July 23, 2024 • 21 mins
Can past sins truly be erased, paving the way for a deeper spiritual journey? Join us for an enlightening discussion on spiritual growth as we address these pressing concerns and explore the profound power of divine forgiveness. We journey from those first steps of faith—being filled with the Holy Spirit and engaging in church activities—to the yearning for more profound spiritual experiences. Drawing from the story of Ananias in Acts 9:10, we illustrate the essential role of continuous revelation and divine guidance. We encourage you to listen to the Holy Spirit's leading, especially in times of uncertainty, as God calls His followers to realms beyond our current understanding.
In the second segment, we shine a spotlight on "God's Chosen Vessels," delving into the significant story of Ananias and Saul. This narrative underscores the importance of divine revelation and discernment in ministry, showing how God equips His apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers for effective ministry. Reflect on the powerful moment when Ananias calls Saul "Brother," a testament to the possibilities of redemption and spiritual transformation. This chapter emphasizes that despite our pasts, we can be renewed in Christ and journey from spiritual infancy to maturity. Embrace your role as a chosen vessel for God's work, remaining open to His divine plans and guidance.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You know, when we come into the kingdom of God,
the biggest thing that we worryabout, or many people are
concerned about, is what aboutall my sins, what about all the
things that I've done that Iregret?
And if people only knew how badI am, or whatever.
And it is a wonderful thingthat when we hear the news that
(00:32):
God has made a way for everyhuman being to have all of that
dealt with, to be born again,taken away, covered by the blood
of Jesus, that's wonderful.
So then we come into thekingdom of God and there we are.
We're in the kingdom of God andwe're in comfort, and one day
(00:54):
we finally realize that Godreally has forgiven us
everything.
And then we're saying, okay,what is this?
What do I do?
Do I just wait until I die andgo to heaven or the Lord comes
and takes me?
What is the plan here?
And some Christians think thatthat is the plan.
(01:16):
They think that that's allthere is to do is just to wait
around.
But we find quite quickly thatthere are things for us to do.
In the body, we begin to learnthat we need to be filled with
the Holy Spirit.
We learn that we need to bebaptized in water.
(01:36):
We realize that maybe we coulddo things in the church physical
things, maybe physical thingssweep the floor, you know, buy a
new light bulb, whatever.
There's things that we feelthat we could do.
(01:57):
And isn't it interesting thatas we grow and as we mature in
the Lord, down inside of us isthis longing and this desire and
we're thinking Lord, I feellike this, you got more for me,
(02:17):
and so then we start to seek theLord and then we find out that
what God does, he brings hisrevelation that there's the
Christ nature and that God wantsus to walk as sons.
And I begin to look into a lotof this and some people you talk
(02:38):
to them about this kind ofstuff, and it's just like seeing
deer in your headlights12'clock at night when you're
driving down the country road,and they just stand there and
look like, what are you talkingabout?
But those who know God, theyknow.
But that's not to say thatpeople who don't know are less
(03:01):
of a believer.
They are not.
It's according to ourrevelation and our understanding
.
One of the things that I thinkthat you must think about
sometime is the knowledge thatwe have.
And have you ever noticed thatwhen the Lord begins to speak to
(03:22):
you about something.
Have you ever noticed that whenyou spend time praying or
you're reading, the Lord beginsto speak to you about something?
Have you ever noticed that whenyou spend time praying or
you're reading, the Lord willseem to draw you to passages in
the Bible or he will bring anunderstanding?
It's like a light bulb goes onand you get a knowledge of
something and you're thinking,wow, where did that come from?
(03:46):
That comes from God.
Can you imagine living a life oflimitation?
I cannot do that.
I cannot look at my life andthink well, I've received
everything, I know everything,you know.
I couldn't live a life likethat.
(04:08):
There's something inside of methat I just want to keep
pressing into the Lord more andmore and more.
And sometimes we search forsomething and we think it's
going to be more of what wealready know.
And it's always I think it'salways something wonderful when
(04:31):
it's maybe something that'sbrand new to us, something
that's like, wow, could this be?
And it is.
But there is a place in Godthat we shall go that is past
the realm of our understandingright now, and God is calling
(04:54):
his sons to occupy thisunlimited realm, in the
unlimited realm.
