(1986 Prairie Series) 5 - Church in Action — Major Ian Thomas

Well, thank you so much. I need hardly say that it's been a tremendous joy for me to be here with the with you these days. It's been a wonderful week and I want to thank you for the Tremendous fellowship that I personally have enjoyed as also Rick school who's been accompanying me.

He's the son of the director of our work in Sweden and he Acts as my mule. He sort of carries my baggage and writes my letters and Look, where are you Rick? There is. Stay up. Thank you very much. He's bumped into a quite a lot of folks here and I'm thankful for his tremendous help.

He records the messages and takes care of all kinds of other things and does his best to keep me out of mischief. With no great success. I have a fantastic wife. Her name is Joan and she comes from the north of Ireland.

The Christian Life and Divine Purpose

I thank God for her for seven years before I met her. Because I was so busy engaged, you know traveling all around the British Isles that I didn't have time to look for a wife. So I just said Lord We're created in Christ unto good works Which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

Which means quite obviously that if I'm to have a wife in your divine purpose, it's already settled in heaven. You've already made the decision. There are no issues for you to face. The only thing is I don't know where she is, but you do and that's really all I need to know.

If I'm to have a wife, of course, if I'm not to have a wife, then it doesn't matter too much. I Mean if you want me to go to South America, you know float down the Amazon get eaten by crocodiles. I probably don't need a wife unless she's going to get eaten at the same time.

But the thing was That by circumstances that I won't bother to tell you I landed in her home. And we saw each other about three times before we got married. Because you see the world was at war and I didn't have time.

So it was a very brief courtship and very inexpensive because all my letters were paid for by the British government being in the army but We spent about five months together during the first five and a month five and a half years of our married life.

In the service of king and country. We've improved a little bit on that not an awful lot but She really has been fantastic totally identified in the ministry that God was pleased to entrust to us heavily involved and We seek to get together now and again.

I'll see her tomorrow for a few days and we commute around the world and you know make a date sometime where we're going to meet and We're both delighted at the incredible privilege that God has given to us to be Separated so often from each other in his service.

She writes to me and says when there's no blessing come home. Trouble is there's always blessing. But It's wonderful, isn't it to have a wife so completely identified and I rejoice in all the rich ministry that God has given to her.

She's just come back from England a couple of days ago and we have four children and all our sons are boys and Sometimes you can't tell these days, but mine are. My wife accepted Christ when she was seven years of age and my oldest boy Chris I'm happy to say he accepted Christ when he was seven years of age.

His catapult broke and he came if you know what a catapult is. It's an engine of war. You know elastic and a piece of paper or even a stone. Magnificent if the teachers back his turn. Because he doesn't know where it's coming from.

But his broke and so in the process of mending it for him I talked to him about the Lord Jesus and that's when he received Christ. Well, he's in his early 40s. Now some you may know he married Cliff Barrow's oldest daughter Bonnie and They have three little boys and they live in Ravencrest Chalet, which is my home to in Colorado Estes Park and Mark and Peter the next two boys.

They received the Lord Jesus when they were five and Mark today. He directs our international headquarters in England Cape and Ray. Peter has a sort of World Parish he directs the Spring school, which is our fall school in New Zealand until Christmastime then he organizes Evangelistic camps and then operates at our Center in Australia.

Then shoots back usually through the United States and Canada stopping at some of our centers on this part of the world. Before going back to lead our spring school in England. Maybe takes an evangelistic team all over the British Isles before returning to New Zealand.

So he has rather a wide parish and He's just come back from Israel my fourth boy. He's now 21 you'd hardly believe that two years ago I still had a teenager. He was three years on our maintenance staff in England, but is with us at this moment in Colorado getting more experience in construction.

So that he too can be part of the team. We're so delighted that they're all as excited as we are about the Lord Jesus and we thank God for these boys so. That's of course been a source of real joy to our hearts.

I was converted as I told you last night at the ripe old age of 12 Peter the last boy he was only four all the family were away at that time save he and myself and Much to my surprise at the end of the evening meeting.

He said we ought to pray and read the Bible. Well, that was a pretty smart suggestion and surprised me somewhat. He hadn't shown too much evidence of being particularly pious at that age. So I took him on my knee and we read a few verses from the Bible and I explained about the Lord Jesus coming to Live within you sharing his life every moment of every day.

