HAVE YOU ALREADY “FALLEN FROM THE HORSE”?

Acts 9: 1-29

1 And Saul, still breathing threats and deaths against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest.

2 And he asked him for letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, so that if he found some of this Way, whether men or women, he would lead them prisoners to Jerusalem.

3 And as he was on the way, it came to pass that, as he approached Damascus, a bright light from the sky suddenly surrounded him.

4 And when he fell to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

5 And he said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Tough is for you to recalcitrate against the goads.

6 And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what do you want me to do? And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go into the city, and there you will be told what you should do.

7 And the men who were going with him stopped in amazement, hearing the voice, but seeing no one.

8 And Saul arose from the earth, and, opening his eyes, he saw no one. And, leading him by the hand, they led him to Damascus.

9 And he did not see for three days, and he neither ate nor drank.

10 And there was a certain disciple in Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias! And he replied: Here I am, Lord.

11 And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go to the street called Direita, and ask in Judas' house for a man from Tarsus named Saul; for, behold, he is praying;

12 And in a vision he saw that a man named Ananias came in, and he put his hand on him, that he might see again.

13 And Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;

14 And here you have the power of the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.

15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, because this is a chosen vessel for me to carry my name before the Gentiles, and the kings and children of Israel."

16 And I will show you how much you must suffer for my name.

17 And Ananias went and entered the house and, laying his hands on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the path where you were coming, sent me, that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

18 And immediately scales fell from his eyes, and he recovered his sight; and, getting up, he was baptized.

19 And when he had eaten, he was comforted. And Saul spent a few days with the disciples who were in Damascus.

20 And immediately in the synagogues he preached Christ, that he is the Son of God.

21 And all who heard him were astonished, and said, Is this not the one in Jerusalem who was persecuting those who called on this name, and that is why he came here, to take them prisoners to the chief priests?

22 Saul, however, tried harder, and confused the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that that was the Christ.

23 And after many days had passed, the Jews took counsel among themselves to kill him.

24 But his pitfalls came to Saul's knowledge; and how they guarded the doors, both day and night, so that they could take his life,

25 When the disciples took it at night, they lowered it, in a basket, over the wall.

26 And when Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he sought to join the disciples, but they all feared him, not believing that he was a disciple.

27 Then Barnabas, taking him with him, brought him to the apostles, and told them how on the way he had seen the Lord and spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

28 And he walked with them in Jerusalem, coming and going,

29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He also spoke and disputed against the Greeks, but they sought to kill him.

We find in the Bible the story of a young man who had to “fall off his horse”. He fell from his pride and pride to be a wonderful instrument in the Lord's hands. His name is Paulo de Tarso.

Paulo comes from the Latin Paulus, which means "small". He became small because he “fell off his horse”. Before, it was called “Saulo”, which means “anointed”. He knew the meaning of his name: and considered himself the "anointed himself". It was precisely because of spiritual pride that Saulo needed to “fall off the horse” of his self-sufficiency.

Saul was devastating the Church; he would enter the houses and drag men and women out to throw them in prison (Ac 8, 1b-3). Observe the fury of this young man. In fact, all of this happened because Paul allowed, from the day he saw the stoning of Stephen, that a great hatred invaded his heart. This led him to commit barbarities that are narrated in the Acts of the Apostles, for believing that he was doing the will of the Creator.

It was a loophole that he opened! And in his life, what gap has been opened? Perhaps the revolt against someone in your family, your father or your mother, grandmother; grandfather, uncle, brother, cousin, friend, acquaintance, an affective situation that made you feel rejected; feeling humiliated, physical or psychological abuse, unrestrained sexuality or drug use.

Anyway, the fact is that the breach created resentments in his heart, and Satan was able to enter it. And when he enters, he does a great deal of damage, as he did in Saulo. Jesus loves everyone, Saul was no exception. The Lord loved him, knew his heart. Jesus saw the damage that happened in his life, because he gave the enemy a breach, and he came with the power to rescue him.

In the Hebrew language, Jesus called him “anointed”: Saul. An "anointed one" could not act like Paul. But, to God, he was his chosen one, His anointed. At that moment, Saulo “fell off his horse”! And the Lord gave him an order: "Now, get up, enter the city, and there you will be told what to do" (Acts 9: 6).

That young man, who emanated threats and revolts, is caught by Jesus and is transformed when Ananias lays hands on him: he is filled with the Holy Spirit!

That same Jesus loves and knows you. He knows what breach you opened and the same love he had for Saul, he has for you. Saulo “fell” from his pride and, “falling to the ground, he heard a voice that said:‘ Saulo, Saulo, why are you persecuting me? ’” (Ac 9.4).

God wants to enter his life as he did in Saul's life, even if it is necessary to make you “fall off the horse”. You cannot go on with that kind of life. You are an elect, a chosen one, like Saul! What God has done, changing the course of Saul's life, wants to do with you. You just have to accept it!

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