There's nothing the power of the gospel can't change. Just don't be surprised when it does.
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Acts 9 Summary
The scene shifts back to the primary bad guy in the early history of the church: Saul, whom Luke describes as still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord (v1).
In what has famously come to be known as the Damascus Road experience, Saul is knocked to the ground by a bright light and the voice of Jesus. Just as He was in calling His disciples, Jesus wastes no words and gives Saul a simple command. Just like those disciples, Saul instantly complies.
Ironically Saul has to escape his former allies who now want to kill him, while at the same time working to convince his former enemies to accept him. Just to round things out, the Greeks want to kill him as well (v29).
The chapter ends with the account of Peter calling a paralyzed man to walk and later a very beloved church member back to life.
Things are going very well now for the church, as Luke describes in v31:
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
Dig Deeper
This chapter is an example in the extreme change the power of the gospel brings about:
Saul, who was breathing out threats & murder is filled with the Holy Spirit (remember, the Greek word for 'breath' and 'spirit' are the same);
Christians who had been living in fear of Saul are now called to minster to him;
Saul had been working to root out followers of The Way is now the one being hunted;
The Greeks, who love the concept of tolerance, want to kill Paul because of his 'offensive' gospel message.
Two Christians who were down - a bedridden paralytic and a dead lady - are raised up.
Remember, there's no situation that God cannot change through the preaching of His Word, but at the same time don't be surprised by the changes that He brings about.
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our all powerful Father who can change lives in an instant and bring the dead to life;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: as God to cause you to live in fear of Him, encouraged by the Holy Spirit (v31)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