There is a people that's beingcalled to that realm.
There is a people that's beingcalled to that there are.
I've read of countries here inthe world where huge cities have
(05:16):
been built, city Very fewpeople.
They built them with the hopesthat somebody would go there,
large communities of houses, andthese houses still remain empty
.
Nobody's gone there.
And can you imagine Godbuilding something for us?
And he, his desire, is for usto press into that?
(05:40):
Acts, chapter 9, verse 10.
Into that Acts, chapter 9,verse 10.
There was a certain disciple,just like you or I.
We're a certain follower ofChrist named Ananias.
And to him said the Lord Icontend today that God is still
(06:06):
speaking to a people, his people.
I contend today and stand heretoday to tell you that, if you
will listen, you will hear theLord speaking on to you.
That's when we pray, when weread the scriptures, things
begin to open up to us.
(06:27):
And the Lord said to him.
The Lord appeared to him as ina vision.
He said Ananias, and he saidbehold, I'm here, lord.
This is where I'm talking toyou about.
This is what I'm talking to youabout today.
This is not you're going to saywell, this is quite mystical
sounding.
(06:49):
I thought about what's different, or what the Lord is doing with
us, and I like to think thatthe lighthouse that we have here
, the people that come here, thepeople that I minister to, we
are a prophetic people and bythat we are open to the Holy
(07:09):
Spirit.
We believe that the Holy Spiritwill speak to us.
We believe that the Holy Spiritmotivates us.
We believe that our heart'sdesire is to have the Holy
Spirit manifesting in our livesand to us.
When we are in a battle, whenwe don't know what to do, isn't
(07:35):
it nice to suddenly have athought come to you this is
probably what I should do or Godwill send somebody to you, but
sometimes you're in a situationwhere nobody can get to you.
Isn't it interesting that Godwill give you the knowledge on
something?
I don't know what Ananias wasdoing this day.
(07:58):
Probably it was early morning.
My thoughts are that he wasspending time with the Lord
before he started moving outamongst the street and in the
marketplace and God began tospeak to him and he said Arise
(08:20):
and go into a street which iscalled Straight and inquire in
the house of Judas for onecalled Saul of Charsis, for,
behold, he prayed.
The Lord is very specific here.
That is something to think thatAnanias would have.
This kind of knowledge as wedevelop in maturity, come into
(08:45):
sonship, come into understandingthat we have an inheritance,
we're getting the understandingand getting the vision that
we're going to be able to walkinto that inheritance.
Now God speaks to him, tellshim what he wants him to do.
(09:07):
He names to him a street.
It's like go to your city,wherever it is, and go to the
city called Straight, andthere's a person there that I
want you to speak to andminister to.
I believe that as we becomemore mature, as we walk out in
(09:31):
the fullness that God wants usto walk out in, I believe we're
going to have this kind ofrelationship with the Lord that
as we grow and as we develop andas we mature and as we come
into God's purpose and plan forus right now, we believe that
God will come and speak to us.
If I was to pick anybody that Iread about in the book of Acts,
(09:57):
and not knowing the outcome, notknowing the ongoing work of God
, I would say that this Saul ofTarsus, who did everything in
his power he was not a believer.
But he came against believersand he would try to prevent them
and he tried to say it wouldn'thappen.
And we're going to think ofanybody.
(10:18):
God surely, this guy surely,will never come into the kingdom
.
But one thing about Saul ofTarsus is, whatever he believed
in, he gave himself to it 100%and it was going to require a
supernatural event at that place.
(10:41):
So God says hold on, he'spraying, don't get excited.
Ananias, listen to me.
I want to tell you about Saul,what he's doing right now.
I want you to know this.
And that's how we know things.
God speaks to them, thosethings to us.
(11:02):
That's how we know things.
My great-granddaughter arrivedyesterday from North Carolina
and I know that dad raises thefamilies involved in chicken
chicken raising.
(11:22):
They have a great herd of 20chickens plus maybe whatever,
but it's in that vicinity.
They have a great herd of 20chickens plus maybe whatever,
but it's in that vicinity.
And she come in and I said doyou name your chickens?
