IntElecS
Infinite Never-ending Trinity Everlasting Lord Excellent Christ Savior

Once a small company that served control systems, now a couple that serves the All Powerful God.

To navigate the pages for this site, Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select the page you want to view.  Some pages have sub-pages as the seven sayings series so you must be on that page to scroll down and pick its sub-pages.

All of life's answers are found in His book.

Street Called Straight

Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is ta chosen vessel unto me, uto bear my name before xthe Gentiles, and ykings, and the children of Israel:[1]

I.   Chosen

     A. Carry

     B. Convey

II. Chaff

     A. Commoners

     B. Kings

III. Children

     A. Connected

     B. Community

Introduction:  Jesus appeared unto many during the forty days prior to His ascension while He was here in His glorified body.  He appeared to some even afterwards.  The Acts of the Apostles was placed in order of the Bible just after the four gospel accounts.  It is supposed Luke who wrote the gospel account of Luke also authored Acts.  It is also supposed that Luke was a physician who accompanied Paul on his mission trips.

Before Paul was known as Paul he was known as Saul.  Saul was a Pharisee who thought that his purpose was to fight against the “new” movement called the “Way.” Saul even held the coat that belonged to one of the first deacons and encouraged the mob as they killed Stephen.

Acts 7:57, “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him uout of the city, and xstoned him: and ythe witnesses zlaid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And xthey stoned Stephen, acalling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, breceive my spirit. 60 And he ckneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, dLord, elay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, fhe fell asleep.” [2]

Acts 8:1 simply says, “And aSaul was bconsenting unto his death.” [3]  Devout men carried Stephen’s body to his burial.  Then in Acts 8:3, “As for Saul, hhe made havock of the church, entering into every house, and ihaling men and women committed them to prison.” [4]

We see that in Acts 8:4 the actions Saul and his comrades caused the church to be scattered.  Next is the account of Philip in Samaria where he preached and made converts to Christ.  Peter and John followed Philip.  They laid hands on the new Christians who received the Holy Spirit.

God indeed worked good into the bad that was done to Stephen.  New Christians were converted.  The church was scattered while word was spread far and wide about this guy Saul.  Surely no Christian in their right mind would give Saul or his group the time of day.  At the end of Acts 8 we find the miracle of Philip being caught up and found at Azotus but what happened to Saul?

In Acts 9 Saul shows up again.  This time he went to the high priest for a letter of passage to Damascus where he would drag Christians to Jerusalem for trial and punishment.  Jesus knows what is happening to His church.  Never forget that!  Take comfort in that!

Scripture:  The scripture today is Isaiah Acts 9:15.  Please stand if you’re able.

Prayer:  Let us pray.  Be seated.

Message:  Let’s go back to Acts 9:3B to see how we got to this Street Called Straight, “suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, fand heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou gme? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus gwhom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, hwhat wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, iArise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.” [5] 

The ones who were with Saul took him into Damascus where for the next three days he was blind and didn’t eat or drink.

Acts 9:10-16, "mAnd there was a certain disciple at dDamascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in na vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of oTarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in na vision a man named Ananias coming in, and pputting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, qhow much evil he hath done to thy rsaints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all sthat call on thy name. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is ta chosen vessel unto me, uto bear my name before xthe Gentiles, and ykings, and the children of Israel: 16 For zI will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake."

The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 9:10–16). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.

  A disciple named Ananias was minding his own business and trying to stay out of trouble.  God called Ananias and gave him a mission to use the gifts given to him by the Holy Spirit.  He was to use the gift of healing.  Notice that Ananias had no choice who he would heal.  When God gives us something that we are to use for His purpose and we decide for ourselves their worthiness for the purpose to receive the blessing, it is no longer God’s purpose.  If you are truly a Christian you serve as God serves through you.  It is not you asking God to approve your ministry.  It is His ministry.  Be amazed that God approves of you.

Ananias argued with God.  But that was OK because God gave Ananias an explanation that we still have today.  Sometimes we don’t understand.  Sometimes we question.  At the end of the matter we trust God and God makes all things good when He calls and we go.

Jesus told Ananias to go.  Ananias was chosen for that task.  Jesus told Ananias that Saul was chosen to hold onto the truth that Jesus is Lord.  Saul would carry his witness of Christ and would convey that truth to us.  We may possibly have some Jewish blood in us, but Orthodox Jews didn’t even consider Samaritans good enough to be saved and Samaritans were a mixed race with Jewish blood.  Gentiles and even royalty were not in the same community as God’s children. 

When the Israelites begged for a king, those kings did to them as God warned them.  The Jews were forced into bondage by kings.  Commoners and kings were the chaff that was burned away to get to that which was worth harvesting.  Saul was chosen to carry the truth of Jesus and convey Him to us who were considered as chaff by the children of Israel.

