Acts 9:10-18\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,\u00a0\u201cAnanias!\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYes, Lord,\u201d he answered.\u00a0 11\u00a0The Lord told him,\u00a0\u201cGo to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus\u00a0named Saul, for he is praying.\u00a012\u00a0In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on\u00a0him to restore his sight.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/i>13\u00a0\u201cLord,\u201d Ananias answered, \u201cI have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people\u00a0in Jerusalem.\u00a014\u00a0And he has come here with authority from the chief priests\u00a0to arrest all who call on your name.\u201d\u00a0 15\u00a0But the Lord said to Ananias,\u00a0\u201cGo! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles\u00a0and their kings\u00a0and to the people of Israel.\u00a016\u00a0I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.\u201d 17\u00a0Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, \u201cBrother Saul, the Lord\u2014Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here\u2014has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.\u201d\u00a018\u00a0Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul\u2019s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,\u00a0\u201cAnanias!\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYes, Lord,\u201d he answered.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Ananias (obviously not the same one as we read about in\u00a0Acts 5<\/b>) was a devout (totally committed) disciple of the Lord.\u00a0 He heard when the Lord called his name.\u00a0 A common statement by many Christians today is that they have never known the voice of the Lord.\u00a0 Yet Ananias knew it.\u00a0 Jesus merely said his name and he immediately heard and responded \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d\u00a0 Thinking about that quick response is revealing.\u00a0 His first words at hearing Jesus call him was \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t \u201cLord is that really you?\u201d\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t \u201cOh no Lord, what do you want from me.\u201d\u00a0 It was \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d\u00a0 What is our response when we think the Lord is guiding us to something?\u00a0 Is it \u201cYes, Lord\u201d indicating both obedience and submission, or is it something else?\u00a0 Ananias is not blown away by the Lord speaking to him.\u00a0 He surely was honored and reverent, but not surprised.\u00a0 Not surprised because he was in the habit of not only praying to the Lord but was expectant of hearing back.\u00a0 Ananias had learned to know the voice of God so this event of Jesus speaking to him was not a surprise, but just a new chapter in his ongoing life dialogue with God.\u00a0 We all have a \u201clife dialogue\u201d with Christ, don\u2019t we?<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lord told him,\u00a0\u201cGo to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus\u00a0named Saul, for he is praying.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Jesus gave Ananias very specific direction.\u00a0 That may cause us to wonder how He gave Ananias specific directions about whom he would minister to and yet he merely told Philip to \u201cGo south to the road\u2014the desert road\u2014that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.<\/i>\u201d Philip was to head to a desert road that goes down to Gaza.\u00a0 Just go to the road.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t even given a reason to go.\u00a0 Ananias knew exactly where he was going and that he was to seek out Saul, who was praying.\u201d\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Really, why does \u201cwhy\u201d matter.\u00a0 Do we have to know the why to obey Jesus?\u00a0 No, at least we should not.\u00a0 If God tells us go, we go, and the only reason we need to obey is that it is instructions from God.\u00a0 Family, faith is acting on something we don\u2019t understand because God said so and we know that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6<\/b>).\u00a0 Family, either we completely trust God, or we do not.\u00a0 When we do, then if God says go in that direction, we go.\u00a0 We may not know the final destination, or what we are to do along the way or when we get there, but we know that where God guides, God provides.\u00a0 He will provide all we need along the way and also when we get there, and that is all we need.\u00a0 When God says go, we excitedly go and knowing we are being used of God is the highest honor.\u00a0 It would be an honor to be used of a president, prime minister, or any high government official, but that honor is not in the universe as serving God.\u00a0 When God say go, then we go.\u00a0 Praise God!<\/p>\n \u201cIn a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on\u00a0him to restore his sight.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Saul was a brand new spanking Christian.