Wed. Devo - Let's Command Something.

Read Acts 9
Saul is still persecuting the church. Because of this great persecution the good news is spread to the whole earth like Jesus commanded in his parting words. Saul travels 150 miles to Damascus to persecute believers. On the way God arrests him instead. He is surrounded with the light of heaven which blinds him and speaks to him. God lets him know that his vigor is for the wrong side then he tells them to go into the city and await further instructions. God knew how to humble Saul. The leader who was merciless and relentless is now powerless and needy. In verse 8 he stood up and "when his eyes were opened" they had to lead him by the hand. The next verse it says that he was 3 days without sight. So that "eyes were opened" has to be his spiritual eyes since he was still physically blind. In the mean time God had his man, Ananias in Damascus praying. God appeared to Ananias in a vision and told him to go to Straight street to the house of Judas and ask for Saul of Tarsus. Ananius had heard all about Saul and didn't want anything to do with him. After arguing with God about it and losing the argument, he went. He didn't mense any words he just walked in, laid his hand on him and commanded healing for his eyes and for him to receive the Holy Spirit. He got both, then ate something and went about preaching the very Jesus he had fought so much against. He became much more powerful now than before. The Jewish leaders didn't know what to do with him. They finally decided to kill him. God revealed this plan to the disciples and they let Saul down over the wall in a basket and he escaped. Saul went to Jerusalem and went to see the apostles who were afraid to meet with him. Barnabus finally got them to listen and they accepted him into the fold. Saul spoke so boldly the Grecians tried to kill him. He escaped to Caesarea, then to his home town of Tarsus.
So Saul rose from the spiritual death he was in and started preaching the good news and winning many new converts to the Lord. Peter is in Lydda and gets the privaledge of physically raising a man from the bed of affliction. Aeneas had been paralyzed for 8 years and Peter commanded him to rise up and walk. He did! He turned the towns of Lydda and Saron to the Lord through his testamony. Next he gets to actually raise a person from the dead. A devout follower of Jesus, Dorcus had died. They had placed her in a upper chamber and Peter went in and commanded her to arise. This also caused a great number of new converts.
This is where the church is going. Sadly to say, the only thing that seems to get us to rise up is persecution. It causes us to press in and know God better and in our desperation call out to him in bold confidence. God is wanting to release this same type of power on his church. Let's get hungry.