But he couldn't do it until first having died that our sins might be forgiven. We invite him to come to be our Savior. Well, he listened very very care. I said, do you know the Lord Jesus lives inside you?

Or no. Wouldn't you like to? Well, he said yes, so we pray together and I deliberately didn't say anything to his mother. They always had a little devotion, of course at night and I thought if this is truly of God's Holy Spirit Life will be manifest and sure enough that evening.

He blurted it out. He said Jesus lives in my tummy. Well, that's the inside for a small boy. I'm happy to tell you that his theology has risen by about 15 inches. And now he knows where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.

Torchbearers and Worldwide Christian Training

So that's been a great joy for us Torchbearers. Well God laid this upon our hearts when I returned from World War two. And a beautiful place up in the northwest of England 170 acres of lovely parkland near the English Lake District about 70 miles south of Scottish border 150 miles say from Glasgow 60 160 from Edinburgh beautiful location and We've had about a hundred and twenty five thousand young folks staying with us there.

But it's sort of buddied out into different parts of the world so that we have two in Austria two in Switzerland one in Spain Switzerland France and in Austria and Here in the United States in Colorado there in Estes Park in Texas between San Antonio and Kerrville and a beautiful location on Thetis Island in the Straits of Georgia between Vancouver and Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island and In Australia and we have a school as I indicated in New Zealand and now a new one that we've just established in Indonesia between Jakarta and Bandung up in the mountains we have many schools in places like Malaysia Burma and Hong Kong and We thank God for these delightful opportunities.

There's a jungle base 150 miles from Bangalore in India elephants and all and That's a marvelous opportunity to reach out to the countless millions of that needy country 700 million as all of you know, I'm sure and 70 living them in little villages so many of which they're in particular where we are in the jungle utterly pagan but they reach out to those needy people for whom the Lord Jesus died and we have a an administrative headquarters and Bible school outreach in Manila in the Philippines and we're just about to establish a new base in Japan and The object of course is Bible camp ministry so that thousands of kids can come and be confronted with the total claims of the Lord Jesus.

Having come to Christ as a boy in a boy's camp needless to say that's very much laid on my heart and so we've ministered to these young folks all over the world and Then as a an offspring as it were of the Bible camp ministry the short-term non-vocational Bible schools and Every winter we have about 800 students in residence from about 30 different countries in these different locations.

And then a couple of hundred added to that during the spring and summertime in special shorter term Bible school. So that about a thousand students 18 years and age and upwards come and participate in that Bible school program not a vocational training.

We're simply teaching Christians what it means to be a Christian. You see if you produce preachers, you're not necessarily produce Christians, but if you produce Christians you always produce preachers so that's more economical, so we do it that way around and we thank God for the thousands of young folk that come and some of them have been here this week and Some are in residence now of course during our spring school.

The Autobahn Encounter and the Birth of New Centers

You may say How do you start these centers? Well, it's very simple all you have to do some 30 years ago is drive down an Autobahn in the south of Germany. With a somewhat loaded car and a lot of baggage.

I had my wife with me and if you have your wife with you always have a lot of baggage, and then you see a boy hitchhiking and You're strongly Sort of Desirous of picking him up. But you look at the car and you feel the springs and you know how many people are aboard and you harden your heart and drive On but about 300 yards later.

You're strongly impelled to go back and pick him up. Because you see that boy Who lived near Hamburg had a deep desire in his heart to know Jesus Christ, but didn't know how? What do you think God does when he sees a boy on the side of the road?

Who Wants to become a Christian, but nobody's told him exactly how to become a Christian. It's very simple. God watches all the cars going by until he sees one with a Christian in. And then he says stop pick him up in the if the drivers too stupid.

Too idle too much of a hurry or thinks the cars too laden that he drives on then 300 yards late. He shouts a little louder. I'm glad I heard the second shot. Went back picked him up took him to the place where dear friends were allowing us to spend the night in their home.

And they graciously gave him accommodation and that night Peter accepted Christ. He was raised from the dead. He became a partaker of the divine nature the Lord Jesus came to invade his humanity. Exactly what it means to be a Christian a living finger on the hand of God.

Marvelous. Well, he came to our home point of fact and was with us five years, and we gave him a wife. I Mean you can't do much more than lead a boy to Christ give him his training introduce him to his wife.

And then give him a job. I mean apart from burying him. That's about all you can do. But you know before that as a teenager boy. He went up to His home and led one of his school chums to Christ. Well that boy went to Bible school met a sweet Spanish girl and as a result of that he now directs our Center in Spain on the Mediterranean coast near Valencia then Peter came first to Capernaum and then Having been deeply impressed with the need of the young folks in Austria he went on assignment on our staff to a place called Schladming and We seconded him to a Lutheran Church where God first marvelously used him amongst the young folks.

Now we have a beautiful old castle built a thousand years ago, which we've dusted and Rehabilitated and thousands of kids have been there, but in the meantime while he was in Schladming There was a knock on the door and a boy came with a letter from his mom and dad who were Lutheran Christians.

And they said we understand in this letter that you're a German young man come to Austria to lead boys and girls to Christ. Well We have four sons and none of them are converted, so we're sending out all this boy amps with this letter.

Please lead him to Christ. Well that was a nice invitation so right there on the doorstep. He led him to Christ now Ernst in the meantime went back later and let his three younger brothers to Christ and his mother to Christ.

He's just come back after five years in Micronesia the islands off the mainland of Indonesia. But having led his three brothers to Christ the older of those three boys when he was still a teenager came to one of our summer conferences and Then hitchhiked back through England France Germany to Austria.

Now in the meantime of course Peter Had become the director of that big castle there in upper Austria Schloss Klaus. So now we've got two centers just because a kid was standing on the side of the road you see now in the meantime.

While that boy his the older of his three younger brothers was hitchhiking back through England France Germany and Austria. He stayed overnight in a youth hostel in Paris and while he was in that youth hostel he met a Buddhist student from Japan and Being you see a living member of the body of Jesus Christ his lips gave utterance to what the Lord Jesus had to say to that Buddhist student learned that he wanted to go to England he was sort of Hitchhiking around the world and so that young Austrian boy said if you go to England call it capon ray which was pretty smart.

Because he knew what would hit him. Once he got there, and it did. We were building a new conference hall. And he worked and got so interested asked whether he could stay another three months and did during which time he accepted the Lord Jesus.

He came through our Bible school. I had the joy of baptizing him in the lake at Cape and rain England he went to Bible training institute in Glasgow and He now is our national director in Japan and it has just purchased some land so then we can establish a new center in that Country.

You see it's so simple all you have to do is pick up a kid about 33 years ago on an autobahn in Germany. You see lead him to Christ. He leads somebody to Christ who establishes the center in Spain. He leads his three younger brothers to Christ one of whom hitchhikes through England Germany.

Paris leads a Buddhist Japanese boy to come to England to find Christ so we can have another center in Japan. Isn't it simple. I. Mean could you organize that I? Mean could you sit down in committee and see you know plan it all happen.

Of course you couldn't. You see the Lord Jesus said out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water and the beautiful. But think about a river is it flows. You can't push it. Nor can you channelize it.

If you do if you want it to flow in a certain direction. You've got to dig the channel then it isn't a river. It's a canal. That's man-made. And it's always changing course. It's always unique. You can never keep it the same shape.

If you want to keep a river the same shape you've got to freeze it. But then you haven't got a river. You've only got a block of ice. The best thing to do is let it flow and cut its own channel and over all these years.

Since 1947 God has been cutting the channel and all over the world circling the globe. Today we have 17 centers with thousands of kids boys girls men and women so that they might be Introduced to that living dynamic relationship to the Lord Jesus that allows him to be God in the man.

Well, that's just a little panoramic view of what we call torch-bearing nothing nothing gnarled about it nothing unique. There are countless other Agencies that God has been pleased to bring into being and we enjoy the sweetest fellowship with such and it's our privilege being interdenominational interorganizational and international simply to be a fellowship that serves as Best God would have us know the interests of every true believer worldwide, and that's our privilege to serve others.

From the Resurrection to Spirit-Empowered Witness

What we've been talking about the Christian life in these days. Especially as it was evidenced in that early group of believers. Men remember who were incorrigibly happy utterly unafraid and nearly always in trouble.

We knew what they believed believe what they knew acting on the assumption that it was true and let God prove it. Who were sent and when? But they weren't always that way and we have been discussing that for the last couple of nights.

Something had to happen to get them out of Matthew 16 into Acts chapter 5. Matthew 16 forbidden by the Lord Jesus to tell anybody that he Jesus was the Christ yet. Acts chapter 5. Though beaten and flogged forbidden to say anything in his name.

