After the first missionary journey

   ¹⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” ⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question....

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. … ¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.

Acts 15:5-6, 12-14, 19-20 

    Inevitably, there will be division as a result of ministry. But there does not need to be needless division, and today we will see the necessity of unity within the ministry.

    When I led mission trips with the youth, I would tell them that we need to remember two truths:

     Truth #1 There is a God!

     Truth #2 I am not Him!

    By that, I meant that there is an order to everything, and God is not a God of disorder. 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NIV) says, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” The Greek word for disorder is confusion, tumult, unquietness. In order to avoid disorder, we must submit to God and His plan so that things will work harmoniously and in unity. Part of submitting to God means that we must graciously submit to one another in love (“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” --Ephesians 5:21).

    What does that have to do with today’s passage? A lot. Read in verse 2 that Paul and Barnabas “had no small dissension and dispute” with some other Christians. Verse 7 says there was “much dispute” on the issue of whether Gentile converts to Christianity had to follow the Jewish custom of circumcision.

    Undergoing circumcision in order to become a part of the church was, to put it mildly, no small commitment. Give me a baptistry of water any day!

    An interesting point to observe is that both sides of the issue were fervently presented. Yet when the ruling came, there was great unity within the church. There is obviously a lot of discussion which was left out here. It appears that those in disagreement felt it was more important to be united than to be defiant! The spirit of unity and submission is obvious. 

    The key word for today is unity, but the key word behind unity can be found in verse 11: grace. Grace is normally defined as “unmerited favor” or “an undeserved gift” (I like to remember it as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense). We are saved by God’s grace. Therefore, why should we fight and have disunity within the body? We are saved by grace, but the letter from the “Jerusalem Council” added other stipulations for new believers, especially Gentiles.

    The first and second things listed (Idolatry, sexual immorality) would affect the believers’ witness with the pagan world. The last two things listed (eating strangled animals and consuming blood, NLT) would affect the believers’ witness with non-Christian Jews. The four prohibitions are NOT requirements for salvation; there is nothing other than or in addition to the grace of God which saves us. These prohibitions at the time were given because there are things we do and should not do after our salvation that will help us serve as good witnesses.

Pray now that we all be of one accord and of one mind in following the leadership of God through our authorities.

First Missionary Journey, part 9--"I was wrr--"

¹ Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. ³ The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

Acts 15:1-4

Do you remember Fonzie from Happy Days. The super cool, leather-jacketed, motor cycle-riding, supposed tough guy who was the envy of all the guys and the dream of all the girls?  I remember a particular episode in which he had to admit he was wrong, but he just could not put those three words together, “I was wr…” he stammered as he tried to apologize to Richie Cunningham. But something kept getting caught in his throat. Another time he tried to say he was sorry but that too just couldn’t come out.

It is never right to be wrong but it is even wronger to be wrong and not admit it. And it is more wronger to not admit your error, apologize for it, and make it right. And perhaps it is the most wrongest of all is to not learn from your wrongs. (Did I say that right? Rightly? Let’s just go with it.)

A few days ago, I was wrrr... a little less than accurate, to say Peter was in Galatia when he was confronted by Paul for not accepting the Gentile believers (see Part 7). It is recorded in Galatians 2:11-21, but it clearly happened in Antioch. More than likely, the incident occurred right here at the beginning of Acts 15. (Actually, I intentionally made a mistake so that I could come back to it and use it as an illustration of admitting when you are wrong…Yeah…riiiiight!… but again, let’s just go with this too!!)

Peter was wrong. So many people identify with Peter, not because he was never wrong, but because he, like so many of us, was wrong so many times. He who literally rebuked Lord with the words, “No, Lord!” (Matthew 16:22) would again say those same words again when he saw a vision of unclean foods and told by God to kill and eat (Acts 10:14). “Never, Lord!” Peter had protested. But that was not the last mistake he would make.

