Be an Ananias...

"So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."--Acts 9:17.Ananias sent to Saul to baptize him, give him the Holy Spirit, and to give him his sight back.  But we look at the preceding verses in Acts 9:10-16.  Ananias was reluctant to go to Saul.  Why? Well as most of us, if not all of us know, Saul, later known as Paul, was the biggest persecutor of the church prior to his encounter with Christ. Ananias knew this, everyone knew this. Even after he was baptized, people were still reluctant to accept Paul as a brother in Christ.  This is understandable as it was literally unbelievable that someone who hurt and killed so many of the Lord's people would make such a radical change and give their lives to Christ and obey the gospel.

So what does this mean to us? Everyone knew who Saul was. He was that guy that everybody was afraid of because of the reputation he had.  He was that guy that no one trusted any further than they could throw him. He was that guy that even though he had changed his life, some would not initially accept him. Saul was that guy you thought would never convert. Saul is that guy that the Lord has sent you to change his life when no one else will.

I think we have all been in Ananias' position. Maybe not dealing with someone who has done things as terrible as Saul did prior to his conversion.  However, we all have been in a position where every fiber of our being is telling us why we shouldn't go to a person. But God is telling us GO TO THAT PERSON.  We see it all the way back in Jonah's day where he did everything he could not to go to the wicked people of Nineveh but God saw things differently.

I have heard some pretty crazy conversion stories in my day.  This is something I still struggle with myself but based on some of the things I have heard, God can turn even the people even in the worst of circumstances into mighty workers in His kingdom.  My good friend, brother in Christ and fellow student here at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver Lyle Sinkey is a tremendous example of having turned his life completely around to work in the Lord's kingdom. He has a very interesting story to tell.

But why is Lyle such a mighty worker in the kingdom now? Because someone took the time to share the gospel of Christ with him. God has sent all of us to reach out to those people.  He has sent you and has sent me.  God has many people ready to work in His kingdom.  He has sent us to go get them. May we be like Ananias and go and help people regain their sight. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!