Rejoicing that they were allowed to suffer shame for Jesus. They ceased not to teach and preach that Jesus was the Christ. What was it that made the difference? The resurrection the resurrection. After a death at first they did not want a Resurrection in which at first they had not believed.

But in rediscovering the Lord Jesus as he appeared to them in the upper room. They've got a new joy new Bible new message. New responsibility and a new enabling. Now said the Lord Jesus I'm going to lift the prohibition and you're going to be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.

But before you embark upon those new responsibilities tarry in the city of Jerusalem. Because I haven't yet returned to be with my father so that I can come in the in the person of my other self the Holy Spirit and Occupy your humanity as that new body.

The father is going to give me so that your hands will be mine to work with your feet mine to walk with your lips mine to speak with eyes to see with ears to hear with hearts to love with remember. That's the Christian life.

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch: The Church in Action

Well, how did it work out? Well, I thought we might dance at that just for a few minutes tonight. Turn to Acts chapter 8 the church in action. The church which is his body. Chapter 8 verse 1 Saul was consenting to the death of Stephen.

Stood by bare saw his blood run in the gutter heard his bones snap as he was stoned to death and Saul as for him verse 3 he made havoc of the church. Entering into every house and hailing men and women he committed them to jail.

Which of course was the very best thing that could possibly have happened for the early church. Because at that stage they were tempted to settle down and get comfy, but that wasn't the purpose which they had been redeemed.

Because God didn't send his son simply to come into this world that men might get out of hell and into heaven. But that he our risen Lord Jesus might get out of heaven into them that they indeed might be that humanity in which he would continue to do that which he had begun to do and Teach that which he had begun to teach as he came to seek and to save that which is lost.

And it was never his intention that the church should get comfortable in Jerusalem. So he put a cat among the pigeons. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them.

What's the difference between preaching the word and preaching Christ? Well, no difference. We saw that last evening there's no dichotomy between the written word and the living word or between the living word and the written word.

That was the mistake the theologians made they detached the written word from the living word and that Remember from last night was the mistake that the disciples made they detached the living word from the written word and for that reason to the Theologians the Bible didn't make sense and other cycles Jesus didn't make sense.

But now you see the Lord Jesus having opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures whether they preach the word or they preach Christ it was one of the same thing. They knew they couldn't preach the word without preaching Christ and then you they couldn't preach Christ without preaching the word.

And Philip in Samaria was marvelously owned of God as he bore testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus is one who laid down his life that we might be reconciled to God know the power of his divine indwelling and there was Great joy verse 8 in that city.

And then when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord verse 25 They returned to Jerusalem and they preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. In other words after that great citywide crusade in Samaria they had subsidiary campaigns and the villages around and by this time, of course Philip's name made news.

And everybody was out to hear the great preacher Citywide evangelist and then verse 26 the angel of the Lord Spake under Philip saying arise and go go toward the south. Unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is Desert to the citywide evangelist whose name made news.

The Spirit of God Came to give instructions. From the head to a member of his body. I want you to get on a donkey and go for a ride in the desert. And of course many of us at that stage would have been tempted to argue.

What do you think? I'm gonna do in the desert. I'm the citywide evangelist. I Mean nobody knows me in the in the desert, but around here everybody knows me. They all come up to hear me preach what I'm gonna do in the desert.

Who do you a bunch of goats. But you see Philip didn't argue. Why didn't he argue? Very simple. He was a man being filled with the Holy Spirit. Oh, you say, how do you know he was filled with the Spirit?

Well, the answer to that is equally simple. It tells you in the next verse when God said go he arose and Went. In other words he was sent and when what happens when you're sent and when you put and if you know who sent you know who put you and it's God who sent you and God who put you nothing can frighten you and You don't even bother to ask questions.

Because you realize now there are no Decisions for you to make as A living healthy robust full-blooded member of the body of Christ. There are only instructions to obey so he went a donkey ride in the desert and as he arose and went behold a man of Ethiopian eunuch of great authority under Candacy Queen of the Ethiopians who had the charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem.

But a worship was returning and sitting in his chat reading of all things in the middle of the desert. The prophecy of Isaiah and the spirit then said to Philip go near join yourself to that chariot and Philip ran.

He had to run. Otherwise, he'd have missed his text. But he arrived dead on taste. What do you think? What do you think in the middle of the desert an Ethiopian? Unit was reading Chancellor Licks Trekker a man of great authority under Queen Candacy.

