• Acts 9:10-16 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Why did the Lord choose the process of using Ananias to heal Saul and not just heal him immediately? By sending one of His faithful children there in Damascus, God helped the local church change their opinion about Saul and to help show them that he truly was now their brother in Christ. It was God's way to help them no longer fear Paul as “Saul the persecutor and enemy of the church” and to help launch Paul's ministry.

God always has a purpose and a plan in everything He does; whether we can understand it at the time or not. It is truly helpful for us all to realize that it is how God works. When God chooses to manifest Himself by signs and wonders, visions, dreams, words of knowledge, prophecies and so on, He has His purposes in doing so. We need to learn to pay close attention to the voice and direction of the Lord. God's directions are always in conjunction with the Bible. He would never lead us against what His written Word says. Saul knew very well the teachings of the “Law of Moses” (The "Torah” or the “Pentateuch” that the Jewish people received from God through Moses, the first five books of the Old Testament) and he was also well-versed in the prophetic books of the Old Testament. He knew he could not ignore the vision that God had given him and to take it very seriously and the change in Paul can be seen in the evidence of Paul's life.

From the moment Saul saw Jesus, Saul knew that he was guilty of all the atrocities he had committed against God's children.

Paul was about to face the hard reality himself of what it would take to suffer for Jesus' Name. The Lord told Ananias:

• Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Even though Paul chose to obey and serve God, it seems that there was a certain amount of suffering he would have to endure. Paul suffered multiple persecutions during his 32 years of ministry (from his conversion in 36 AD to his death in 68 AD when he was martyred at the command of the Roman emperor Nero). But if he had not repented and obeyed God, the price he would have paid would have been even higher, on earth and eternally. Paul considered his sufferings (that he listed in 2 Corinthians 11), to be from “a messenger of Satan” (2 Corinthians 12:7) and not caused by God. The Lord equipped Paul with all he needed to endure the many, many hardships he faced and Paul even considered them as “but a light affliction, which is but for a moment” that “is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). And God does the same for all of us. For more on this matter, please consider the article “Paul's Thorn in the Flesh.”

Had Saul persecuted Christians out of mere ignorance or even stubborn ignorance? There is no doubt that Saul had witnessed the strength and determination of the Christians he had persecuted. He witnessed them preferring to die than to deny their Lord. While there is much speculation on this subject, one thing is clear, Paul ceased from being “the persecutor” and lived the rest of his days being a “persecuted one” and chose himself to die for his faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul's deep relationship with Jesus and the abundance of revelation that he received through the Holy Spirit along with the knowledge of the Word of God truly gave Paul the strength to keep on ministering and even ministering with joy, in spite of all the pain, hardship and persecution and to never go back to his old life.

When faced with the truth of who Jesus is, Paul accepted it. I pray that all those who are reading this today, will keep a right relationship with Jesus Christ all the way to their last breath. Even if at times, it might seem hard to stay faithful and keep living for God, we must choose to do so, because as we do, the Holy Spirit will strengthen us just as He strengthened Paul and we too will know the power of these words: ''I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)


Carmen Pușcaș

Over the years, the Lord has delivered me from sin, the penalty and bondage of it, including from various bad habits. He set me free from all kinds of things such as from smoking cigarettes to frivolously spending money. And lately, He has helped me even more.

Not everyone is born into a Christian home where Jesus is Lord. And while I come from a very hard working and tenacious background, I learned many things that the Lord has had to help me with and show me new ways. We know that when we become born-again, all things are new. This is meant spiritually. In the physical, if we weighed 300 pounds, we are born-again but still weigh 300 pounds. And the habits we had, become affected by the new born-again spirit but we still have to be renewed and transformed in our minds according to God's Word.

• Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

And in this life-long process, Jesus gave me a key to help! I was reading my favorite “rapture chapters” Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13 again and while in Luke 21 and meditating on the Lord's words, He said something amazing in verse 19.

• Luke 21:19 “By your patience possess your souls.”

Patience for me has been a life-long challenge. While I have been delivered from swearing for many years, patience is something that I have struggled with. And there were these words of Jesus jumping off the page to me, “By your patience possess your souls.”

Wow. And along with it, seemed to come the realization that not only will this key take us through the tribulation that Jesus was warning about, but also to help us daily.

I knew all to well that when we lose our cool, that it is when it is the hardest to not judge or criticize or slip to use swear words. And I was always seeking to “praise the Lord at all times.” Somehow, suddenly, a realization was sinking into my heart that when we lose our patience, we not only can lose our souls in the long run, but also in the immediate when we disappoint the Lord who is trying to lead and direct us. And that, praise God, when we keep our patience, we really do possess our souls! From studying the Bible over the years, I knew that “souls” does not always necessarily mean “spirits” but can often mean our “minds.” And in this case, in keeping our patience, we can keep it both!

• Ephesians 4:20-24 But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

Naturally, this revelation was the beginning of the journey. My personal testimony is found under the testimonies and encouragement section as "Personal Breakthrough, About How Through Our Patience, We Really Do Possess Our Souls” and also an article called, "By Your Patience Possess Your Souls” co-written together by C. Pușcaș and myself. We also have a very helpful and insightful message called: "Renewing the Mind.”

If patience and keeping your cool has been a challenge too, please consider one or more of the articles. The Holy Spirit in teaching and shedding His light on this matter, truly helped our “paradigms” and not only are we are not the same but strength and joy have come from it.

The Lord bless and keep you in 2017 and always,


E. Cockrell