Acts 9

Saul’s Conversion

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.
3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! 8 Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. 9 He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.
10 Now there was a believer[b] in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord!” he replied.
11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 12 I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”
13 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers[c] in Jerusalem! 14 And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”
15 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. 16 And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul stayed with the believers[d] in Damascus for a few days. 20 And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is indeed the Son of God!”
21 All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
22 Saul’s preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn’t refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. 23 After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him. 24 They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot. 25 So during the night, some of the other believers[e] lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.
26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! 27 Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.
28 So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. 30 When the believers[f] heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.
31 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.
Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Dorcas

32 Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. 35 Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.
36 There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas[g]). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 37 About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. 38 But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”
39 So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. 40 But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! 41 He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive.
42 The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides.







That's some good word. It's crazy how Jesus will go to such measures just to save one person. He brought his presence to a person who was "with every breath" trying to persecute Jesus. My Jesus is awesome, because that isn't an uncommon thing. I beleive that sort of thing happens daily, whether we realize it or not. I know that Jesus will intervein in our lives to help us out, whether we realize he is there or not. Now him physically throwing us to our backs and yelling at us dosn't happen to me as much as i would like it, because Lord knows i need. The cool thing about him yelling at Saul is that the people with Saul heard it to, but they didn't know what it was. So that means that Jesus was physically in heaven screaming at Saul to the point where other people can hear it. I cant even fathom how awesome that it. I mean just imagine hanging out with one of your friends in the middle of a convorsation and then he spazes out onto the ground and then a crazy powerful voice comes from the sky and surrounds y'all. I don't know about you, but i have to go change pants.
Then God went to one spacific person to go and help Saul. One person to go and heal him. Wow, first off imagine being Anaias. Having God tell you that you have to go help out this enourmous jerk, who has been persicuting your brothers and sisters "with every breath." Could you do it? If God came up to you and told you to go and love on Hitler, could you do it? I don't know if i could. But Anaias did it.
But think of that from the other side. How would it be to have a stranger come up to you pull the scales from your eyes, and lead you to baptism. The coolest thing about that is that it happend to me, and i bet it happend to you to. Is there any one in your life who just seems to be there when you need them most, whether it be a parent, sibling, boy/girl friend, or just some random homless person. All in all we are never alone.

Right after Saul regained his sight, he went into the temple to tell Jews about Jesus. If you talk to a mature beleiver they will tell you to have strong roots before you go into ministry. How ever Saul had been around christ followers for a very long time, before his life change. And you should never wait to witness, or tell people what has happend to you. But you don't want to get strait into world ministry either.
The people were amazed by Saul because he had strong arguements, and he was a very smart guy (a scholor). But better than that was his life change. People knew that Jesus had to be amazing for a guy like Saul to go to him. Thats awesome because that is just like me. I left my old party life style and went into Jesus' arms. So now my ministry to my old "party" friends is strong. And when ever someone is trying to leave that lifestyle i'm usually the first person they come to since i concord it. The way that Saul made the Bible a defendant of his faith, is awesome. But even better is how he made his life back his words up fully, just as we should do.
When you do that, there will always be someone who dosn't like it. For me, people always want me to go the parties, so they can try to trick me into drinking or smoking. That is funny to me because when i do go to those parties i bring some 2 liters of Mountain Dew, and im set. With most people in the Bible it leads to murder. We as Christians should expect this. Jesus told us when he was on earth that he was sending us out like "sheep among wolves." But he also said that he will go with us.
I don't blaim the other beleivers for thinking that Saul was lying. He spent a very long time trying to have them all persecuted, so i would be a little on edge around him to. Plus it is so hard to change a bad reputation. It has taken me almost a year. And Saul had a terrible rep. But Barnabas became the bridge between Saul and the apostles. New followers (especially those with less than perfect backgrounds) need people who will come a longside, encourage, teach, and introduce them to their new brothers and sisters. How can we be a Barnabas to new believers?
Now we can see what kind of a guy that Saul is. We see that he is bold, and he was radicall. You can tell this because he has now had 2 attemps on his life. But the beleivers found it wise to let him go back home and have some r&r. Which we all need some times, just some r&r. And now that the most zealous persecuter (Saul) is walking with Jesus, the church enjoyed a short time of peice. Well deserved if you ask me.

There was this parable that i wrote one time and it reminds me of this versus 32-35. The way it goes is that sheep will either follow the sheapord and get through the gates, or they wait for the dogs to come and scare them in. We can see that all the time through scripture. When ever Jesus would heal someone, they would turn to the Lord. When ever the aposles would heal someone they would turn to the Lord. Now when every someone is sick or hurting or worse, i've noticed that the first they normally do is pray. How is it that people can go to Jesus when they are hurting, without previously walking with him. I'll tell you why, i belive that every one has the natural urge to be with Christ. It took a paralzed man to change these people.
Peter went with some belivers to raise their loved one from the dead. Do you think that was an aquard trip. You know just walking with these people expected to raise someone from the dead. Seriously what would you do if you called this guy and asked him to raise like you doughter from the dead. Then you had to go and pick him up. What would you talk about in the car? Just wondering. But Peter gets there, and by the power of his "servant" Jesus ( Read Acts 3) he raised that person from the dead.






I've been in a weird funk emotionally. And i just thought that i would share with you, DON'T CONFUSE EMOTIONS WITH YOU WALK WITH CHRIST. I've been doing that and it's messed me up a lot. Also if you are spending time in the word daily, you are growing whether you know it or not. Just thought i would tell you



In Christ,
Stewart Ryall