What do you think? He was reading says verse 32 the place of the scripture which he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter like a lamb dumb before his shearers who opened in on his mouth in his Humiliation his judgment was taken away who shall declare his generation?

His life is taken from the earth the gospel according to Isaiah. The man of sorrows and acquainted with grief the cost of our peace laid upon him. By whose stripes we healed said Philip to the eunuch.

Verse 30 understand. Is that what thou readest? He said how can I? Accept some man should guide me. I need a voice. I Need somebody to tell me Said the eunuch to Philip verse 34. I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet this is he talking about himself?

Or is he talking about some other man? Say what a fantastic opportunity to fill it there in the middle of the desert. All the God said to him was get on a donkey and go for a ride in the desert. No other instructions.

God didn't tell him why and Philip Didn't even have to know he only had to go when God sent him with a hilarious expectation of Something that would happen that would be to God's total satisfaction. That's how we know that he was a man being filled with the Holy Spirit Of our Lord Jesus, we're told Luke chapter 4 and verse 1 Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit Was led by the Spirit into the desert.

The evidence that our Lord Jesus every moment of every day from the moment of Conception was being filled with the Holy Ghost was that he was told by his father what to do and did at all times. What he was told I?

Do only those things that please him. So Philip verse 35 and we were discussing this over lunch one or two of us. This is one of the most magnificent lectures on homiletics. You could find anywhere. Said the unit to Philip of whom speaketh the man this so Philip verse 35 Opened his mouth, and that's the best thing to do if you're going to say something you think it's very elementary.

But a lot of true Christians need to learn how to open their mouths, but remember this only open your mouth if you've got something to say when the disciples before they wanted the cross or dared to believe in the resurrection with all their Enthusiasm wanted to serve Christ.

He said keep your mouth shut. Because they didn't know what it was all about. But now you see Philip with the others. Have rediscovered the Lord Jesus in the fullness and power of his resurrection as the one whom they crucified.

But God raised from the dead began at the same scripture. And preached unto him Jesus. He had come from one of our liberal Theological seminaries today he'd have probably apologized for the prophecy of Isaiah, and he probably said well.

You know there are at least seven different theories about its authorship, and we're not absolutely certain that it's authentic. Fat lot of use of he he would have been in the dead. But then you see he never would have received the instructions to go beginning at the self same scripture.

He preached unto him Jesus. Because these are they. That testify said the Lord Jesus of me. He was wonderfully saved almost took Philip's breath away. As they were on their way they came to a certain water and no doubt Philip had explained that the beautiful picture then as now Of our identity with the Lord Jesus as those judicially executed in the person of another is to go beneath the water testifying to the world.

I want you to know that the person I Was and you have known me to be. In all my sin and need has been buried with Christ. And I give you public notice that you can say goodbye to the person. You knew me to be.

And when you come out from the water no doubt Philip would explain to the eunuch in this beautiful picture. Of what happens when a person on the grounds of redemption enjoys that spiritual? Regeneration that puts God back into the man.

When you come up into the water you're testifying to the world. That you being identified with Christ in death. He now the risen Lord has come to share his life with you and you share his resurrection.

And you give public notice to the world mom dad brothers sisters school chums fellow students workmates fellow drivers. My associates in the office my customers and clients. I give you public notice that the person I used to be you can consider buried and now you have the absolute right in that I have shared the resurrection of my Lord Jesus to expect of my hands what he would do to expect from my Lips to hear what he would say and to expect with my legs to see him going where he wants.

That's baptism. That's baptism. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless nevertheless I live here not I. Christ lives in me, so I give you public right to see Christ behave. That's a Christian because remember a Christian is somebody who cannot possibly happen apart from Jesus Christ.

Well while he was explaining this they came across some water and said the the eunuch to the to Philip. He said what hinders me to be baptized. Well Philip said If you believe with all your heart. Of course you may.

Well he answered and said of course I believe I Believe that this Jesus you've been telling about is the Christ the Son of God. I was just waiting for somebody to come and tell me what that meant. Fantastic.

Say how hard was it for Philip to lead that man to Christ. Well. He couldn't help it. I Mean did he need an all-night prayer meeting to twist God's arm to bestow some blessing upon that. Well of course not.

