Week 6, Day 4
February 10, 2022 Scripture: Acts 13 In the synagogue of Antioch, Paul and Barnabas outline the story of Israel and reveal Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. They present the Jews there with the gift of salvation and the forgiveness of sins. Paul and Barnabas are unsuccessful in convincing the Jews of the identity of Jesus as Messiah. What they preach is later choked out by other synagogue leaders. The leaders refute and contradict the message of Paul and Barnabas. This confuses the people and they fail to repent and turn towards God through Christ Jesus. So, Paul and Barnabas turn towards the Gentiles with the message of Jesus the King and Savior of the World. “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:48–52) The invitation by Barnabas and Paul to the Jews was rejected. But Paul, Barnabas and the other disciples are “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” Despite great difficulty, they are filled with Joy and the Spirit. It is easy for us to be discouraged. I can’t imagine the difficulty that the disciples faced in bringing the message to the Jews. Despite their circumstances, they see God at work. He is moving them forward to reach out to the world and bless the world. While their initial focus was on the Jews, they soon discovered that their opposition would lead them to evangelize a different people completely. In this remarkable journey, they take the message of Jesus to a receptive audience. What an important reminder today to trust in the Lord and lean on his strength. He fills us with joy and the Spirit. He is guiding our path. When a road seems blocked, God is making a new way for his message to spread. Be filled with Joy and the Spirit of Christ.
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AuthorJordan Ickes, Minister of Etna Green Church of Christ. Archives
December 2022
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