Ananias of Damascus and Saul and the Lord Jesus Christ

 

Praise be the the Lord Jesus Christ who through his Prophet Ananias restored the sight of Saint Paul!

Now, Paul before he could become a saint and believer in Jesus Christ was also called Saul. And this Saul was one of the most dangerous persecutors of Christians especially those in Jerusalem and also played part in the murder of the first martyr Stephen. So much was the persecution that the Lord Jesus as mentioned in the Book of Acts of the Apostles Chapter 9 decided to intervene personally on behalf of the Church.

Saul was not just admonished by Jesus Christ but also lost his sight due to the glory of Christ that came as light from Heaven. Then when Saul decided to walk the humble path upon hearing the voice of Jesus, he was told go to Damascus.

 

The Lord Jesus then worked out healing in Saul through Ananias as per the below verses in the Book of Acts:

¹⁰ And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Behold, I am here, Lord.” ¹¹ Then the Lord said to him, “Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight. And look in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prays.” ¹² “And in a vision, he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hands on him, so that he might receive his sight.” ¹³ Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man; how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. ¹⁴ “Moreover, here he has the authority of the chief priests to bind all that call on Your Name.” ¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Go. For he is a vessel chosen by Me to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and Kings, and the children of Israel.¹⁶ “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My Name’s sake.”

¹⁷ Then Ananias went, and entered that house, and put his hands on him, and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, Who appeared to you on the way as you came, has sent me, so that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.”¹⁸ And immediately something like ‘scales’ fell from his eyes. And suddenly he received sight, and arose, and was baptized, ¹⁹ and received food and was strengthened. So, Saul was with the Damascus disciples for some days.

 

A few lessons to learn from this:

1. The Lord Jesus will bless those who follow his Word even those who are the worst of sinners that repent.
2. Like Saul be ready to obey the Lord Jesus to move up to your higher calling in God.
3. Like Ananias keep yourself ready in all prayer, so that when the time comes then you’re able to do great healings and good works towards those whom the Lord leads you to bring salvation and deliverance in their lives.
4. If you have any doubts towards doing any good deed be humble enough to ask the Lord for his good counsel instead of rejecting doing good altogether.
5. The Holy Spirit will work through you if surrender to Will of God.

Make the most of your time because the days are evil

O fellow believers in Jesus take heed; Make the most of your time because the days are evil.

 

Now before you think this is about earthly and worldly progress, try to understand the context of this Bible verse. Let’s go ahead:

• This verse obviously doesn’t speak about how much money you make but yes it doesn’t tell you to be careless.
• This verse is not about how much productive you can be but yes it doesn’t tell you to be lazy.
• This verse is not about how much friends you make but yes it doesn’t tell you to make enemies of those who are good.

What this verse really means should be take context of the Gospel. A few key points:

Avoiding sin is still a major command of the Gospel. Those who think otherwise will totally miss out on being imitators of Christ and lose their inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³ But fornication and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. ⁴ Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure man, or one who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (Ephesians 5:1-5)

Don’t be deceived by those who claim that once you have accepted the Gospel, you can turn your back on it without the consequences that follow.

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:6)

Don’t walk in fellowship with those who disobey the Living God, because now that you are of the light in the Lord and must learn to do what is pleasing to God.

 ⁷ Therefore do not associate with them, ⁸ for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:6)

Expose the works of darkness but don’t take part in yourself, because these works are vile and wicked. And do remember that the light of God will expose these things

¹¹ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; ¹³ but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. ¹⁴ Therefore it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give you light.” (Ephesians 5:11-14)

Make the most of your time because the days are evil. You know the world around you is living in sin and getting more evil. Therefore, do no be drunk nor foolish. But instead understand God’s will and be filled the Holy Spirit. Do not be ashamed of voicing your faith in front of fellow believers, and most importantly praise Jesus Christ and the Lord our God with all your heart.

¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, ²⁰ always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. (Ephesians 5:15-20)

Christ be with you as you make the most of your time because the days are evil!

 

Prayer for 2023

O Lord Jesus Christ, I come before you asking for your forgiveness for all the sins I’ve committed, and I fully forgive all those who have sinned against me. I repent of all my wrongdoings and choose to do what is right in eye’s of the Lord.

