Hey Element Church! Day 9 of 28 coming atcha! Would love to hear from any of you on what God is teaching you, what you’ve learned, been challenged with etc. You can share via comments on the comment link below. Today our prayer is “Lord make us content!” (Another difficult prayer) Please pray as well for the churches that are listed for today. Today we’re reading Acts 9. You can read it online HERE. I’ve already been talking a LOT about Paul’s conversion so today here it is.
Acts 9:1-4 — I’ve been talking about the persecution of Stephen and other believers and how God used that to spread the Gospel. The Gospel went to places like Damascus in which Saul (Paul) was now requesting permission to go and arrest the Believers there. Ananias was a believer in Damascus that was instrumental in Saul’s conversion. Being on the road to Damascus was instrumental. His passion to arrest believers was instrumental. All these would not have been, were it not for the allowance of persecution by God. Sovereignty at work.
Acts 9:3-10 — Saul gets knocked down to the ground by a light from Heaven and Jesus speaks to Him. “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” (Notice Jesus didn’t say “my followers”, but “me”) Paul responds in v. 5 “Who are you lord?” (and the Bible uses a little “l”) The word lord here means more like the word sir to us. Again “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting!” When Saul got up he was blind and he was led by hand to Damascus where he remained blind for 3 days. Do you think Jesus is trying to use any analogies here? Blind? Three days? Jesus spoke of those who were “blind” as being lost. He was in the grave for three days before He rose again to rescue people from “darkness unto light and from the power of satan unto God”.
In Damascus Jesus speaks to Ananias in a vision and calls out to him “Ananias!” Notice the different letter for “Lord” in his response. Ananias responds with the word “Lord” and a capital “L”. Big difference in their response. “Who are you sir?” “Yes GOD”.
Acts 9:11-19 — Can you imagine the fear and trepidation in Ananias when God asked him to go Saul? He had heard of Sauls mission to destroy the church and Believers. Talk about a walk of faith. And then God tells him that Saul is HIS chosen instrument to take HIS message to the Gentiles. It’s God’s message so guess what? HE CAN USE ANY METHOD OR MESSENGER HE WANTS! The early church learned that quickly.
Acts 9:23 — The tables are turned. Now the Jews are trying to kill Paul.
Acts 9:26 — I don’t blame the Jerusalem believers to be afraid. He leaves the lead persecutor and comes back a lead pastor. lol
Acts 9:32-35 — I think the miracles in the Bible, at least many of them, are pictures of spiritual healing and what our response should be. I’ve always seen them that way. One thing I’ve noticed about people who were cripple is THEY DIDN’T GET BACK ON THE MAT! They walked. Jumped. Ran. They COULDN’T go back to the mat. Yet how many people get spiritual healing, but are content to go back to their mat? Their sin? Their addiction? Their bitterness? When God heals us, He expects the mat to be “rolled up” and not brought back out.
Acts 9:36 — How cool would this be to be written about us? “They were always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.” Tabitha will always be known for that. Pretty cool.
Off my mat,
Jeff
