Acts 9 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Acts 9:16

“I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 

 

I was reading the story of Saul on the road to Damascus, when Jesus appeared to him, and the part that stuck out to me was Jesus telling Ananias to go heal Saul, telling him, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

 

That is how powerful a true encounter with Jesus is! Paul knew beforehand how hard it was going to be, how many people would desert him, that he would be flogged, stoned. shipwrecked, imprisoned, then finally martyred. Yet, just a couple verses after this it says, he began to preach at once!!

 

It also tells me that Paul had a choice, because Jesus showed him what was to come and Paul could have said ‘no thank you’!!! But once you have that “one-on-one” breakthrough with Jesus, it’s hard to go back to the old way you were doing things!! Our Lord is so awesome and wonderful that Paul knew his life on earth was basically over, but he rejoiced and embraced the fact that he got to use what he did have left to serve the Lord!! I want faith, love and determination like that!!

 

The great news is that the same Jesus who met Paul on the road that day is waiting with open arms for you as well!! No shame, no guilt – just a fresh lease on life with the Savior of the world as your best friend!!

 

I love you all, God bless, and glory to God!!!!!

 

 

Acts 9:34-35

Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.

 

This is just one of many examples of why we have to share our testimonies and walk out our faith! It wasn’t a sermon, it wasn’t a retreat, it wasn’t a conference (these are all good things, don’t get me wrong), but it was Aeneas simply walking around in the healing he received from Jesus that turned those around him to the Lord! He didn’t need to have big words or a congregation full of people to make a huge impact on so many!

 

God has given us each a testimony, and it’s our job to share it and walk it out! Listen, this guy had been bedridden for 8 years. I’m sure that people saw him begging in the streets, laying soiled on his mat, and maybe even picked on from time to time, so after the Lord healed him, it would have been easy for him to run away and hide, but where does God get the glory in that? Aeneas gave people hope just by walking around. Hope has a name, and it’s Jesus! Aeneas didn’t hide because of who he used to be but embraced who He is in Christ! A healed and redeemed child of God!

 

This world will tell you to be quiet or that everyone will judge you, and they may. But the only Judge we need to worry about will be pleased that you're sharing Him and all He has done with those around you! It can be scary at times, but I promise you that if your intent is to give God glory and share the hope you found in Christ, then He will give you everything needed to make it through!

 

Revelation 12:11 - They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

 

God bless! I love you all! Glory, Honor, and Praise now and forever to God Almighty, Jesus Christ the Risen King, and the Holy Spirit! 

 

 

Acts 9:39

Peter went with them, and when he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

 

What you do today will matter tomorrow! So, we have to be asking ourselves, what kind of legacy are we leaving behind? One of fear or one of faith? One of lust or one of love? One of life or of death? The verse above is a beautiful picture of a life lived in love and service and the legacy that it left! We don’t get much background on the lady called Dorcas, but you get one key piece of the puzzle in Acts 9:36 - In Joppa, there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek, her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.

 

She wasn’t a preacher or an evangelist. She didn’t draw crowds with the messages she preached or the deep truths she revealed. It doesn’t say she was a prayer warrior or even a Bible study teacher but rather that she lived a life full of Christ through her love, surrender, humility, and willingness to serve others! I’m not saying that we don’t need preachers, teachers, evangelists, and prayer warriors because WE DO, but what I am saying is that each person can preach the Gospel without saying a word! We can all live a life surrendered to Christ and in service to others and leave a legacy of love that the enemy cant destroy! I don’t believe Dorcas did this for recognition, fame, or wealth but rather she understood the immense and immeasurable price that was paid for her and wanted to honor the Lord with every aspect of her life!

 

Matthew 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

 

God bless! I love you all! Glory, Honor, and Praise forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit!