PASTOR (Mrs.) BOLA OSANYINBI
SUNDAY 12TH JUNE, 2016.
[biblegateway passage=”Acts 26:13-19;” display=”Acts 26:13-19;”]
Saul (who later became Paul) had a full proof encounter with the Lord and he was always ready to defend this experience, as such convincing people of the Messiahood of Jesus. But, immediately Christ apprehended Paul, he was commissioned into a heavenly vision from the Lord. Unlike many of us, we many time see Jesus only as a provision for our needs. We do not see him as a Lord who has commissioned some responsibilities unto us.
[biblegateway passage=”Mark 16:30″ display=”Mark 16:30″]; [biblegateway passage=”Luke 24:36″ display=”Luke 24:36″];
We would regard Mary Magdalene as a terrible whorish woman until she encountered the Lord and she was even the first person to see the Lord after He resurrected. This shows that her life had been so much transformed that she was now important to Jesus. The appearing of Jesus is accompanied with peace and changes our nature. Many of us do not really know the person of Jesus Christ, we likely have a picture of a bearded long face man with long robes. Do we even recognize the voice of the Lord to us and His dealings in our life?
Something changed in Paul after he encountered Christ. People must be able to testify that we are children of God by permitting the Holy Spirit to inscribe the laws of God in our hearts.
The Heavenly Vision to Paul
“To open their eyes [and] to turn [them] from their darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
Acts 26:18;
- To open the eyes of the gentiles.
- To turn the gentiles from darkness to light.
- To deliver people from the power of Satan to receive forgiveness of sins from the Lord.
- To help people come into their inheritance in the Lord.
One thing that helped Paul to fulfill his commissioned vision was focus, the instruction of the lord and strength from God. Mike Muddock defined Focus as that which consumes our time and attention. The strategy of the Devil is to interchange our goal and focus, so that we would have our time and attention consumed for the wrong course. Since our faith is all about the appearing of Jesus to us from time to time. We therefore, need to remain focused on looking unto Jesus. God is always appreciate it when we constantly keep tabs with Him.
“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Romans 1:16;
Some people also have the fear of what people (friends, neighbours and relations) would say about them if they begin to take upon us the responsibilities of the Kingdom.