She's giving me this look, ofcourse.
Remember, she's just arrived.
She hasn't seen me for a year.
(11:44):
She's not talking just quitetoo smoothly to me.
One of the very first names Isaid to her about her chicken
Phoebe.
Oh boy, did the kids get a lie.
Yes, we've got a Phoebe.
Now listen to me.
We're talking 20 chickens.
(12:06):
What are my chances of hittinga Phoebe?
Even in playing around withgrandkids?
See, I believe that even when wethink we're just playing around
, because when we spend time andallow the Spirit of God to move
in our lives, you will beamazed how often the Spirit of
(12:28):
God will move through you andyou will touch things, see
things, hear things, understandthings.
When I say hear things,understand things in the spirit
and you just keep moving alongand not realizing how's this
happening?
It's because you are growing,it's because you are moving up
(12:48):
into the dimension and the realmthat God is bringing you.
And it says here he has seen ina vision, and this vision that
Saul of Tarsus is having is fromGod.
What happened was?
Saul got converted out on theDamascus road, in the dust, on
(13:13):
his face, in the dust, in theroad.
Jesus is there.
He recognizes Jesus as Lord.
And if I'm to give a point ofcontact, where Saul of Tarsus
was converted, I would say itwas on the road.
He's now waiting before, he'spraying to God.
He's praying the best way heknows how.
(13:35):
He's a Pharisee.
He's praying these ways, buthe's on his journey and God is
listening.
And God is telling one of hissons what this Saul of Tarsus is
doing.
And he saw a man named Ananias.
(13:55):
And that's who God is talkingto A man named Ananias.
To me, this is one of the mostpowerful, clear places in the
Bible post-Calvary,post-pentecost, early church
(14:26):
setting that we see God in theearly days speaking to Ananias.
Now, 2,000 years later, do youknow how much further we have
come and do you know how muchmore of a people that are like
Ananias that are now upon theface of the earth?
There are tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of these kind of
(14:50):
people who hear from God.
We know that there are millionsclaiming to be born again.
I do not think for one momentthat they are fully grown.
I believe that they are meantto grow.
I believe that they're meant tobe in church.
I believe that they're meant togrow.
I believe that they're meant tobe in church.
(15:11):
I believe that they're meant togather together and they'll sit
under the word of the Lord anddevelop, but to have this
unlimited ability where there isno hindrance whatsoever.
That is the place of sonministry.
That is an awesome place to be.
(15:32):
Then Ananias answered the Lord.
See, here's where we rely, eventhough we're advancing in God.
It's amazing how that we relyupon understanding of what we
know in the natural.
Ananias answered the Lord andhe said I have heard by many Of
(15:57):
this man.
A lot of people have told mewhat they think about this man,
saul of Tarsus, and that's whatholds us back a lot of the time.
We see here the risk Ofresistance.
When we hear this.
We look at Ananias, a mightyman of God, and if we look at
(16:19):
this closely, the Lord says evenwhen we are strong and mighty
in the Lord, if we are notcareful, we have the risk of not
moving forward in God.
We have to be strong, we haveto remain vigilant, we have to
keep encouraging, we have tokeep reminding, we have to keep
(16:42):
coming to it time and time againof what God's plan and purpose
is for us.
What have you heard, ananias?
Well, I've heard that he'sbrought a lot of evil to the
saints at Jerusalem, and I'veheard also that he's got
authority to bind everybody inthis city that's going to call
unto you, lord.
I've heard also that he's gotauthority to bind everybody in
(17:03):
this city that's going to callunto you, lord.
I've heard that Ananias.
Now listen to me.
Ananias, now is where it'schallenged that we face.
Are we going to believe what wehave heard, what we've been
told?
Because anybody who tells youthat you cannot grow and cannot
(17:24):
move forward in God, anybody whotells you that they are not
growing and they are not movingforward, anybody who tells you
that they believe they fullyarrived, they believe they know
it, all that they're permittedto know and they have now become
bound in that level, you haveto listen to somebody who tells
(17:47):
you you can go beyond this.
Ananias obviously was high up.
We don't know his level in thechurch in damascus, but we do
know this much from what we cansee from his relationship with
the Lord.