As we come into the year 2023, we pray that we are renewed in the faith. We pray that we crucify the flesh and all its evil desires. We pray that we honor God even more in 2023.

We pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray that my nation is in mutual goodwill towards Israel in all ways. We repent and reject all kinds of wickedness against Israel as it’s the apple of God’s eye.

We pray that we come out of all deceptions and traps of the enemy by listening to the word of God. We pray for God’s wisdom to be our light against the darkness and vile shadow’s of this world.

We pray for each of our nation’s, that they depart from what is evil and sinful and instead accept what is right in your eyes. We pray against those who use the laws of the land to mock the laws of the Living God, that their plans against the people of God come to nought.

We pray for each one who call upon the name of the Jesus as they pray to God our Father, that they are continuously led by the Holy Spirit. We pray that all of us be one body in Spirit and in truth without any compromise against the Word of God.

We pray for the health of body, mind, soul and spirit for each one of us and our friends and family. We pray for Divine protection against all sickness and disease. We pray that we do not get tricked nor outwitted by the Enemy as we claim our worthiness by the blood of the Lamb of God.

We pray for those who will come to know the Gospel, that they are strengthened in their faith and are welcome in the Christian communities wherever they are are. We pray that we are able to exhort our new brothers and sisters in Christ to be aglow in the Holy Spirit each and every moment.

We pray that we are able to preach the Word of God even more boldly in this fallen world. We pray that as we preach the Gospel, people are receiving their deliverance from sickness. We pray that evil spirits are banished as we call upon the name of Jesus in the situations where people are harassed by them.

We pray that as we walk through the whole of the year 2023, we always walk with you O Lord our God and that no fear is able to accompany us. We choose to glorify you this year so that your name O Living God is praised amongst the people of the Earth.

We ask all of this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Are you growing in your love for Jesus?

Are you growing in your love for Jesus?

It may sound as a simple question and yet this is a significant question to each who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus himself said “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:9-10)

One of the key ways you can realize if you are love Jesus and are growing in your love for Jesus is how to love others, especially those of who also believe in Jesus Christ.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:8)

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3)

Another way to realize that you are still loving Jesus is how to treat those are not in Christ.

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:27-31)

Now its possible to have an external display of loving Jesus and even keep doing actual good work towards people especially the poor and need yet have no faith in Jesus Christ at all. I’ve encountered people who are super polite and won’t hesitate to give their offerings to the Lord, but if asked if the believe if Jesus Christ is real they are unable to give a coherent answer! Such lack of faith in the existence of Jesus Christ also automatically leads to lack of love for Jesus. Beware of this for the sake of your own soul, lest you depart from the faith!

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Christ be with you!

Those who love God should never partake in avarice nor covetousness

Praise be to the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth and all that which dwell in it. To God belong all riches and glory and adoration.

There are people who think they have made it in life, apparently. They believe that their material wealth and fortunes is the be all and end all of their life. Little do they care for others, let alone the condition of their own hearts. For their souls are only in a tizzy about aquire more and more riches and still not satisfied with their wealth.

Some of these people then resort to illegal and unethical tactics to get more money for themselves at the cost of the peace and happiness of their friends and family and also their coworkers and servant’s. While the other’s don’t do any evil methods to get more wealth but they do this ethically but in an obsessive manner. So what’s common between the former and latter types of people is both have made gods of their cravings for possessions, the very thing the the Lord Jesus warned his disciples about.

And Jesus said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

Those who are using wicked ways to illegally get riches will surely fall if not in life then in after life. Scammers once caught are put in jail. More so worse is a massive jail that holds the souls of those whose hearts only served money rather than the Lord God. This is an enternal penitentiary called as the Lake of Fire in which all sinners will be cast into when they’re judged by God!

The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him, [saying,] Behold the man that made not God his strength, but put confidence in the abundance of his riches, [and] strengthened himself in his avarice. (Psalm 52:6-7)

The best way to avoid temptation to such excessive greed or avarice is to not associate with people who are into it. If you are in the company of such people they might directly or indirectly into their sinful ways. Beware O believer in Jesus for you have been warned!