Paul wrote about the incident in Galatians 2, but maybe Luke didn’t want to rub it in and did not record the event in Acts. Peter and even Barnabas was carried away with the hypocrisy in Antioch by not eating with Gentiles when those from Jerusalem came.

Paul however would have nothing to do with the hypocrisy. Even though Peter had been with Christ during his earthly ministry, was an eyewitness to the resurrection, and even led the centurion Cornelius to Christ in Caesarea, Paul stood up to Peter before them all and said, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”(Galatians 2:14b). 

Peter was wrong, but he wasn’t “wronger than wrong”. By the time they went from Antioch back to Jerusalem in Acts 15, notice how Peter not only changes his tune, but he is singing in harmony with Paul before all of the leadership there. His words sound a lot like those which Paul had said to him!

“Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” (Acts 15:10-11)

Compare those words of Peter with the words Paul had used to rebuke Peter. “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (Galatians 2:14b-16)

John Maxwell said, 

“A person must be 

big enough to admit his or her mistakes, 

smart enough to profit from them, and 

strong enough to correct them.” 

(Okay, I’ll admit that sounds better than my “wronger” quote.) Peter not only admitted his umpteenth mistake, but he learned from it and publicly corrected it.

Don’t be a Fonzie! Practice with me in saying, (1, 2, 3)“I was wrong.”
“I am sorry.”
“Let me make it right.”

“Aaaayyy” Now that sounded pretty cool!

First Missionary Journey, Part 8--Pain goes away (sort of)

    This is the last devotional from Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas. As we prepare to follow the Apostle Paul’s footsteps, I hope these build your spiritual anticipation and prepare your hearts for our journey together…

     In learning to be a parent or at least a dad, there are some phrases we just had to learn, like “Don’t make me turn this car around” and “When I was your age…”.

     And this one which applies to our devotional for today. “Just think how good it will feel when it stops hurting.”

     That phrase really doesn’t help, especially when you just now hit your thumb with a hammer, but another thing I would say as a Dad was, “Pain goes away”. Not always, but at least over time, the pain doesn’t throb quite as much.

     Paul and Barnabas were finishing up on their first missionary journey and were about to return to Antioch in Syria. Read the following:

²¹ And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (in Pisidia, modern day Turkey --TM), ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” ²³ So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. ²⁴ And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶ From there they sailed to Antioch (that is in Syria, where they began their journey --TM), where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. ²⁷ Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

     The two went back through the same cities where they had previously been persecuted and then ultimately back to Antioch in Syria, and told about the “tribulations” but also about the victories. Despite all of the hardships, the overarching theme of their report seemed positive especially as they shared about the door of faith that had been opened to the Gentiles.

     Many years later, the apostle John would quote Jesus as saying, “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” John 16:21

     On Sunday, Randy preached on the hardships and the love of God. Probably the most remaining images was of the child who was malnourished and then recovered. There are many hardships in our lives, some almost unimaginable except for the sustaining grace of God. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Paul to be stoned and then return to the same city. What would it have been like to call down blindness onto a false prophet? What must it have been like be followed and chased down by opposing people with the same zeal against Christians that Paul once had?

     There is a song Elvis sang (others sang it too but I love Elvis’s gospels)

I'm gonna meet God the Father and God the Son

Yes, I'm gonna meet God the Father and God the Son

Well, well, well, well

I'm gonna sit down and tell Him my troubles

About the world that I just came from

That's when we walk on that milky white way

Oh Lord, one of these days

     No, I don’t really ascribe to the questionable theology in some of the those old songs but I sure do appreciate and empathize with the sentiments. There is something beautiful about God collecting all of our tears and placing them in a bottle. ^8​You number my wanderings; ​​Put my tears into Your bottle; ​​Are they not in Your book? ⁹ ​​When I cry out to You, ​​Then my enemies will turn back; ​​This I know, because God is for me. ¹⁰ ​​In God (I will praise His word), ​​In the LORD (I will praise His word), ¹¹ ​​In God I have put my trust; ​​I will not be afraid. ​​What can man do to me? (Psalm 56:8-11)

     And there is something in the Bible that says God Himself will wipe away our tears. “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)

     Hebrews 12:2 said even Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, endured the cross, despising the shame, all for the joy that was set before Him.

