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January 25, 2018

Pastor’s Weekly Message: Acts 9
 Acts 9 is a pivotal chapter in the book of Acts.  It is also pivotal in the new movement that was inspired by Jesus.  Basically here is what happened: the biggest enemy of the movement became its biggest advocate.  That is a huge, gigantic, enormous, unbelievable, miraculous…shift!!!  How could anything that unbelievable happen?  The answer to that question is the answer to what powers the growth in the early church: the Holy Spirit.
 Saul/Paul is a huge character in the Book of Acts but he was not filled with the transformative power of the Holy Spirit until a man named Ananias laid hands on him and prayed for him.  Ananias was reluctant to meet with Saul because of Saul’s reputation.  But the Lord called him in a vision and reassured him that Saul was his chosen instrument.  So Ananias went to Saul, placed his hands on him and prayed this prayer over 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.”  And immediately he could see, he was baptized and ate and regained his strength.
 That was a new beginning for Paul because of the power of risen Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Paul writes about this is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”            
May the Spirit of the risen Christ create new life in us.  Amen.
 
Pastor Mike

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