Changed

Ananias responded as most others did when God spoke to him – “I am here, Lord”:

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 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, (Acts 9:10-11)

We hadn’t heard of Ananias before, but he ended up with one of the most difficult of jobs – help Saul. That concerned him, just a bit:

Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. (Acts 9:13-14)

There are people today just as Paul was then – they have authority from their rulers to put in jail all who call upon the name of Jesus. The sad thing is, our country is moving toward the same situation. At present our government is denying Christians the use of Jesus’ name in many places where it has been heard for centuries – including our armed forces’ chaplains. We were told that His name would cause division, and why it would:

But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. (John 15:21)

Saul/Paul knew what he was doing when he persecuted the church. He made no effort to apologize for his actions. He simply changed, with Ananias’ help. The Lord told Ananias not to worry about what Saul had done, but about his future:

But 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: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. (Acts 9:15-16)

Paul later wrote of how he persecuted the church:

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: (Galatians 1:13)

God had chosen Paul to carry His word to the gentiles – for which I am ever so grateful. Both that it was carried to me, and that it was Paul who did so. Paul was so stubborn that it took a personal visit on the road to Damascus to change his mind. He had seen so much in Jerusalem, and it only confirmed to him that Jesus’ death was politically correct, and should be wiped from the earth. Not until he heard Christ’s words and lost his sight did he comprehend what he knew, and spoke of it openly:

And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But 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? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. (Acts 9:20-22)

Were we so changed by our own conversion experience that we speak of it to others?