He was definitely a leadingelder in the city and it's God
(18:10):
himself that is saying are yougoing to listen to those who
said look out for Saul, or areyou going to listen to me and
I'm going to tell you to lookout for Saul?
Or are you going to listen tome and I'm going to tell you to
look out for Saul?
One lookout is think he's goingto hurt you and the other
lookout is you're going to beresponsible and you're going to
(18:33):
develop him and you're going tobring him forth and you're going
to teach him how to walk in myways.
The Lord said go on, go.
Verse 15.
And God gives Ananias arevelation and understanding of
who he's dealing with.
Just like God gives hisapostles, prophets and pastors,
(18:53):
evangelists, pastors andteachers.
He gives them an understandingof where they're going and who
the people are that they'reministering to.
We move by one of the gifts ofthe Holy Spirit at least, and
that's discernment.
We know who we're talking toand we talk to them in this way.
And God said listen, he's achosen vessel unto me.
And God is saying this aboutthe church today you are the
(19:15):
chosen vessel unto me.
He's going to bear my namebefore the Gentiles and the
kings and the children of Israel.
I'm going to bear my namebefore the Gentiles and the
kings and the children of Israel.
I'm going to show them howgreat things he must suffer for
my name's sake.
And I like this about verse 17.
Ananias went his way.
His way was God's way.
He entered into the house.
He put his hands on him andsaid and this is how I know that
(19:38):
Saul was already saved on theDamascus Road.
Another one.
He says to him brother Saul.
King James says brother Sauland I would not have used that
term lightly.
God has already said he's myson, saul is already my son.
(20:01):
He goes there and he saysbrother of Saul the Lord it's
the same name, rather that Paulcalled Jesus on the Damascus
road.
Who art thou Lord?
Even Jesus that appeared untothee in the way as thou camest,
hast sent me and thou mightestreceive thy sight and be filled
(20:24):
with the Holy Ghost.
Saved on the road filled withthe Holy Ghost in Damascus, came
to bind the church filled withthe Holy Ghost.
I want you to be hungry today.
One thing I want you to get outof this today is don't go by
what people tell you aboutsomebody.
(20:46):
God sends you there.
You'd be open to hear what Godwants you to know about them.
You all had a past.
Everybody that's born again hada past.
God doesn't remember it anymore, so you can't ask the Lord and
if you've forgotten it, countthat a blessing.
But God wants to meet us wherewe're at and he wants us to go
(21:11):
from being a child.
He wants us under governors andtutors and he wants us to come
on to the fullness that he plansfor us, that we walk in victory
, and in sonship, and inauthority and in anointing.
There's just so much that hewants to do with us, hallelujah.
You know, when we come into the kingdom of God,
the biggest thing that we worryabout, or many people are
concerned about, is what aboutall my sins, what about all the
things that I've done that Iregret?
And if people only knew how badI am, or whatever.
And it is a wonderful thingthat when we hear the news that
(00:32):
God has made a way for everyhuman being to have all of that
dealt with, to be born again,taken away, covered by the blood
of Jesus, that's wonderful.
So then we come into thekingdom of God and there we are.
We're in the kingdom of God andwe're in comfort, and one day
(00:54):
we finally realize that Godreally has forgiven us
everything.
And then we're saying, okay,what is this?
What do I do?
Do I just wait until I die andgo to heaven or the Lord comes
and takes me?
What is the plan here?
And some Christians think thatthat is the plan.
(01:16):
They think that that's allthere is to do is just to wait
around.
But we find quite quickly thatthere are things for us to do.
In the body, we begin to learnthat we need to be filled with
the Holy Spirit.
We learn that we need to bebaptized in water.
(01:36):
We realize that maybe we coulddo things in the church physical
things, maybe physical thingssweep the floor, you know, buy a
new light bulb, whatever.
There's things that we feelthat we could do.
(01:57):
And isn't it interesting thatas we grow and as we mature in
the Lord, down inside of us isthis longing and this desire and
we're thinking Lord, I feellike this, you got more for me,
(02:17):
and so then we start to seek theLord and then we find out that
what God does, he brings hisrevelation that there's the
Christ nature and that God wantsus to walk as sons.
