“Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” Acts 9:20 NKJV
RELATIONSHIP:
In the beginning, God created everything, and you and me. He visited us in the garden and had a personal relationship with us, a friendship with mankind. The curse of sin, which has a price tag of death, came upon the earth thanks to the devil’s trickery and changed everything. Although nothing can separate man from the love of God, sin does physically separate us from God. God created us to commune with Him and the enemy knew sin would destroy that bond. So, God created hell to punish the devil and his demons. The enemy knows it is his punishment, but he plans to take as many humans with him as possible to continue to hurt God. Because God created heaven where he can be reunited with people. Well, people needed help to overcome the enemy so God sent laws and formulas for worship and sacrifice that should point people into a position of acting in love. And the enemy attacked it over time and twisted it until it became punitive. But God so loved us that He then sent His only son, Jesus, to break the curse of sin over mankind by bringing it down into the grave, paying the required price for it, and then conquering it by rising again! Jesus ascended to heaven after 40 days. So that we know through Him we can access a relationship with The Father. God made a way to reconcile with mankind and commune and have fellowship with them again! This is GOOD NEWS.
God also created us with free will. Just as we do not want to be married or in a relationship with someone who is forced and manipulated to be in the relationship (we do not want a partner who is chained and a prisoner to us), God also wants us to freely choose Him. Or we can choose to believe the devil’s lies and go to the devil’s punishment – hell. It is our choice.
I know this sounds like a children’s story. It is simple, moral, and almost imaginative. God made it simple so that even children can believe and be saved from the wrath to come. God wishes that no one parishes. He wants us to at least give a relationship with Him an honest try – and see that He is good. He says that if you repent and seek Him, you will find Him!
Now imagine if you will what it could be like to have your best friend be the creator of the universe, all-knowing, all-powerful, having all wealth, and super generous – not like a genie in a bottle granting wishes, but a friend with mutual respect and trust and love, who is willing to use His resources to help you. He is willing to talk to you can since he can see ahead, he can prepare you, position you, and protect you from all the craziness in this world. Oh, and all that crazy? It is the enemy knowing his time is short and working very hard to destroy people and distract them from being reunited with God.
It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the: I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!
It is now years later and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS! I have seen miracles. I have heard His voice. I have experienced Him personally. Oh, and I have to also put in the work because relationships go both ways. Not works like doing good things to earn heaven – that is NOT how this works. I have to put the work into the relationship, you know like talking to Him (because He talks back), spending time with Him (because we both enjoy being in each other’s presence), reading His word (I love learning about his stories and getting to know Him, He already knows me and this is how I can learn of Him), and worshiping Him (because He is faithful and just and worthy!) You know putting the work in as in keeping up on my side of the relationship.
In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.
Do you want to know the truth? Be able to discern lies? Know how to figure it all out in these confusing times and have peace? The Bible says Jesus is the truth. I have experienced it and it has changed my life. I was a whirlwind of sin, promiscuity, drug and alcohol use and so much more. I was lost and I could not find my way, or find a truth, I numbed it with bad choices. Then I found Jesus, and truth while lying on my floor crying that day. He challenged me to accept Him, trust Him and follow Him and I challenged Him to be who He says He is – I found peace and deliverance from sin.
If you want a relationship with God without truth you will get the counterfeit, hypocritical Christianity that has kept some of you away for too long. You need truth and a relationship. You need to be honest with yourself and God (including honest repentance) and the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to you. It becomes the two-way, interaction that your relationship with God is built on. This is why Jesus is called the truth because he is our only way to the Father.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me, through a real personal relationship, to grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen
If you have said this life-changing prayer and really want a relationship with God, please reach out to me. You can reach me in the comment section here (comments need approvals so you can use it as an email to me and I will not publish / approve it), or you can PM me on Facebook or DM me on Instagram. I do not always have instant access to my accounts, but I will respond when I check them. I would like to follow up and let you know the next steps to forming a healthy relationship.
BIBLE READING:
Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your Word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your Word and our sound mind. And please keep us, bless us, shine your face upon us, pour your grace over us, and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen
Today’s reading is found in the Book of Acts, chapter 9, at verse 20 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).
Saul Preaches Christ
20 Immediately he preached [e]the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
Saul Escapes Death
23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24 But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.
Acts 9:20-25 NKJV
MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:
“But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.” Luke 9:55-56 KJV
BIBLE DISCUSSION:
If you have spent any time in Christian circles and modern churches you are bound to have adopted form stinkin thinkin and some corrupted ideals, maybe even doctrine. You were around so many people saying the same thing, you thought it was true. And you aren’t a Bible scholar and despite your reading and praying you missed the corruption. I know I am blessed to have 3 hours a day to study and dig in and I have the skill set to do so. I am sad that not everyone has that sort of time available. But I do think God gives it to some of us so we can do the work and teach others. (It certainly doesn’t take you three hours to read this and hopefully, most of you daily readers have learned to skip down here and only read this part.)
Many of you know my testimony of being raised in the church. And for a good period of time, it was an active church with signs and wonders. However, ALL churches over the last 100 years or so are a sleepy dull version of the activity of the church of Acts. Even with what seemed like a solid foundation, and because man is corruptible and will either raise everyone up to do better or will nurture complacency and let the church settle down into an apostate state, I slid away lost in the shuffle of a hurtful church split.
When I returned to God he taught me things from this passage I had never seen before, even with my good knowledge of the Bible. For a period of time, God and I knocked down every shaky part of my foundation and just built it up from scratch.
