Ananias enables Saul to receive his sight, and Saul is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 9:17-20

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
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“And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:17

Saul was in the house of Judas, a follower of Jesus Christ, and they were praying together, as described in Acts 9:11. As previously stated in the post on Acts 9:1-2, Saul was going to Damascus to arrest Christians [including Judas and Ananias] and he had traveling companions with him to help him do so. When the Light of Jesus Christ shone around Him and he heard His voice, Saul’s life began to change from that moment. He left the intent of those who had joined with him to persecute the way of Jesus Christ and entered into the home of Judas, not to arrest him but instead they prayed together.

The behavior of Saul, after he heard the voice of the Lord, is what every Believer wants to see in new converts. Saul left the intent of the crowd that persecuted Christians and began to form bonds with those who lived for God by faith in Jesus Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We want to see new converts come apart from those who live for the ways of this world. To come apart from those who oppose belief in God the Creator, who discard the need for the forgiveness of unbelief through Jesus Christ, and who oppose the presence of the Holy Spirit. We want to see new Christians show a desire to shun the beast that gives people what to speak, do, think, and feel. We want to see the desire of new Believers to connect with others who live for Jesus Christ. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4

Ananias did as the Lord directed him to do, he entered the house of Judas, where Judas and Saul had been praying, and he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  When new Believers come to Jesus Christ, the next thing to happen is for them to receive their sight, to be able to see the narrow path that leads to life and to avoid the broad mainstream road that leads to destruction. In that process, they will receive the Holy Spirit because everyone who is in Christ lives by the Spirit not by the flesh. If you can say that Jesus is your Lord, and not to curse His name, then you have the Holy Spirit, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

“Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.” Acts 9:18-20

Immediately after Ananias came to Saul for him to receive his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit, Saul received his sight and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. To receive our sight is to see Jesus as the Christ, our Lord and Savior. To be baptized in the Holy Spirit is for the process of sanctification to begin by cleansing our spirit and attitudes of ugliness and filthiness. This begins our walk in Holiness. The foremost purpose of the Holy Spirit is to lift up the name of Jesus Christ, to put in us a desire to share our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart. We are sinners saved by grace, will never be perfect by human standards, but will always have a born-again testimony. The difference between our life before and after Him is as different as night is from day.

Oh What A Wonderful Wonderful Day
Day I Will Never Forget
After I’d Wandered In Darkness Away
Jesus My Saviour I Met
Oh What A Tender Compassionate Friend
He Met The Need Of My Heart
Shadows Dispelling With Joy I Am Telling
He Made All The Darkness Depart
Heaven Came Down And Glory Filled My Soul
When At The Cross The Saviour Made Me Whole
My Sins Were Washed Away
And My Night Was Turned To Day
Heaven Came Down And Glory Filled My Soul.
[Oh What A Wonderful Wonderful Day]

As new converts, having our eyes opened and embracing the Holy Spirit, we become spiritually nourished with the food of the Bread and Water of Life. We become strengthened in our walk with Jesus Christ as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. Spiritual nourishment comes by reading the Bible and our everyday experiences in life. The Holy Spirit teaches us how the ways of this world are contrary to the truth of our born-again experience and to the Scriptures that we know to be true. In that truth, we are able to stand against the hostilities of this atheistic world. “…that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love.” 1 Peter 1:7-8

After Saul was strengthened, he spent some days with the Believers in Damascus, not to scheme against them nor to arrest them, but to fellowship in our Lord Jesus Christ. As soon as Saul was strengthened, he immediately began to preach Christ in the Jewish churches that He is the Son of God. That is the sure sign that someone has met the Lord Jesus Christ, they want to share that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God. Sharing our born-again experience is sharing the testimony of Jesus because that is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart.

Today, we live in a world that is putting down the spread of Christianity. It is extremely difficult to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Here in the United States, from time to time, I manage to squeak out a word to glorify Jesus, or wear clothing that says, “JESUS”. In many countries around the world, doing that is enough to have someone arrested and in other ways persecuted and physically harmed.

This following verse explains why spreading the Gospel is so difficult today, “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:6-8 The “he” in this verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1