The most remarkable part of these chapters for me is the way in which other people responded to Paul and Peter. I can easily identify with all those people who were afraid to go anywhere near Paul and the disciples in Jerusalem who couldn't believe such a change.
God proves in these chapters the ability and willingness to use anyone and everyone for the bringing of the Kingdom. And while I can easily state that God forgives and grants grace, it is hard sometimes to really trust that. In an atmosphere that the disciples must have lived in - full of promise and surrounded by fear and what was only the beginning of many years of severe persecution - it would be almost impossible to be obedient and go to Paul. It would take a direct conversation with an angel to bring about that sort of faithfulness and trust from me.
Ananais in this story falls into the same category of some of the Bible's greatest figures for me. Like Joseph who was faithful to Mary and Moses who spoke to the Lord in a burning bush - his faithfulness is spurred on by something remarkable - and that incredible manifestation of God gives him the strength to do the almost impossible. And having done that, the history of the church is forever changed.
Acts 10 is a very familiar story that we discussed briefly in Sunday school last week - we mentioned Leviticus in passing and a couple of the kids came directly to the story related here. Sometimes they really impress me with their biblical knowledge.
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