It’s easy to be as dazzled by the enormity and power of God when we read of Saul’s conversion as Saul was dazzled by the light from heaven. However, tucked away in this miraculous conversion story is a tale of everyday obedience which had remarkable consequences. This is the story of Ananias (Acts 9:10-18).

Ananias was a disciple based in Damascus. We know nothing of him other than what we read in these few verses, yet he was the person God chose to go to Saul and bring him into fellowship. He was clearly a person who listened to God and who was close enough to him to be honest and open in his responses to Him. When God told him to go to a specific place to meet a specific person (the detail is reminiscent of Philip’s experience in Acts 8), he objected, knowing Saul’s reputation as well as anyone! Nonetheless, when God gave him further instructions – including the revelation of Saul’s future purpose as an apostle to the Gentiles who would experience much suffering (Acts 9:15-16) – he shows the depth of his servanthood through his simple obedience.

Ananias’s greeting to the persecutor-turned-believer demonstrates he had fully grasped (and fully trusted) what God had told him: ‘Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ (Acts 9:17) In welcoming Saul as a brother, he showed an acceptance we are all called to emulate (I wonder if Paul thought of Ananias as he told the Romans, ‘Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.’ (Rom 15:7)) In modelling obedience to Saul, he became the living embodiment of what Christian discipleship looked like. He reached out to touch the blind man and immediately Saul could see again. We don’t know what happened to Ananias after Saul’s baptism, and if you are like me, you itch to know the details of the life of this remarkable man. What we do know from these verses is that Ananias played a key role in the acceptance of Saul as a true believer and he demonstrated an obedience that went far beyond his doubts and questions.

In my own life, I wonder about the combination of the spectacular and the ordinary. The spectacular and miraculous happen much less frequently than I would like; the times when I have heard God’s voice in the way Ananias did are not that common. But at the same time, I know that the ordinary and everyday are just as much part of God’s modus operandi as the miraculous and stupendous. Ananias will forever be remembered for his everyday obedience, but for Paul, this was yet another turning-point orchestrated by God. Even our everyday conversations and chance encounters can be vehicles for God. Do we have the same kind of listening ear that Ananias displayed? Do we have the same willingness to obey?

In the book of Acts, the story of Paul’s conversion is actually told 3 times: once in Acts 9 and twice more in Paul’s speeches defending accusations against himself (see Acts 22:3-16 & Acts 26:4-16). The fact that this story is told three times shows its significance in the eyes of Luke and reminds us of the power of telling our stories (giving our testimonies) in witness and evangelism. Ps 107:2 says, ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.’

Many of us may feel wary about evangelism, believing this gift is reserved for those who have been trained or who are evangelists (like Billy Graham and his son, Franklin Graham, who will be preaching at various venues in the UK in 2020, including Sheffield on 6^th June) or feeling inadequate to this task, unsure what to say. The Great Commission, however, was given to us all (see Matt 28:18-20, Acts 1:8) and we are all called to ‘always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.’ (1 Pet 3:15) There is great power in telling your story, in speaking out to other people how you met God and what God has done – and continues to do – in your life. As for the training, if you are interested in learning more about how to do this, there is a training day for the Franklin Graham mission on Saturday 29^th February at Maltby Full Life Church (9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.) which covers the basics of explaining the gospel to people.

Each one of us who know God has a story to tell, a testimony to share, good news to pass on to others. Let’s be excited rather than daunted about telling our stories and willing to tell others about the goodness and love of God.

When I was at university, the Christian Union ran a series of meetings entitled ‘Mine Was No Road To Damascus.’ In these meetings, students and staff members gave their testimonies, talking about how they had become Christians. Some, who had been brought up in Christian families, felt rather inadequate doing this, as they felt that they had very little to tell: theirs was not the radical about-turn experienced by Paul (or those whose conversions from alcoholism or drug addiction made for dramatic news.)

Conversions can be sudden and dramatic, like Paul’s, but they can also be gradual and apparently ordinary. Some people can pinpoint the precise moment they gave their life to the Lord (I became a Christian on 27^th October 1983 at the age of seventeen, and can vividly remember the battle that had gone on within me for days leading up to this as I wrestled with God); others can’t remember a time when God was not part of their lives. I don’t think the outward appearance of our encounters with God really matters, but I do think it’s essential that our lives are turned around by God. Without a conversion experience, we are dead in our transgressions and sins (Eph 2:1); we need to experience God’s mercy and love for ourselves and be radically changed as a result (Eph 2:3-6). As John Stott puts it, ‘We too can (and must) experience a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, surrender to Him in penitence and faith, and receive His summons to service.’