And I begin to look into a lotof this and some people you talk
(02:38):
to them about this kind ofstuff, and it's just like seeing
deer in your headlights12'clock at night when you're
driving down the country road,and they just stand there and
look like, what are you talkingabout?
But those who know God, theyknow.
But that's not to say thatpeople who don't know are less
(03:01):
of a believer.
They are not.
It's according to ourrevelation and our understanding
.
One of the things that I thinkthat you must think about
sometime is the knowledge thatwe have.
And have you ever noticed thatwhen the Lord begins to speak to
(03:22):
you about something.
Have you ever noticed that whenyou spend time praying or
you're reading, the Lord beginsto speak to you about something?
Have you ever noticed that whenyou spend time praying or
you're reading, the Lord willseem to draw you to passages in
the Bible or he will bring anunderstanding?
It's like a light bulb goes onand you get a knowledge of
something and you're thinking,wow, where did that come from?
(03:46):
That comes from God.
Can you imagine living a life oflimitation?
I cannot do that.
I cannot look at my life andthink well, I've received
everything, I know everything,you know.
I couldn't live a life likethat.
(04:08):
There's something inside of methat I just want to keep
pressing into the Lord more andmore and more.
And sometimes we search forsomething and we think it's
going to be more of what wealready know.
And it's always I think it'salways something wonderful when
(04:31):
it's maybe something that'sbrand new to us, something
that's like, wow, could this be?
And it is.
But there is a place in Godthat we shall go that is past
the realm of our understandingright now, and God is calling
(04:54):
his sons to occupy thisunlimited realm, in the
unlimited realm.
There is a people that's beingcalled to that realm.
There is a people that's beingcalled to that there are.
I've read of countries here inthe world where huge cities have
(05:16):
been built, city Very fewpeople.
They built them with the hopesthat somebody would go there,
large communities of houses, andthese houses still remain empty
.
Nobody's gone there.
And can you imagine Godbuilding something for us?
And he, his desire, is for usto press into that?
(05:40):
Acts, chapter 9, verse 10.
Into that Acts, chapter 9,verse 10.
There was a certain disciple,just like you or I.
We're a certain follower ofChrist named Ananias.
And to him said the Lord Icontend today that God is still
(06:06):
speaking to a people, his people.
I contend today and stand heretoday to tell you that, if you
will listen, you will hear theLord speaking on to you.
That's when we pray, when weread the scriptures, things
begin to open up to us.
(06:27):
And the Lord said to him.
The Lord appeared to him as ina vision.
He said Ananias, and he saidbehold, I'm here, lord.
This is where I'm talking toyou about.
This is what I'm talking to youabout today.
This is not you're going to saywell, this is quite mystical
sounding.
(06:49):
I thought about what's different, or what the Lord is doing with
us, and I like to think thatthe lighthouse that we have here
, the people that come here, thepeople that I minister to, we
are a prophetic people and bythat we are open to the Holy
(07:09):
Spirit.
We believe that the Holy Spiritwill speak to us.
We believe that the Holy Spiritmotivates us.
We believe that our heart'sdesire is to have the Holy
Spirit manifesting in our livesand to us.
When we are in a battle, whenwe don't know what to do, isn't
(07:35):
it nice to suddenly have athought come to you this is
probably what I should do or Godwill send somebody to you, but
sometimes you're in a situationwhere nobody can get to you.
Isn't it interesting that Godwill give you the knowledge on
something?
I don't know what Ananias wasdoing this day.
(07:58):
Probably it was early morning.
My thoughts are that he wasspending time with the Lord
before he started moving outamongst the street and in the
marketplace and God began tospeak to him and he said Arise
(08:20):
and go into a street which iscalled Straight and inquire in
the house of Judas for onecalled Saul of Charsis, for,
behold, he prayed.
The Lord is very specific here.
That is something to think thatAnanias would have.
This kind of knowledge as wedevelop in maturity, come into
(08:45):
sonship, come into understandingthat we have an inheritance,
we're getting the understandingand getting the vision that
we're going to be able to walkinto that inheritance.
Now God speaks to him, tellshim what he wants him to do.
(09:07):
He names to him a street.