But what I meant was that you were not to associate with any one bearing the name of “brother,” if he was addicted to fornication or avarice or idol-worship or abusive language or hard-drinking or greed of gain. With such a man you ought not even to eat. (1 Corinthians 5:11)

Love Jesus Christ more than anything so that keep away from the love of money. For if you continue to hold on to the Lord God then the Lord will continue to abide with you.

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

Christ be with you!

Suggested articles:

• The Parable of the Rich Fool (A warning against all covetousness
• Never covet anything that belongs to your neighbour

Never be envious or jealous of others if you love God

Never be envious or jealous of others if you love God, because that would amount to doubting God’s goodness in your life.

Why must you be envious of sinners, especially those who look prosperous?

Do you want to have their final hopeless end as well? Or do you want to have the hope which comes from Christ Jesus alone?

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:17-18)

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. (Psalm 37:1-3)

Image credit – Daily hope by Pastor Rick

Envy is a sin that starts first in the mind but once it’s put into action, it can harm others and self too

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15)

Some people are utterly lazy and some lack the right mindset for success, yet these people get very envious and jealous of others who succeed where they failed. Instead of being happy for the success of others, they only find faults with that person. In offices, you will see such kinds, who refuse to talk to a recently promoted colleague just because of envy. In families, you will notice people who won’t help their suffering kin but will do everything to mock a family member who just came out of joblessness, because of jealousy. In politics, you will see one politician who is willing to burn down the entire nation, just because he or she cannot see another politician getting praised by the people for his or her government policies. (Just to be clear, I’m not talking about any specific country, nor about some specific religion. I’m talking about the whole wide world.)

Don’t even say jealousy and envy motivate you

Anyone who claims jealousy and envy motivates them to do better is just plain wrong. Such a person’s wisdom is never from God and can therefore never be justified. You can succeed in life by being truthful and kind and hardworking.

But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. (James 3:14-16)

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Aim to be free from envy and jealousy for your own welfare

Those who continue to remain envious and jealous are simply harming themselves. Firstly harming their thought life and eventually losing their body and soul.

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (Proverbs 14:30)

Surely resentment destroys the fool, and jealousy kills the simple. (Job 5:2)

Instead of jealousy and envy have true love and desire to grow in the Word of God

Instead of wasting your life, resist all jealousy and envy, and each sinful habit and instead love God in all truth. Read the Word of God and grow in it.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (1 Corinthians 13:4)

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. (1 Peter 2:1-2)

Christ be with you!

Related articles:

• Envy is the mother of murder
• An Idol is anything that takes the place of God
• The counsel of the Holy Spirit will never go against the scriptures

Love the Lord more each day

Love the Lord more each day,
Pay attention to what he does say.
Love the Lord more each day,
Walk with him on the way.

Love the Lord more each day,
And from sin always turn away.
Love the Lord more each day,
Never from the right path go astray.

Love the Lord more each day,
Thank him whether at work or play.
Love the Lord more each day,
Thank him for the morning’s ray.

Love the Lord more each day,
And your worries at his feet you lay.
Love the Lord more each day,
And this love in your actions display.

Love the Lord

Love the Lord God sincerely,
And look up to his Son Jesus dearly.
Love God because it right and just,
In your Creator Divine put your trust.

Love God in your thoughts, words and deed,
And surrender to him each and every need.
Love God because his name is Holy,
In his honour pray for those poor and lowly.

Love God with all your might,
And trust in him to set things right.
Love God because he is great,
In his name all evil you hate.

Have faith when in prosperity

Have faith when in prosperity,
Don’t forget to have integrity.
When you are free from strife,
Don’t forget God who gave you life.

Have faith when in prosperity,
Don’t forget to have clarity.
When you are free from suffering and pain,
Don’t forget your love for Christ to maintain.

Have faith when in prosperity,
Don’t forget to have charity.
When you are free from being poor,
Don’t forget to remain a good doer.

Love the Lord your God

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
From his love never ever depart.
Love the Lord your God with all your mind,
In the Holy Scriptures his wisdom find.

Love the Lord your God with all your soul,
From all the world make Him your goal.
Love the Lord your God with all your might,
In obeying Christ be your real delight.