     Hmmm. Maybe the psalmist, the apostles John and Paul, Elvis and even Dads know what they are talking about. Maybe the joy will make it feel so good when the pains of this world finally go away. 

First Missionary Journey, part 7

¹³ You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. ¹⁴ And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

Galatians 4:13-16

      Following up on the previous devotional (#6) from Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas spent about three years on their first missionary journey. They spent a “long time” (Acts 14:3) in the Galatia area, despite Paul’s being stoned almost to death. While there, Paul was likely sick with some affliction, as indicated in the above passage from Galatians chapter 4. 

  Look at the Google maps of the first missionary journey to Lystra, once they reached modern-day Turkey. The missionary duo ascended up to nearly 6,000 feet elevation in the mountainous region (see left chart, showing the altitude, created from Google Earth). The grueling 350 miles travel by foot was only exasperated by Paul’s sickness, yet he remained faithful and bold.

     It was also during this stay that another incident occurred which is not recorded in Acts. Peter (called “Cephas” in Galatians 2) along with men associated with the Lord’s half-brother James came from Jerusalem and demonstrated some legalism by their not sitting with non-Jewish believers.

¹¹ Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; ¹² for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

Galatians 2:11-14

     Paul’s courageous stand in support of the Gentiles of Galatia, his tenacity despite physical sickness, and his being stoned by the people of Lystra, all of these things endeared Paul to the believers in this area.

     It will be helpful to brush up on your Greek Mythology before we head over to Greece and Turkey. The Apostle Paul breathed and moved among the Greek god atmosphere, and while we think we live in increasingly pagan surroundings, imagine the boldness of Paul bringing Christianity to the Roman empire. He not only faced down historic and embedded Greek and Roman mythology, he also contended with the contemporary cult of forced worship of the Roman emperor. And still battled his own Jewish adversaries to boot.

     Acts 14 is an excellent case in point of knowing Greek history. Indulge yourself to recall a lesser known mythological story, (taken verbatim from greekmythology.com)

Philemon and his wife Baucis were an old couple that appeared in a myth that is lesser known among those of Greek and Roman mythology. They lived in the region of Tyana, which may have been in Phrygia. The gods Zeus and Hermes (or Jupiter and Mercury in Roman mythology) had been disguised as peasants and asked for a place to spend the night; all the inhabitants of Tyana rejected them. They finally reached the poor cottage of the old couple, who unlike their rich neighbors accepted them graciously and offered them the best hospitality they could with their simple means.

While eating, Baucis saw that the wine pitcher was still full despite having served their guests numerous times, and realized that the two guests must have been gods. She mentioned it to her husband and the two of them started apologizing for not having anything better to serve them.

They then decided to kill the goose that they had as a guardian pet, but when Philemon tried to catch it, the goose ran in Zeus' lap. The god said that there was no need to slay the goose; instead they should pack up their few belongings and leave their cottage, because they would destroy the whole town for the lack of hospitality of its residents.

The couple followed the gods to the nearby mountain, from where they saw that the town had been destroyed by a flood; where their cottage once stood, now lay a glorious temple. The couple asked that they serve as guardians of the temple and Zeus accepted; they also asked that when it was time for one of them to die, that the other would die as well.

So, when their time was due, Zeus gave them their wish and transformed them into an intertwining pair of trees, an oak and a linden.       .

    The area of Tyana in Phrygia (the setting of the Greek Myth of Zeus and Hermes coming down) is only 150 miles from Lystra. What I find fascinating is not only did Paul and Barnabas become the objects of worship from the people, but how quickly it turned to a "lack of hospitality" of its residents. That was the very point of judgment according to the pagan myth!!

