Bible In One Year-Day 313 (Sunday, November 09, 2014)

Commentary: Acts9-12. These chapters are the most informative about a uniquely transformed life by the other side of Jesus. The other side of Jesus is Light and it is the Word. A taste or experience of them will give a dramatic transformation which will give the victim a totally new being or life.

Acts 9:1-2 “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, And 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 to Jerusalem.”

Saul of Tarsus was a well learned man in the law of the Old Testament. He was full of zeal for God but never had the experience of that God. He thought he was fighting for God not knowing he was actually fighting against God. His master, Gamaliel, had warned against this act hitherto. But Saul was consumed in his zeal without knowledge.

Acts 5:34, 38-39 “Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; … And now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

In his zeal without revelation knowledge, he was hateful and to kill never meant anything to him. His work for God was not from the inner life but from the letters, hence, to kill was a good thing to him. To the glory of God, the Light and the Word met him on active duty of unrighteousness and the darkness of his work was revealed to him. He came to realize that he was involved in an unauthorized work for the Lord. He came to realize that he was actually working against God. That was why he requested for the right and approved assignment from the Lord.

Acts 9:6 “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”

He received divine direction when he came to the knowledge of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without experiencing the other side of Jesus, our work for God would be destructive. It will be persecution in disguise; hatred, breathing threats and murder against the saints. We may know the scripture very well just like Saul, but it will not go beyond the intellectual level of our outward being and this could be hijacked by the devil to be misappropriated. Such works are likened to religious programs without revelations but disguisingly manipulative and exploitative. Whatever we do for God must take its root in what the other side of Jesus dictates, i.e. the Spirit of Christ. For instance, Ananias was a man of light. He received specific instruction to go to Saul. Correspondingly, Saul, who now has that other side of Jesus, was prepared for Ananias through revelation by the same Spirit. Ananias’ work was perfected in Saul and Saul’s candle was kindled by the light which was already in Ananias. This is how ministers should work; using their different graces to help one another and not to be envious of and castigate one another.

Acts 9:10-12 “And 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. And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.”

Saul had been transformed to the other side as well. The word of God revealed that he that is joined with the Lord is one spirit, 1Cor6:17. Hence, Saul took the nature of the other side of Jesus; he prayed and saw vision. Though he was blind physically, he could see what ordinary person couldn’t see. This grace started from when he saw the light. People around him couldn’t see the person speaking with him but heard Paul speaking with somebody. It is an awesome experience of the other side of Jesus, i.e. in the Spirit. Once you see Him, you will continue to see Him; once you hear Him, you will continue to hear Him.

Acts 9:7 “And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.”

Though they had eyes, they could not see. They could only hear the voice of Saul speaking with somebody they couldn’t see. This was Saul’s narration in Acts22:9.

Acts 22:9 “And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spoke to me.”

They couldn’t hear because they were still natural. They only saw the light around Saul but the light did not touch them. This is a most miserable situation; to see the glory of God in another person’s life but not experiencing it. Only the light of the other side of Jesus could transform a person.

Psalms 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

Saul’s reaction to the light really showed he was a simple man by nature. His problem was that he had not received the light. When Jesus came into his life, the light banished the darkness in him; he got the right understanding and no longer walked in darkness just as Jesus says, John8:12.

John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

The word of Jesus entered into Saul as life and he resurrected from dead works into righteousness and prayer. The light broke the yoke of darkness in his soul.

John 1:5 “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

Jesus is the Light, he is love, he is our righteousness and he is the holiness of God. Not until your life has a taste of Him in these four ways and imparts your life in this four ways, you have not known the other side of Jesus. And the work we do for Him is unauthorized; working iniquity. When Saul was working without heavenly authority, he instilled fear in the people, but when he received heavenly authority there was peace.

Acts 9:29-31 “And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. Then had the churches rest (peace) throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied.”

The church is in chaos today because workers of iniquity had mingled with those with heavenly authority. There are slayings of brethren instead of ministering life to brethren. The best thing that can happen to the body of Christ in this present dispensation is for workers to experience the ‘journey to Damascu’ to see the other side of Jesus. May His grace give us the definition of the work we need to do for the Master (Amen).

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is Acts13-16. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA