ENCOUNTER!

Acts 9:1-22 GNT

In the meantime Saul kept up his violent threats of murder against the followers of the Lord. He went to the High Priest [2] and asked for letters of introduction to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he should find there any followers of the Way of the Lord, he would be able to arrest them, both men and women, and bring them back to Jerusalem. [3] As Saul was coming near the city of Damascus, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him. [4] He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?" [5] "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you persecute," the voice said. [6] "But get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do." [7] The men who were traveling with Saul had stopped, not saying a word; they heard the voice but could not see anyone. [8] Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes, but could not see a thing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. [9] For three days he was not able to see, and during that time he did not eat or drink anything. [10] There was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. He had a vision, in which the Lord said to him, "Ananias!" "Here I am, Lord," he answered. [11] The Lord said to him, "Get ready and go to Straight Street, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying, [12] and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he might see again." [13] Ananias answered, "Lord, many people have told me about this man and about all the terrible things he has done to your people in Jerusalem. [14] And he has come to Damascus with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who worship you." [15] The Lord said to him, "Go, because I have chosen him to serve me, to make my name known to Gentiles and kings and to the people of Israel. [16] And I myself will show him all that he must suffer for my sake." [17] So Ananias went, entered the house where Saul was, and placed his hands on him. "Brother Saul," he said, "the Lord has sent me-Jesus himself, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here. He sent me so that you might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." [18] At once something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he was able to see again. He stood up and was baptized; [19] and after he had eaten, his strength came back. Saul stayed for a few days with the believers in Damascus. [20] He went straight to the synagogues and began to preach that Jesus was the Son of God. [21] All who heard him were amazed and asked, "Isn't he the one who in Jerusalem was killing those who worship that man Jesus? And didn't he come here for the very purpose of arresting those people and taking them back to the chief priests?" [22] But Saul's preaching became even more powerful, and his proofs that Jesus was the Messiah were so convincing that the Jews who lived in Damascus could not answer him.

 

Encounter! The unexpected or casual life-changing and transforming meeting with someone or something.

How much we all want an encounter, a "Damascus Road" experience but are too sceptical, too scared, or too timid to allow the Lord in. Encounter!

Have you experienced a special, physically shaking, opinion-changing, attitude adjustment and life-transforming encounter? A spiritual episode that realigned your destiny and life with the plan and purposes of God.

We are all on a journey going somewhere: like Paul on the way to Damascus, with misguided, yet good intentions but a wrong motive journey for the Lord only to discover the absence of the very One whose journey we are on.

There are so many Christians today who aren't "born again" or "converted" yet like Paul, they are very eager, loyal, and fierce in the pursuit of their perceived beliefs. God does not need us to fight His battles and as He said to Paul, it's persecution when we go after fellow “Christians" because of denominational classification.

Encounter! The collision between the Holy Spirit and our ego. When we encounter God in a naturally supernatural way, we realise how tiny we are in the bigger picture of eternity. We strut around with the mentality and ego that we are tongue-speaking, scripture-quoting believers and lovers of God but if God weight us will He find us wanting as seen in Daniel 5:27?

Paul was against the disciples of the Lord; not against wicked men, murderers, and thieves, and other evildoers, but against the harmless and innocent followers of Jesus, he persecuted the early followers of Jesus because they claimed he was the long-expected messiah.

Encounter! Paul saw a light and, within the light, Jesus Christ, in His risen and glorified body as he states in 1 Corinthians 9:1. Have you seen the light? Have you encountered the Lord? Although Paul’s encounter is the most dramatic and transforming, there are a few others who encountered the Lord as well.

In Genesis 18 the patriarch Abraham had a dramatic personal encounter with God. His meeting with God provides us with a wealth of insights into who God is and how He relates to us.

In Exodus 3 God called Moses to do what he’d run away from; he met the Lord in the burning bush.

Judges 6 records the encounter of the Lord with Gideon, the man God used to save Israel from the Midianites’ oppression.

In Genesis 28 Jacob sets out for Harran, but instead of a comfortable warm bed, he spent his night on the cold, hard ground with only stones for a pillow, where he encountered the Lord whom he called El Bethel (house of God).

Luke 23:32-43 says the thief on the cross pleaded with Jesus to remember him in God’s kingdom. This desperate and humble cry for mercy is all that God needed to welcome him into the family of God. What an incredible story! A man who presumably led his entire life in opposition to God, but from one encounter by the great mercies of God, was saved in his dying moments.

There is no other name by which we can be saved says Acts 4:12.

We all need encounters. Ask the Lord for a daily encounter, new encounter, and fresh encounter for yourself and your households. Encounter is what keeps our faith life adventurous. If you’ve not met the Lord yet, ask God to come into your heart and life or the Lord might just meet you on your way to Damascus.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

-        What areas of your life might need a “collision” with God’s truth to realign your motives and actions with His purpose?

-        How do you respond when God interrupts your plans? Do you resist, question, or surrender?

-        Have you ever mistaken religious activity for true relationship with God? What steps can you take to ensure your faith is authentic?

-        What practical ways can you create space for fresh encounters with God in your daily life?

PRAYER: God of grace, thank you for always chasing after me, I ask for fresh daily encounters that will transform my life and destiny in Jesus’s name. Amen.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6moWKIWt6tT2DxoU0bxZ3o?si=5J-24s0JSISh1jk0oznq1g

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