According to Webster the word encounter means: “to come upon or meet with, unexpectedly, to meet with or contend against (difficulties, opposition). Therefore Divine is like or from a god, Supreme Being, addressed or devoted to God or a god. Put together it is safe to say that Saul had a “Divine Encounter”, with the Lord Jesus Christ whom He was persecuting at that time.
This is the most important event in human history apart from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the conversion of Saul of
Tarsus. If Saul had remain a Jewish Rabbi, we would be missing thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament and Christianity’s early major expansion, to the gentile. Saul’s
reputation as a ruthless persecutor of Christians preceded him to Damascus. Perhaps hearing that Saul was headed that way, Ananias mentally prepared himself to be hunted down,
arrested, imprisoned, and ultimately martyred for following the new movement called “The Way.” In any case, he was no doubt stunned by the Lord’s command to go and
meet this dangerous enemy face-to-face! His words of protest indicate great fear. But twice God commanded “Go and to his credit, Ananias-scared as he may have been
-went obediently to lay hands on Saul that he might receive the Holy Spirit, and to baptize him. As a result he witnessed the spiritual birth of early Christianity greatest spokesperson.
Ananias is quite hesitant about going to meet Paul. He has heard reports about him and knows that he comes to Damascus with authority, from the chief priests to arrest Christians. We too like Ananias are afraid; embarrass, reluctant to tell other about our relationship with Christ. We are fearful of sounding to religious, to self-righteous, to fanatical, and no one wants to be talked about or called name, we do not want to be put in categories, we do not want to be labeled. Sometime God will have you do some strange things, like telling Ananias to go and pray for a man who has orders to kill the Christian those who belong to God. God might tell you to go and pray for sis so and so and you might have had a beef with her, you tell God I know you do not want me to pray for her, you know what she did to me; you know what she said about me, but that the very person God want you to pray for.
Saul before his conversion had a zeal, for getting rid of all those who was worshipping this man called Jesus. So he thought he was doing God a favor, for according to him they were not serving nor worshipping the true God. This was an act of ignorance in unbelief. Therefore, when He was called by the Lord his answer was; “who are you Lord”? Nevertheless he received a divine disclosure in a clear reply “I Am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Saul is having a “Divine Encounter” with Jesus of Nazareth, the risen Lord who has been raised from the dead! The Son of man, whose sitting at the right hand of God the Father; Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Alpha and the Omega, Jesus the Lamb who was slained from the foundation of the world; Jesus the Wonderful Counselor; The mighty God, Je the little boy who at thirteen was in the temple astounding the high priests with His wisdom. Jesus who says to His mother I must be about my Father’s business; Jesus the Bright and Morning Star; Jesus the prefect sacrifice; the one who is worthy to open the book of life; Jesus the one who love you so much that He gave His life that we might have life in all its abundant.
To have a divine encounter is to be converted, which means that we moves from self -centered independence to dependence on the Lord and interdependence with fellow disciples. Being born-again means being born into the family of God, the Church. To have a divine encounter means we are change, we are not the same as we were before our conversion. Like Saul our agenda change, our purpose change, our appetite change, our mind change for the Bible says “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2: 5) Through-out the bible everyone who had a divine encounter was never the same, therefore when we have a divine encounter we too are not the same.
When we have a divine encounter with our savior it is our obligation, it is a debt we owe to God to have an answer of the hope that is in us. We are obligate to let others know that we are Christians, because we are called by His name, They will know that we are Christians because we love the brethren, we are to let others know, that we are walking in the way, we are not to be ashamed of the Gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who have faith. (Roman 1: 16a) When we have had a divine encounter with our savior we like Ananias we will go when we don’t want to go, we will say what thus says the Lord, we will do even if no one else is doing, we will give when we don’t want to give, when we have question for we are giving as unto the lord and not to man. We must like Ananias; God but, this man is persecuting the Christians, God says go and do as I say, for he’s going to be great in the kingdom. God is saying, because of the personal encounter you have with me “go and do as I say, for the person will be great in doing kingdom work, but God needs to use you. A Divine Encounter .