It's like go to your city,wherever it is, and go to the
city called Straight, andthere's a person there that I
want you to speak to andminister to.
I believe that as we becomemore mature, as we walk out in
(09:31):
the fullness that God wants usto walk out in, I believe we're
going to have this kind ofrelationship with the Lord that
as we grow and as we develop andas we mature and as we come
into God's purpose and plan forus right now, we believe that
God will come and speak to us.
If I was to pick anybody that Iread about in the book of Acts,
(09:57):
and not knowing the outcome, notknowing the ongoing work of God
, I would say that this Saul ofTarsus, who did everything in
his power he was not a believer.
But he came against believersand he would try to prevent them
and he tried to say it wouldn'thappen.
And we're going to think ofanybody.
(10:18):
God surely, this guy surely,will never come into the kingdom
.
But one thing about Saul ofTarsus is, whatever he believed
in, he gave himself to it 100%and it was going to require a
supernatural event at that place.
(10:41):
So God says hold on, he'spraying, don't get excited.
Ananias, listen to me.
I want to tell you about Saul,what he's doing right now.
I want you to know this.
And that's how we know things.
God speaks to them, thosethings to us.
(11:02):
That's how we know things.
My great-granddaughter arrivedyesterday from North Carolina
and I know that dad raises thefamilies involved in chicken
chicken raising.
(11:22):
They have a great herd of 20chickens plus maybe whatever,
but it's in that vicinity.
They have a great herd of 20chickens plus maybe whatever,
but it's in that vicinity.
And she come in and I said doyou name your chickens?
She's giving me this look, ofcourse.
Remember, she's just arrived.
She hasn't seen me for a year.
(11:44):
She's not talking just quitetoo smoothly to me.
One of the very first names Isaid to her about her chicken
Phoebe.
Oh boy, did the kids get a lie.
Yes, we've got a Phoebe.
Now listen to me.
We're talking 20 chickens.
(12:06):
What are my chances of hittinga Phoebe?
Even in playing around withgrandkids?
See, I believe that even when wethink we're just playing around
, because when we spend time andallow the Spirit of God to move
in our lives, you will beamazed how often the Spirit of
(12:28):
God will move through you andyou will touch things, see
things, hear things, understandthings.
When I say hear things,understand things in the spirit
and you just keep moving alongand not realizing how's this
happening?
It's because you are growing,it's because you are moving up
(12:48):
into the dimension and the realmthat God is bringing you.
And it says here he has seen ina vision, and this vision that
Saul of Tarsus is having is fromGod.
What happened was?
Saul got converted out on theDamascus road, in the dust, on
(13:13):
his face, in the dust, in theroad.
Jesus is there.
He recognizes Jesus as Lord.
And if I'm to give a point ofcontact, where Saul of Tarsus
was converted, I would say itwas on the road.
He's now waiting before, he'spraying to God.
He's praying the best way heknows how.
(13:35):
He's a Pharisee.
He's praying these ways, buthe's on his journey and God is
listening.
And God is telling one of hissons what this Saul of Tarsus is
doing.
And he saw a man named Ananias.
(13:55):
And that's who God is talkingto A man named Ananias.
To me, this is one of the mostpowerful, clear places in the
Bible post-Calvary,post-pentecost, early church
(14:26):
setting that we see God in theearly days speaking to Ananias.
Now, 2,000 years later, do youknow how much further we have
come and do you know how muchmore of a people that are like
Ananias that are now upon theface of the earth?
There are tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of these kind of
(14:50):
people who hear from God.
We know that there are millionsclaiming to be born again.
I do not think for one momentthat they are fully grown.
I believe that they are meantto grow.
I believe that they're meant tobe in church.
I believe that they're meant togrow.
I believe that they're meant tobe in church.
(15:11):
I believe that they're meant togather together and they'll sit
under the word of the Lord anddevelop, but to have this
unlimited ability where there isno hindrance whatsoever.
That is the place of sonministry.
That is an awesome place to be.
(15:32):
Then Ananias answered the Lord.
See, here's where we rely, eventhough we're advancing in God.
It's amazing how that we relyupon understanding of what we
know in the natural.
Ananias answered the Lord andhe said I have heard by many Of
(15:57):
this man.