I mean if he in the middle of the desert asked God to bless that man. God is so what do you think. I put You there for that's why I told you to get on the donkey and go for a ride. Because I've come to seek and to say that which is lost.

This man went all the way to Jerusalem to find God and found Nothing, but sterile dead religion. But God doesn't leave a man in the lurch. He tells a healthy member of his body to get on a donkey and go for a ride in the desert.

It's so simple when they were come up out of the water the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. He came by donkey went back by air. And the eunuch saw him no more. He went on his way rejoicing. That was the church in action.

Ananias and Saul: Obedience to Christ's Direction

Say who organized it. Put Philip at that precise precise moment in time. In the place where he would encounter a man reading his Bible. All about a Savior who was wounded for his transgressions and with a heart hungry to know Who it could be and how he could know God who organized that.

Well the Lord Jesus you see he's the head of the body. And all he's asking of you and me men and women boys and girls who know that we have been redeemed in his precious blood. And that he's come by his Holy Spirit and well our humanity all He wants of us is our sensitivity to his direction so that we are told what to do.

And do as we're told. Be being filled With the Holy Spirit in the meantime. We're told chapter 9 and verse 1 soul breathing out threatenings and slaughtered against the disciples of the Lord. Went to the high priest desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues if he found any of this way.

Whether there were men or women he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. That's all of Tarsus arch enemy of the early church. Dangerous man, but on the way to Damascus. There was a light brighter than the Sun at noonday, and we discussed this on Wednesday night, and he was flung sightless to the ground heard a voice in the Hebrew tongue saying soul soul why?

Persecutest thou me. Who are you Lord? I'm Jesus. Whom thou persecuted. Hard for you to kick against the praise. Soul of Tarsus capitulated said he Lord. Verse 6 chapter 9. What wilt thou? Have me to do.

And the Lord Jesus said arise and go go into the city, and it shall be told you What thou must do? And he went. Ended up in the house of a man called Judas in a street called straight and. And verse 10 tells us that there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananas and to him said the Lord in a vision Ananas he said here.

I am Lord and the Lord said unto him arise and If you won one guess what do you think he said? Go go into the street, which is called straight and inquire in the house of Judas for one called soul of Tarsus behold He prayed he has seen in a vision a man named Ananas coming in and putting his hand on him.

Then he might receive his sight go. You see to Philip God said get in the donkey and go for a ride in the desert to Ananas one of his disciples another healthy member of the body of Christ on earth said he.

I Want you to knock on a door down the road a little house-to-house visitation. Well Ananas wasn't at first all that enthusiastic he said. Did you say soul of Tarsus. God said yes soul of Tarsus and imagine Ananas said are you sure you got the name, right?

God said yes, I've got the name, right? Well, are you sure I'm the best person to go I? Mean would you have been all that enthusiastic to knock on the door where you knew soul of Tarsus arch enemy of the early church.

With letters of authority to throw into jail everybody who dared to name the name of Jesus. Would you have been all that enthusiastic and Ananas answered verse 13 Lord? I've heard by many of this man how much evil you have done he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem here.

He hath authority from the chief priest to bind all that call in your mind on your name. And you want you want me to knock on that man's door, right? Get on the Lord said go thy way. He's a chosen vessel unto me the last person Ananas.

Maybe you would ever have supposed would become a Christian, but he's a chosen vessel unto me. To bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel for I will show him how great things he must suffer.

For my name's sake I haven't offered him health wealth prosperity or anything else. I've just recognized the deep longing of his heart in his fanatical pursuit of religion. Doing it with the utmost sincerity thinking misguidedly that he was serving God.

I hated what he was doing, but I loved his motive and Knew that if only he could come face to face With truth he'd obey him and did so go. I said Go and Ananas stopped arguing. Do you know why? He was a man being filled with the Holy Spirit, how do we know that?

What tells in the next verse 17 Ananas. When that's what it means to be being filled with the Holy Spirit. That's what it means to be a healthy member of the body of Christ exactly what you expect of your hands.

When you tell them to do something you expect them to do it. If you want to eat your food you tell your hands to pick up the knife and fork and they do. Well, what do you expect? What would you anticipate the Lord Jesus would expect of us when we dare to say?

I'm a Christian a member of his body. Subject to his headship sharing his life. He dwelling within me. That's humanity. The father has presented to him on earth today so that he can continue Through me to do his ancient work seeking and saving that which is lost won't you expect?