\u00a0 But wait, didn\u2019t he become a Christian after Ananias prayed for him?\u00a0 In\u00a0V15<\/b>\u00a0Jesus said \u201cThis man is my chosen instrument.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 He did not say that this man would be his chosen servant, but that he \u201cis\u201d my chosen instrument.\u00a0 Saul had encountered Jesus and had already submitted his life to Him. Saul obeyed the Lord and went to Damascus as Jesus instructed him, he did not need follow up ministry by any man to be a Christian but instantly gave his life to Jesus.\u00a0 We know this by the authority of Jesus Himself.<\/p>\n \u201c\u201cLord,\u201d Ananias answered, \u201cI have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people\u00a0in Jerusalem.\u00a014\u00a0And he has come here with authority from the chief priests\u00a0to arrest all who call on your name.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Ananias was not doubting God, and He was not refusing to obey the Lord, but he, as we all might, was thinking \u201cThis man Lord?\u00a0 Really, this guy who is out to kill all who serve You?\u00a0 Do You know what he has done and is dedicated to doing?\u201d\u00a0 Being used of God does not exclude us from being silly.\u00a0 Informing God who knows everything is really not necessary.\u00a0 It is a good thing for us that He loves us and extends to us grace at every need of it.<\/p>\n \u201cBut the Lord said to Ananias,\u00a0\u201cGo! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles\u00a0and their kings\u00a0and to the people of Israel.\u00a016\u00a0I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.\u201d<\/i>\u201d Jesus said that Saul was his chosen instrument to: 1) the Gentiles\u00a0 2) the kings of Gentiles\u00a0 3) the people of Israel.\u00a0 Saul had received the best Jewish education under the most renowned rabbi of the time.\u00a0 As a messenger to the Jews, few, if any were more qualified.\u00a0 Saul was also a Roman citizen.\u00a0 This automatically gave him privilege that the gentiles would note and it carried with it powerful rights.\u00a0 Jesus did not capriciously select Saul to serve in the capacity he did, but had, unknown to Saul, prepared him for the ministry.\u00a0 Again, this is not God violently taking over the life of Saul, but lovingly leading him to what would fulfill and thrill Saul as nothing else could.\u00a0 Just as surely as God set us the meeting of Ananias and Saul, he had chosen both of them as ones who had been prepared to serve.\u00a0 We know that He also prepares us.\u00a0 We have been called for His purpose that He has preordained us to do (Ephesians 2:10<\/b>).\u00a0 And that to our blessing!<\/p>\n Jesus, at Saul\u2019s conversion showed him how great he was going to suffer for His name.\u00a0 That is not surprising as Jesus warned us all that we would be hated for His name sake (Matthew 10:22<\/b>).\u00a0 Today we must not be so anxious to say we led someone to the Lord as to exclude that belonging to Jesus will bring attacks from the enemy.<\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, \u201cBrother Saul, the Lord\u2014Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here\u2014has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.\u201d\u00a018\u00a0Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul\u2019s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Ananias\u2019s faith carried him forward to obey Jesus.\u00a0 He did as Jesus instructed and as a result Saul was healed and filled with the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Since Saul was already a believer (Ananias acknowledges this as he called Saul \u201cBrother.\u201d) and follower of Jesus, he already had the Holy Spirit within.\u00a0 What Saul received at that time was the same anointing of power that the disciples had received at Pentecost.\u00a0 It was the anointing, the filling, of the power of the Holy Spirit to do all that God would ask him to do.<\/p>\n God had a plan to use Ananias for the anointing of Saul to be used.\u00a0 God had a plan to use Saul.\u00a0 He also has a plan for our lives to have the honor of serving Him.\u00a0 May we know His voice and always respond to Him \u201cYes, Lord.\u201d\u00a0 Thank you Jesus!\u00a0 Praise God!<\/p>\n Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Acts 9:10-18\u00a0\u2013\u00a0In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,\u00a0\u201cAnanias!\u201d\u00a0 \u201cYes, Lord,\u201d he answered.\u00a0 11\u00a0The Lord told him,\u00a0\u201cGo to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus\u00a0named Saul, for he is praying.\u00a012\u00a0In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,1841,104,101,94,17],"class_list":["post-1595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-ephesians","tag-hebrews","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1595"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1596,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1595\/revisions\/1596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}