A lot of people have told mewhat they think about this man,
saul of Tarsus, and that's whatholds us back a lot of the time.
We see here the risk Ofresistance.
When we hear this.
We look at Ananias, a mightyman of God, and if we look at
(16:19):
this closely, the Lord says evenwhen we are strong and mighty
in the Lord, if we are notcareful, we have the risk of not
moving forward in God.
We have to be strong, we haveto remain vigilant, we have to
keep encouraging, we have tokeep reminding, we have to keep
(16:42):
coming to it time and time againof what God's plan and purpose
is for us.
What have you heard, ananias?
Well, I've heard that he'sbrought a lot of evil to the
saints at Jerusalem, and I'veheard also that he's got
authority to bind everybody inthis city that's going to call
unto you, lord.
I've heard also that he's gotauthority to bind everybody in
(17:03):
this city that's going to callunto you, lord.
I've heard that Ananias.
Now listen to me.
Ananias, now is where it'schallenged that we face.
Are we going to believe what wehave heard, what we've been
told?
Because anybody who tells youthat you cannot grow and cannot
(17:24):
move forward in God, anybody whotells you that they are not
growing and they are not movingforward, anybody who tells you
that they believe they fullyarrived, they believe they know
it, all that they're permittedto know and they have now become
bound in that level, you haveto listen to somebody who tells
(17:47):
you you can go beyond this.
Ananias obviously was high up.
We don't know his level in thechurch in damascus, but we do
know this much from what we cansee from his relationship with
the Lord.
He was definitely a leadingelder in the city and it's God
(18:10):
himself that is saying are yougoing to listen to those who
said look out for Saul, or areyou going to listen to me and
I'm going to tell you to lookout for Saul?
Or are you going to listen tome and I'm going to tell you to
look out for Saul?
One lookout is think he's goingto hurt you and the other
lookout is you're going to beresponsible and you're going to
(18:33):
develop him and you're going tobring him forth and you're going
to teach him how to walk in myways.
The Lord said go on, go.
Verse 15.
And God gives Ananias arevelation and understanding of
who he's dealing with.
Just like God gives hisapostles, prophets and pastors,
(18:53):
evangelists, pastors andteachers.
He gives them an understandingof where they're going and who
the people are that they'reministering to.
We move by one of the gifts ofthe Holy Spirit at least, and
that's discernment.
We know who we're talking toand we talk to them in this way.
And God said listen, he's achosen vessel unto me.
And God is saying this aboutthe church today you are the
(19:15):
chosen vessel unto me.
He's going to bear my namebefore the Gentiles and the
kings and the children of Israel.
I'm going to bear my namebefore the Gentiles and the
kings and the children of Israel.
I'm going to show them howgreat things he must suffer for
my name's sake.
And I like this about verse 17.
Ananias went his way.
His way was God's way.
He entered into the house.
He put his hands on him andsaid and this is how I know that
(19:38):
Saul was already saved on theDamascus Road.
Another one.
He says to him brother Saul.
King James says brother Sauland I would not have used that
term lightly.
God has already said he's myson, saul is already my son.
(20:01):
He goes there and he saysbrother of Saul the Lord it's
the same name, rather that Paulcalled Jesus on the Damascus
road.
Who art thou Lord?
Even Jesus that appeared untothee in the way as thou camest,
hast sent me and thou mightestreceive thy sight and be filled
(20:24):
with the Holy Ghost.
Saved on the road filled withthe Holy Ghost in Damascus, came
to bind the church filled withthe Holy Ghost.
I want you to be hungry today.
One thing I want you to get outof this today is don't go by
what people tell you aboutsomebody.
(20:46):
God sends you there.
You'd be open to hear what Godwants you to know about them.
You all had a past.
Everybody that's born again hada past.
God doesn't remember it anymore, so you can't ask the Lord and
if you've forgotten it, countthat a blessing.
But God wants to meet us wherewe're at and he wants us to go
(21:11):
from being a child.
He wants us under governors andtutors and he wants us to come
on to the fullness that he plansfor us, that we walk in victory
, and in sonship, and inauthority and in anointing.
There's just so much that hewants to do with us, hallelujah.
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