatly used for the Kingdom.
Turn our hearts from “Really God ?“ To “ Revival God!”
For the Kingdom! In Jesus Name.
And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
Acts 9:33-34 KJV
Fairh into ACTION!!!!!
Speak Life!
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
Barnabas:
It is interesting to know that “Barnabas” wasn’t his birth name (Joseph was), it was his nickname meaning “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36). He was so encouraging that it became his name. What a legacy to leave! What an example to follow.
Barnabas stood up for Paul yet it is equally important to remember that Barnabas would also stand up for Mark when Paul did not want Mark to go with them in Acts 15 because Mark had previously abandoned them on a missionary journey.
The spirit of encouragement that is displayed in the life of Barnabas is something each of us should be inspired by and desire. The fact is, will we have enough courage and boldness to stand up for those that are trying to turn their life around?
Paul came out of sin into truth; what a life-changing experience. Mark was in truth yet abandoned a call of God to “Go”, realized his mistake, and was adamant about going on the next missionary journey. Mark’s experience was equally life-changing.
I am so thankful that we serve the one true God that gives us enough room to make a mistake realize how to correct it and gives us the opportunity to fix it.
Some would say that Paul did not know the truth and this does not compare to Marks situation but I beg to differ. We have all sinned and come short of His Glory. Yet, God is rich in His Mercy that we all have the opportunity to receive His grace and mercy. It doesn’t matter how long or short we’ve known God He is willing to forgive us. The true question is will there be a Barnabas around to aid us in our restoration?
Lord, create in me a spirit of encouragement that I may help lead others to receive restoration and new life in Your Kingdom!
42 The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord.
Let it spread like a forest fire!
Let it spread from county to county!
Let the testimonies and prophies speak and spread!
So that MANY will believe in the Lord!
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
Acts 9:4-5, 13, 15-18, 21-22 KJV
GOD used Saul in the same place he prosecuted people for worshipping God they we’re afraid and at some point they didn’t believe so Saul had to show and tell the I prosecuted it’s really real GOD can ues anyone it’s doesn’t matter what your pass is I can use you when read this Saul didn’t receive his sight and to after he received the Holy Ghost and was baptized
Like daivd Smith’s said a couple months ago or about a month ago GOD can’t fully used you until you been baptized and receive the Holy Ghost because you might not be able to handle notice continent juice sauce until he was baptized and filled with the holy ghost. GOD used Saul to do great things
I think GOD for putting me in a great church that teach you and guide you I didn’t grow up in best neighborhood neither did I grow up in a best house but it did not let those things to Define me but let those things encourage me to start a Bible study in my school while I am not in highschool anymore in a couple weeks I will be in college I believe GOD going to uesd me to start a Bible study in my college
What we can learn from this chapter today is GOD can uesd anyone for anything
Let your pass be pass and let God be Good
Thank you Jesus for yesterday’s messages!
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
How fast can we recognize the Voice of God when He calls out to us? How long does it takes us to respond?
When I hear the voice of someone I am close to, such as family and friends, it does not take me long to recognize who it is, even though I cannot see them. This is because I am close to them and I talk to them often. However if I do not know you very well nor have had many conversations with you it will take a bit longer to recognize you without seeing your face.
My point is, are we close enough to God, do we spend enough time with Him everyday, do we talk to Him enough to be able recognize His voice in but a moment of Him speaking to us?
Lord help me to be sensitive to Your voice and to be able to recognize when it is You speaking into my life!
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Saul later known as Paul was one who would have to suffer many things for the kingdom of God.He suffered spiritually, physically and mentally for the kingdom yet accomplished great things for God. Ive heard that rarely is a man used greatly until he is hurt deeply. Paul experienced hurt and was victorious and we too can be victorious!
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and the Kings, and the children of Israel: v.16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
I Cor. 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Gal.6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.a So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
Can just imagine the hate Saul had for those followers of God. He despised them to include women and children. He couldn’t be happier for the punishment he would lay upon them. The sad thing is, it still occurs today. Many would love to see Christianity gone, and the Word of God completely banned.
