THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD - PART 435

Saul remained in a room praying for three days and three nights. He prayed continuously without eating, which in and of itself shows the intensity and seriousness of the spiritual transformation that was transpiring within Saul. At some point within this three day period, he saw a vision of someone delivering to him the answer to his question to Jesus. That is, "What will you have me do?"

As the scriptures state, the Lord JESUS had at the same time appeared in a vision to one of His disciples who lived in the same city that Saul was praying in. In the vision, the Lord called the disciple Ananias by name. Ananias replied, "Here I am Lord." The Lord then instructed Ananias to go to a street called ‘Strait.' There, he would find a man named Saul praying. Ananias said to the Lord that he had heard from many of how Saul persecuted all those who called upon Jesus' name, and consequently, chained believers in prison. He did this because of the power delegated to him to do thus from the high priest at Jerusalem.

But the Lord revealed to Ananias that Saul is a chosen vessel who would in the future bear His name to the Gentiles and to the children of Israel. Ananias was also told how Saul was to suffer many things as he fulfilled His purpose. So Ananias set forth as instructed in the vision. Given Saul's terrorist fanatical religious reputation, one can only imagine that Ananias might have thought that he was walking on thin ice.

Still, Ananias arrives at the house requesting to see Saul. He is brought to the room where Saul was on his knees praying. Ananias walks into the room and declares, "Brother Saul, the Lord JESUS who appeared to you as you journeyed has sent me to you so that you might have your sight restored, and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Ananias then lays his hands upon Saul. At that moment, from Saul’s eyes fell ‘scales’ - so to speak. Ananias then directed Saul to arise and be baptized, washing away his sins whilst calling upon the name of the Lord even JESUS!

Saul obediently obeyed the command. Indeed, there was no hesitancy in his response. In fact, instantaneously Saul is baptized in water identifying that he is also one of those JESUS people whom he had previously terrorized in the name of his religion. This same religion which was determined by man's authority to eradicate all who should dare call upon the name of JESUS.

Saul, now being fully persuaded of God named JESUS, now willingly joins the ranks of those who were also of like mind, having also been fully persuaded of God that JESUS is the Christ - the only begotten Son of the Holy Spirit SEED. Christ the blessing afore promised to Abraham - that in the SEED of the Holy Spirit will all the nations of the earth be blessed.

Not blessed in Abraham's natural seed - which seed as all other natural seeds of Adam’s offspring is sin prone seed but in a new SEED - a SEED that is pure, holy, and undefiled. Which SEED is the manifestation of God in flesh, - the lamb of God (child) which through His willing sacrificial death at Golgotha (Hebrew) or the place of a skull (Greek) should be the end of all sacrificial offerings for sin!

Most of us at one time or another may have been as Saul was, nurtured in institutionalized religion which was (and perhaps still is) so foreign to the light of the knowledge of God that only God's intervention could unravel Saul (and similarly us) from our religious entanglement.

Moreover, when you say that you believe in God, remember that Saul likewise believed. But like Saul, we need God to introduce Himself, in the same way that He introduced Himself to Saul. He said, ‘I AM JESUS’ Note also that when Saul was told what he must do, he did so. Read Acts 2:38. In the interim, God bless you all!