STRONG INFLUENCE
Scripture Reading - Acts 9:10-15 KJV
10 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.
11 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,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 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:
We notice in these verses of scripture that God “influenced” the decision of Ananias. This ministry of “influence” performed by the Lord Jesus is twofold. This means sometimes the Lord will “influence” your decisions and this also means that sometimes He will “influence” the decisions of others that affect you. The Great God Almighty has all power and infinite wisdom but He chooses to use His “influence” to do His Will upon the earth over His Dynamic Power (dunamis). The Lord would much rather have your complete cooperation and understanding than your awe and fear. God doesn’t use the force of intimidation when He is so good at loving all people all the time. In this example the disciple Ananias didn’t know the potential of Saul of Tarsus. The only thing Ananias knew about Saul was that he was an evil man who sought to hurt his fellow brethren. This knowledge was accurate up until Saul was converted into a Christian which always happens the exact moment we allow Jesus into our heart. This is the reason the article is entitled “Strong Influence” because just as your influence to encourage people is one thing but using your influence to stand against something is quite a different matter. It takes “strength” to stand against something whereas it only takes agreement to stand for something. Not only did God use His “influence” to stand against Ananias thoughts but He also used His “Strong Influence” to have Ananias do something that was against his previous will and against his better judgment from the natural standpoint. We all know that some people would think Ananias to be strange to come help a persecutor of all Christians but that is exactly what the Lord told him to do. This is encouraging because we can clearly see when one prays God is willing to move Heaven and Earth to answer that prayer. Ananias is mentioned as a disciple, not a prophet, priest or pastor so we can understand that God can speak to whosoever. Yes, there are even other examples in the Holy Bible where God “strongly influenced” unbelievers to do His Will when they didn’t even realize it. Remember the golden scepter being extended to Queen Esther in the Old Testament Book of Esther 5:1-3 and how the Lord used an unbelieving deputy of Corinth, named Gallio, to give the Apostle Paul liberty to preach in Corinth without physical harm in Acts 18:9-18. The point is God’s “Strong Influence” is not limited to just saints, no God’s “Strong Influence” reaches both saint and sinner to accomplish His Will. So please understand when it comes to the matters of the heart you are in God’s territory, so be open to God’s “influence” whether soft or strong and by faith keep believing that His “Strong Influence” is always working mightily on your behalf. Amen!