Thank God, many are converted from their way of thinking via a miracle. They realize their is a God who actually exists, a God of love and peace, a gracious God.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
Acts 9:26, “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.”
Why is it so hard for some people to believe that people can be changed? Instead of doubting, start REJOICING in the fact that God is changing lives and souls are being saved.
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, they were multiplied.
Acts 9:15-18
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
Wake Up CALL
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Have you been in a position where God had to give you a wake up call?
All I can say is thank you Jesus for loving us so much to give us a wake up call. Yet some people still sleep through it. Let my heart and ears be open unto Jesus.
I Love To Worship The Lord
9 vs 1-9
Saul has already been introduced as an individual intent on destroying the young Christian movement. Paul sets out for Damascus with authority to arrest any Christians found in the Jewish communitythere. One way Jesus appears to him and Saul falls stunned and blinded to the ground.
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
No wonder Paul had such a powerful influence on the early church! After such a miraculous conversion experience of coming in contact with the One true God he studied all his life, he was determined to make known that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (I Tim. 3:16, II Cor. 5:19, Col 2:9,10, Phill 2:6, Eph. 4:5, Gal.3:20). He immediately replied to Jesus, what will you have me to do Lord? Paul went to great depths and heights in God because he was convinced that nothing could keep him from the love of God! He who once had persecuted the church had now become its’ greatest champion!
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Can God count us worthy to be mightily used of Him?…
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
Saul was zealous for the Jews to persecute the disciples of Jesus and when he was converted, he was even more zealous to preach the truth of Jesus. People are sometimes amazed at a person’s transformation from sin to saint, but when we are consistent in the walk of faith as a Christians, friends will note that we have ‘been with Jesus’.
This chapter is full of miracles. It is cool how God can use just one miracle and change so much! When Saul became Christian, “31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.” When one man was healed and got up, “35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.” When one woman was raised from the dead, “42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.” Surely it does not take much to make a huge difference in this world! When God works, it is evident! There is no reason why I should not be sharing His Word! Surely, I don’t even know how much of an impact God is having me make when I talk about God to one person. Truly God is awesome and amazing and I want to be sure that I am a part of His kingdom, glorifying Him in all that I do and say! Praise the Lord for He is great!
Saul hated Christians and then he became one . GOD can do anything . Some one might try to destroy you but if GOD is in the picture nothing can stand against
For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Acts 9:16 KJV
WOW! We must be ready we haven’t seen nothing yet. And we having feel nothing yet. But it’s coming sooner than we think.
A.L.M.A.S.
“But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.” But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.
Acts of the Apostles 9:13-15 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/act.9.13-15.NLT
Sometimes we are too quick to judge based on peoples appearance, attitude, or upbringing. The fact of the matter is that we never know who God is going to use for His kingdom. What we may see useless and no good. God can see what we can’t. We should always be ready to serve and be compassionate to other because we never know who God has chosen to be the next pastor, preacher, evangelist….
Josiah: 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
When Paul spoke the word of the Lord, they sought to kill him. However, earlier when people asked wasn’t this the man sent to capture people who called on the Lord Saul just increased in strength. He was more concerned about his present walk with God to get caught up with his past. Whether it’s a good or bad past people allow their past to effect what God is trying to do now. We should focus on getting deeper with God in these last days of Forty Days of Fire!
“And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”
Acts 9:26-27 KJV
We all have a past, but the key word is PAST. When Paul approached the disciples they rejected him because they were scared. But we need to be like Barnabas and overlook that past. Bring these people in to be an apostle. Barnabas seen what Paul was capable of, he seen passed the past and that’s what we need to do. It’s a crucial thing to judge someone as soon as you see them. I approach people everyday and when I’m wearing a short sleeve shirt my tattoos are revealed to the world and I look just like everyone else. I like to see myself as an undercover Christian even though I’m not even trying. I’m fact I have to make it clear what I believe in right off the bat usually if not I’m gonna be approached like a rebellious heavy rocker guy with a bunch of tats. It’s an advantage to be honest but what I’m trying to say is DONT judge to quickly.