The hallmarks of conversion can be seen in Acts 9 and it’s worth considering these aspects of all encounters with Jesus:

1. God is working and is in sovereign control. He is the One who encounters us! Saul was not looking to meet Jesus, but Jesus knew the precise time to reveal Himself to Saul. We need to be convinced of the fact that God is wanting to meet with those who don’t yet know Him and be aware of God’s active role in evangelism.

2. We can’t be saved if we don’t recognise our own sin. Saul had thought he was doing by God’s will in persecuting the church and had to realise his own sinfulness before he could be saved. His three days of fasting and blindness vividly symbolise the fact we have to come to the end of ourselves and our own resources and ability to save ourselves before real change can occur. For many people, this becomes the stumbling-block, the wrestling-point. Salvation means a handing over of control to God.

3. Once saved, our spiritual sight is restored and we perceive life in an entirely different dimension! Jonathan Edwards’ hymn captures this beautifully:

“Heaven above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green;
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen:
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine.” (“Loved With Everlasting Love”)

4. An encounter with Jesus will result in changed priorities and purposes. Saul described himself as ‘circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.’ (Phil 3:5-6) That was his life summary before encountering Christ. Afterwards, his purpose was defined by God: ‘This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.’ (Acts 9:15) He repeatedly taught others that our faith means radical and lasting change: ‘I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.’ (Eph 4:17) He urged Christians to examine themselves to see whether they were in the faith. (2 Cor 13:5) We cannot encounter Jesus and remain the same.

Conversion is the word used to describe a change, especially referring to religious beliefs. Its roots go back to the idea of ‘turning about’, and the conversion of Paul the apostle (described in Acts 9:1-19 and later in Acts 22:3-16 and Acts 26:4-16) is perhaps the most radical example of this turn-about (or ‘about face’, in French ‘volte-face’). Saul of Tarsus, as he was known then, was perhaps the most fiercely critical opponent of Christianity. We have already met him giving tacit approval to the murder of Stephen and at the start of Acts 9, he is breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples and doing his best to wreak havoc on the church, believing himself to be doing God a favour by rounding up followers of ‘the Way’ and throwing them into prison, regardless of gender (see Acts 8:3). A more unlikely candidate for conversion cannot be imagined, but this chapter reminds us that God can turn about even the most unlikely people! Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus revolutionised him and the whole world as a result.

The word ‘conversion’ itself is not mentioned in the story. What is mentioned, emphatically, is that Saul encounters Jesus as he is travelling to Damascus on his zealous mission to destroy the church. This encounter – accompanied by a blinding light and a voice from heaven which only Saul hears – forces Saul to confront the fact that his encounter with God is actually with Jesus and Jesus’s identification with His people is so great that Saul’s persecution of the church is equated with Saul’s persecution of Jesus. (Acts 9:4) This devout Pharisee, whose adherence to the Law is explained in other passages (see Phil 3:4-6), has all his ideas turned upside down by this encounter with Jesus and he is never the same again. Instead, he accepts his new mission (to be the apostle to the Gentiles, an irony of ironies!) and is welcomed into the church by a humble believer called Ananias, whose mission is to release Paul from his blindness and baptise him as a fellow believer. The adversary has become an advocate, in the words of Tom Wright.

Paul was later to become one of the greatest Christian missionaries, author of much of the New Testament and a profound influence on the church, not only in his lifetime but through to the present day. It all started, however, with this encounter with Jesus, where, as a persecutor, blasphemer and violent man, he encountered mercy, grace and glory. Later writings (e.g. 2 Cor 4:6) indicate that the blinding light he saw was never far from his thoughts; God’s light shining in the darkness was his new benchmark.

Alan gave us some more photos today from Wednesday’s party. As always, it’s fascinating to see the different aspects captured by different people.

Food preparation & layout

Arrivals

A new budding photographer?

Smiling faces (mainly!)

Hard at work!

Playing games:

After the children had found hidden money (a reminder that some things in life are worth seeking), Stephen spoke tonight about the difference God can make in our lives and how necessary it is to include Him in our everyday living. Matt 7:7 reminds us that God wants us to ask, seek and knock. This verse may seem like giving us carte blanche to a life full of ease, but the reality is not that God is a slot machine to be played but a Person who wants to be involved in every area and aspect of our lives.

Many of the people in the Old Testament demonstrated how to involve God in real-life situations, from Elisha whose prayer that God would blind the enemy army (2 Kings 6:18) helped save the day for Israel to David who enquired of the Lord before setting out in battle (2 Sam 5:18). Prayer is one way we can include God in our every decision, even if prayer means acknowledging only God knows what can be done in impossible situations (Ezek 37:3).

Including God in our lives means we acknowledge His supremacy and demonstrate a longing to be in His presence. (Ps 27:4) He is better than any business consultant, for He has all the answers even before we ask (Is 65:4; see also Ps 139). This new year may bring many challenges and situations which have to be faced, but when we include God in everything, we can be sure He will lead and guide us in every way.