“Opened Eyes”

 “Opened Eyes”

 

“I want you to open their eyes, so they will turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.  Then their sins will be forgiven and by faith in Me they will become part of God’s Holy People.”   Acts 26:18

 

The Apostle Paul was at one time a STRONG PERSECUTOR of the TRUE BELIEVERS of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.   BUT all of that CHANGED and Paul went from being a STRONG PERSECUTOR to being a STRONG WITNESS to the GENTILES (non-Jews).  This was quite a TRANSFORMATION for Paul, and it literally OPENED his EYES to the TRUTH of the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST.

You see, Paul had an ENCOUNTER with JESUS, one day, after the DEATH and RESURRECTION of the Lord.  Paul was on the road to Damascus, to hunt down the followers of Jesus.   When Paul met Jesus, it was like NO ENCOUNTER that Paul ever had.  He began telling of his ENCOUNTER, to King Agrippa.  “I was on the road to Damascus, when a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions.  We ALL fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?  It is USELESS for you to FIGHT AGAINST My WILL’.

Then Jesus told Paul: “Get to your feet!  For I have appeared to you to appoint you as My Servant and Witness.’  And Jesus said: “Yes, I am SENDING you to the GENTILES to OPEN their EYES so they may TURN from DARKNESS to LIGHT and from the POWER of SATAN to GOD. Then they will receive FORGIVENESS for their SINS and be given a PLACE among GOD’S People, who are SET APART (sanctified) by FAITH in ME.”  And that was Paul’s COMMISSIONING by the Lord Jesus Christ.   

Paul was GLORIOUSLY SAVED and SANCTIFIED to OPEN the EYES of all that he encountered.  And Paul was OBEDIENT to God, and MANY were TURNED AWAY FROM the POWER of Satan to the POWER of the ALMIGHTY GOD. And they had their EYES OPENED to the TRUTH of God’s Holy Word.   Anybody who receives Christ as their SAVIOR and LORD, is given this SAME MANDATE.  Matthew 28:18-20, is the COMMISSION for EVERY TRUE BELIEVER.  The Lord Jesus Christ says, “Therefore, GO and MAKE disciples of ALL the nations, BAPTIZING them in the NAME of the FATHER and the SON, and the HOLY SPIRIT. TEACH (Open eyes) these NEW DISCIPLES to OBEY ALL the COMMANDS I have given YOU.  And be SURE of this:  I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.”

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, by coming to JESUS for your SALVATION, then you are STILL UNDER the POWER of SATAN, and your EYES have NOT been OPENED, and you are STILL LIVING in DARKNESS, and headed for an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.  In order to CHANGE your DESTINY, you MUST COME to JESUS and ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR.  And you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and COME OUT of the DARKNESS and into the LIGHT and have your EYES OPENED to the TRUTH!   And RECEIVE YOUR COMMISSION.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND!!!