In the time of me being in pofw I have seen this helping out in the Bus Ministry
We make assumptions about the kids that come to church, we look at them like trouble makers or roudy kids and we don’t want to deal with them.
Just like the story of Saul (Paul) Jews were afraid and wanted to kill him. Little did they know, what God was planning to do with him. Sometime we see the Bus kids like they have no future… we have no vision to what Hod has in plan for them. I see the next evangelicals, the next Pastors, the next prophets, the next musicians, the next praise and worship leaders. If we can only see them with Gods eyes, EVERYONE WILL WANTED TO DO BUS MINISTRY!!!
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5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
It should be that when we have an encounter with God we should ask what will you have me do Lord?
This chapter reminds me of our Sunday School Bible Point from our lesson yesterday “God gives me life”. God did a whole turn around job on Saul, as the scales fell from his eyes and he was given a new life with a new purpose.
Luke 4:18 MSG “God’s Spirit is on me; he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”.
33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
It’s amazing how God can change things all in one moment. Our God can do many kinds of miracles! We are promised to be able to do things greater than these! Let’s do God’s will and seek for the lost and preach to them the gospel. Let God be glorified!
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
He fell to the ground even before he had heard the voice……….. the light was and is enough to bring anyone at anytime to the ground!!! JESUS YOU ARE THE LIGHT!!! TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION!!!
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Our walk with God will not be all rainbows and roses. Instead it will be trials for triumphs and battles for breakthroughs, if we want to be used of God we must make ourselves avaliable vessels at his dispense. Like the prophet we too will suffer in our own way and we should count it an honor God choses us to do it. He picks those who are able and willing.
Acts 5:41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name
And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”(Acts of the Apostles 9:16 NLT)
When we decide to make our minds up and believe in ourselves that we are going to do the will of God with or without opposition. Then there’s nothing that can stand against us.
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
So ill informed was Saul, that he thought he ought to do all he could against the name of Christ, and that he did God service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element. Let us not despair of renewing grace for the conversion of the greatest sinners, nor let such despair of the pardoning mercy of God for the greatest sin. It is a signal token of Divine favour, if God, by the inward working of his grace, or the outward events of his providence, stops us from prosecuting or executing sinful purposes. Saul saw that Just One, Acts 22:14 and Acts 26:13. How near to us is the unseen world! It is but for God to draw aside the veil, and objects are presented to the view, compared with which, whatever is most admired on earth is mean and contemptible. Saul submitted without reserve, desirous to know what the Lord Jesus would have him to do. Christ’s discoveries of himself to poor souls are humbling; they lay them very low, in mean thoughts of themselves. For three days Saul took no food, and it pleased God to leave him for that time without relief. His sins were now set in order before him; he was in the dark concerning his own spiritual state, and wounded in spirit for sin. When a sinner is brought to a proper sense of his own state and conduct, he will cast himself wholly on the mercy of the Saviour, asking what he would have him to do. God will direct the humbled sinner, and though he does not often bring transgressors to joy and peace in believing, without sorrows and distress of conscience, under which the soul is deeply engaged as to eternal things, yet happy are those who sow in tears, for they shall reap in joy.
“And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.”
Acts 9:7 KJV
The audible voice of God. Somebpeollw say your crazy if you hear God. Others say they hear God all the time. Still others say they know his voice but it has never spoken to them aloud. This is s clear account of the audible voice of God speaking to man.
If he did it then he can still do it now.
42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
So many want to be involved, and here is vs 42 gives us a direction of how anyone can help no matter the age, skill or talent!
In order for something to be known, it must first be spread! We can all ensure that the Good News is SPREAD, so go talk about it! Spread the Good News!