By the way; when did Saul become Paul?  Way down in chapter thirteen Barnabas and Saul are in Cyprus where they were going to see a deputy named Sergius Paulus.  A magician named Elymas confronted them.  Sergius had called for Barnabas and Saul because He wanted to hear about God.  Ironically that sorcerer Elymas was attempting to persuade Sergius away from failth in God.  In verse nine Saul is referred to parenthetically as Paul for the first time, “Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) cfilled with the Holy Ghost, dset his eyes on him, 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all emischief, fthou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to gpervert the hright ways of the Lord?” [6]

It is ironic that a guy named Paulus was anxiously waiting for Saul to be Paul.  Last time I checked Cyprus is an island off Greece.  Paul carried the gospel of Jesus to the Greeks, Gentiles like us.  He confronted someone who was attempting to confuse the faith as he, Saul,  had been doing when Jesus met him on the Damascus road.  Now he would be remembered as Paul, apostle to the Gentiles.

We must not forget; Paul or previous Saul was a Jew who was born into Roman citizenship.  Jesus told Ananias that this Paul would be a vessel to bear His name to the Gentiles and kings, and Paul would also bear Jesus’ name to the Jews; the children of Israel.  Even to those Jewish Christians who he would have killed before his conversion.

Paul was one of the children of Israel.  He was a Jew.  He was connected to the community.  We hear that word community quite a bit today.  To be in community with each other is to be a part of a larger group.  We observe communion on the fifth Sunday of the months.  It is supposed to be a good thing.

Today the word community has a different meaning.  If someone says they are a member of an ethnic community and you are not; that is a form of segregation.  It is what this nation fought against.  It is what people died to end.

Community should be an inclusive idea.  We are His community whether we have different ethnic backgrounds or skin colors or were born into a family with both a mom and a dad.  God confronted Paul so that He would bring Jesus to the community of the world.

Do you realize that people are afraid of you?  They are!  Christians serve as a reminder of something greater than anything in this world.  People are being led to believe that there is nothing greater than themselves.  We Christians are a threat to that idea.

Saul went from a threat to the church to a threat for the church.  Christians were not afraid of Paul anymore.  Other people were afraid of what Paul stood for.  He threatened their ideas so they tried to shut him up and shut him away.  He spent the last years of his earthly life in prison instead of taking those early Christians to prison.  That is irony.  Saul was there when Stephen saw Jesus standing next to His Father in heaven.  Now we will see Paul in heaven.  Are you Saul or are you Paul?  Can you be found on a street called straight?

Prayer:  Let us pray

Invitation:  A straight line is said to be the shortest distance between two points.  Jesus is that line.  He is the only line.  There are many crooked ways that don’t lead to God.  To see them, simply turn on whatever electronic device you feel like and there is the crooked way.  None of them lead to God.

Since Jesus came to earth there have been more and more people disclaiming Him.  In truth we can look at almost any character in the Bible and see our self.  We are quick to judge and slow to forgive.  God will use the sinner!  That is a fact!  Otherwise there would be nobody to use.

Ananias was no different than Jonah.  He didn’t want to trust that man Saul.  He surely didn’t want to go and lay hands on Saul so that Saul’s vision would be restored.  Ananias was done with Saul.  Jesus had another plan.  Thank you Jesus for having another plan for me.

How about you?  Does God have a different plan for you too?  Does Jesus have a different plan for that one that you refuse to touch?  Straighten it out with Jesus.  The invitation today is one of reconsideration.  Is there that one in your acquaintance that you have written off?  When is the last time you asked Jesus to help you reconsider your opinion?  Maybe it’s today.  Hatred can only be quenched with love.  Consider as we sing…



t Comp. Rom. 9:22, 23 (Gk.).
u So ch. 13:2. & 22:15, 21. & 26:17. Rom. 1:1. 1 Cor. 15:10. Gal. 1:15. & 2:9. Eph. 3:7.
x Rom. 1:5 (Gk.). & 11:13. & 15:16. Gal. 1:16. & 2:7–9. Eph. 3:8. 1 Tim. 2:7. 2 Tim. 1:11. & 4:17.
y ch. 25:22, 23. & 26:1, 32.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 9:15). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
u See Num. 15:35. So Matt. 21:39. Luke 4:29.
x Lev. 24:16.
y ch. 6:13. Comp. Deut. 13:9, 10. & 17:7. ch. 8:1. & 22:20.
z ch. 22:20. So ch. 8:1.
x Lev. 24:16.
a See ch. 9:14. Wisd. 7:7.
b So Ps. 31:5.
c Mark 15:19 (Gk.). Luke 22:41. ch. 9:40. & 20:36. & 21:5.
d See Matt. 5:44.
e Matt. 26:15 (Gk.). So Num. 12:11.
f See Matt. 27:52.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 7:57–60). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
a ch. 7:58.
b ch. 22:20. See Rom. 1:32 marg.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 8:1). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
h So ch. 9:1, 13, 21. & 22:4, 19. & 26:9–11. 1 Cor. 15:9. Gal. 1:13. Phil. 3:6. 1 Tim. 1:13.
i Luke 12:58 (Engl.). Comp. James 2:6.
[4] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 8:3). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
f 1 Cor. 15:8.
g Zech. 2:8.
g Zech. 2:8.
h See Luke 3:10.
i Comp. Ezek. 3:22.
[5] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 9:3–6). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c ch. 4:8.
d See Luke 4:20.
e So ch. 18:14 (Gk.).
f See Matt. 13:38.
g Mic. 3:9. So ver. 8 (Gk.). Luke 23:2.
h Hos. 14:9.
[6] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ac 13:9–10). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.