One such thing was the conversion of Saul.
First, he did not change his name. Like is a gentile and knows him by the Greek version of his name and as a literary tool, calls him Saul until the conversion just to show how much the man was changed.
Second, the “Road to Damascus Experience” is not some magical thing that happened only to Paul, because he was special. When we experience Jesus for the first time or when we encounter transformative grace for the first time – it is an experience and EVERY ONE OF US NEED that type of experience. I did not experience transformative grace until I returned to Christ. Many who are raised in the church are never taught to seek it. But seek the experience that changes you!
“20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.”
Third, do not bench a new believer! I have been to many churches that said we must “sit” before we can get involved and help. One church I went to said I must sit for 3 months. Another church said I had to sit for 6 months and then become a member and then wait another 6 months to join the starter team. The whole time they kept saying they needed someone with my skill set and I offered. But after years, I never made it out of the sitting phase.
“21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
By sitting, the fire and zeal are often robbed of believers along with the opportunity to grow and obtain strength. Not me, I was not robbed! God opened other doors and used me in other arenas and ministries and I was so busy I often did not notice I was not formally utilized in the church where I was planted. (Side note – this was not a problem and I had no problems with this church. God told me to go to another church and I did after prayer, seeking confirmations and seeking prayerful guidance from wise leaders and mentors. And it is also important to note my experiences were with 6 churches – simplified to get the story out easily. And every church change came with God sparking it, followed by deep prayer, confirmations, and godly counsel.)
One church told me I was too zealous! I get why many people think so. They followed up by saying that they will work that out of me. And my response was: NO YOU WON’T. (Which compelled me to look for another church immediately. That church I found fault in and will tell anyone they are false teachers and preach doctrines of devils – and I have verses to back it up.)
Another church told me, and I shared this one before, that I can’t go swinging my sword around all willy-nilly because someone would get hurt! Well, casual Christians will be casualties in this war.
In Galatians, it says the Word of God is our sword and John says that same Word is life to those who believe – so if my sword smites someone, they did not believe.
In stark contrast – at the church I was at Sunday the Pastor spoke of the sword and yelled: “USE IT!” then proceeded to act out what the body looks like pulling a sword from a sheath and standing in an offensive pose with it extended in front of him. The Pastor then exhorted his congregation to get on the offense! Start swinging! Swing everywhere, even willy-nilly, until you learn to swing it swiftly and concisely. (Not his words exactly; I added the “willy-nilly”; but that is what I got out of it!)
“22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.”
You see when we have an experience that is transformative, it compels us to zealously tell others of this amazing thing we’ve just experienced. And through telling others we learn and grow and most importantly, we increase in strength. Imagine if they benched Paul! They had ample reason to question the authenticity of his conversion. But Paul was to be one of those foolish things to confound the wise.
But Paul was bringing the believers unwanted attention, he was going to get himself and everyone else killed.
“23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24 But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him.”
But still, they found it better to please God than bow to fear of death. And they let Paul speak and then helped Paul escape.
“25 Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.”
After Paul’s conversion, he was NOT liked by everyone – especially those who used to like him and promoted him to a high place in the order of the Pharisees. This is something we also teach new believers incorrectly. We give them the impression that their new transformation will be accepted in the church. But the anointing of grace that new converts carry will convict the religious sect and those who have always done things a certain way. We should teach these zealots to just follow God and swing the sword willy-nilly! They may hit the wrong people, but if they are believers, those strikes will bring life! Yes, life that can revive dry bones – this is called revival!
Of course, revival also comes in other ways. And through those who refuse to let their zeal be quenched. Those who stubbornly hold onto their first love even if it means walking alone with Jesus – without everyone else.
We’ll see Paul started out lonely – but ended up surrounded by a loving supportive team which he spoke of more dearly than he spoke of his own family.
Have you lost your zeal and your first love? Have you been oppressed and quenched?
Have you never had an experience with Christ that transformed you and set you ablaze? Or maybe you have and it’s dried up?
Today is the day to get alone with God and simply say: I WANT THAT.
Do you? Do you really want it? Be prepared, because God is going to ask. Because it will compel you to speak out for Jesus and it will make you lose friends – even some from within the church.
If you really want it – ask Him for it. GOD, CAN YOU GIVE ME THAT LOVE AND FIRE FOR YOU? CAN YOU TRANSFORM ME INTO A NEW CREATURE?!
Well, next he is going to ask you to repent from all known sins and commit to rooting out all unknown sins and repenting from them. So, be prepared to answer when He asks.
And as you let His light shine within you and point out all that is wrong and that you need to work on – you will be transformed.
I did not realize while going through just how transformative it was – so do not expect fireworks and feelings. It was about a month later when a friend said to me, “Man, you just can’t shut up about Jesus!” And I realized at that point how much I was changed in the instant that I finally honestly spoke to God and honestly let him change me.
Today is a very good day for an honest talk with God!
Please join us tomorrow as we continue to “go” through the book of Acts.
Let me remind you that I am participating in a call for fasting in June, for the United States of America. You do not need to be an American to pray for this country. It is in dire need of God to intervene as it has become so corrupt. If you’d like to join the fast, get more information on it, or just support it and you have Facebook, just go to: https://www.facebook.com/PrayerFastForTheUSA
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Are you interested in learning more about fasting? Join the Facebook group, designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fasting, and how to fast! In the group are specialists to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862
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Thank you for reading in 2023 – a Year of Grace and Provision
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace. Walk in wisdom.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!
If Not For Grace 