Arise and GO

I LOVE the New Testament. There is always so much to glean from the Bible if you are open and ready to learn. I always think of how the Bible tells us that if we ask we SHALL receive and if we seek we SHALL find. When we open the Word of the Living God we need to remember to ask with a humble heart and seek Him with our whole heart as well. He will become the desire of our hearts and He will give us Himself!
I have been praying over my Damascus. We are in a transitional phase as a family right now. Change is coming, but we are waiting for the direction so that we too can ARISE AND GO! I had everything color coded for easy reading and to illistrate the points I make below, but unfortunately it did not copy over. :( I'm sure its all more for my benefit anyway. :) Should anyone happen to read my blog, I thank you for taking the time to allow me to share what God has laid on my heart with you.


Acts 9:1-22:
 1And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
 2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
 3And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
 5And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
 6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him,Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
 7And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
 8And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
 9And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
 10And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
 11And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
 12And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
 13Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
 14And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
 15But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
 16For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
 17And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
 18And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
 19And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
 20And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
 21But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
 22But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. 

Acts 22:6-30

6And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon,suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
 7And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
 8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
 9And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
 10And I said, What shall I do, LORD? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
 11And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
 12And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
 13Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
 14And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
 15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
 16And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
 17And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
 18And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
 19And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
 20And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
 21And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
 22And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
 23And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
 24The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
 25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
 26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
 27Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
 28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
 29Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
 30On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews,he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Lessons learned:

I love how God provided others to lead Saul by the hand. They SAW the light, but could not HEAR the LORD. God used them anyway.
ARISE AND GO ARISE AND GO ARISE AND GO!!!!!! Right now we (my family and I) are in the days of prayer, God has not given us a vision of what He has next for us, but we want to be ready when the sight comes. Saul saw the light, but did not hear from the Lord until he humbled himself (pictured by him being on the ground and by calling HIM Lord with a capital L).
It is the meat of the word that gives us the greatest strength. :)
The Roman had to work for his freedom, but once paul met the LORD he was free, Christ paid it for him! That was his birth and he was free. I LOVE IT!
Paul had to wait on the Lord, 3 days he waited for sight and he also waited to be loosed. Sometimes we feel like we are walking blind. But when we kneel in prayer as Paul did, we know that God has a plan already in place. He knows what is in the darkness even when we do not. - Daniel 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.