        If there was a theme from today’s devotional, it would be stand strong despite physical affliction (Paul’s illness), Christian legalism (Cephas and those from James in Jerusalem), and pagan opposition (Greek mythology).

First Missionary Journey, Part 6

⁸ And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. ⁹ This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. ¹¹ Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” ¹² And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, ¹⁶ who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷ Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” ¹⁸ And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. ²⁰ However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Acts 14:8-20

As we prepare for our journey, I am sending out devotionals about the first missionary journey, in which Paul visits places we won’t go to but I hope this prepares us in visiting Athens, Greece and Turkey.

If these devotionals are helpful to you, reply back to me if you don’t mind, because a little bit of affirmation every once in a while never hurts anyone … but as we will see in today’s reading with Paul and Barnabus getting mistaken as being the gods Zeus and Hermes, too much affirmation can hurt  … a lot!

     In our previous devotional we saw the boldness of Paul and Barnabas. N.T. Wright says in his 2018 book Paul—A Biography that the controversial apostle was high maintenance as a friend, but also high value.

“He will say boo to every goose within earshot and all the swans as well … He tells the ship owner where he should and shouldn’t spend the winter and then says ‘I told you so” when it all goes horribly wrong … As a companion, he must have been exhilarating when things were going well and exasperating when they weren’t.”

     Not only did he and Barnabas continue in boldness, he for the first but not the last time suffers physical harm for the gospel. But with persecution, they find success. God allowed the two missionaries to find a grandmother in Derbe named Lois who came to Christ, along with her daughter, Eunice. Oh, yes, Lois also had a grandson, likely just a teenager then, and she made sure that they all grew strong in their faith. That teenaged grandson’s name was Timothy.

     I believe Paul found Eunice and Lois and Timothy the first time because decades later, Paul reminds Timothy what he went through.

¹⁰ But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, ¹¹ persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. ¹² Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.... ¹⁴ But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 (2 Timothy 3)

     What I find so amazing and powerful about the opposition that the missionary duo faced is that they were able to shake the dust off their feet and go on FILLED with joy and FILLED with the Holy Spirit. Hardships and struggles are not signs we are outside of God’s will, they are His signals that we are in good company, right along with Christ.

--If we face opposition, rejoice because you are about to find a Timothy.--

     Jesus is recorded as commanding four times in three synoptic gospels to shake the dust off the feet (see Luke 10:10-11 and Matthew 10:14, Mark 6:11, Luke 9:5). Clement of Alexandria (who lived from 150 to 215 A.D.) said that Barnabas could have been part of the 70 who were “sent out” (in Greek “apostle”) in Luke 10:1. Paul and Barnabas are called apostles in Acts 14:4. An apostle was one who was “sent out” as a witness of Christ and, according to Acts 1:22, “a witness with us of His resurrection.”

     In Acts 4:36, we see that Barnabas’ real name is Joses and while that was a common name, one of the several Marys who were at the tomb was called “Mary, mother of Joses” (Mark 15:40). If Barnabas is the same as Joses whose mother was at Christ’s burial, Clement of Alexandria could very well be correct that Barnabas was part of the original 70 “sent out ones” of Christ and indeed be an “apostle” who was commissioned by Jesus Himself. No wonder Barnabas and Paul were so bold.

     When we spend time reading of the Old and New Testament saints, we too will grow bold despite opposition.

First Missionary Journey, part 4

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us: ​‘​I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, ​​That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” ⁴⁸ Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. ⁵¹ But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

 ¹ Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed^{. 2} But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. ³ Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

⁴ But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. ⁵ And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, ⁶ they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. ⁷ And they were preaching the gospel there.

^{Acts 13:46-14:7}

There is so much in Paul’s sermon that we won’t go into, but overall, the Old Testament is relevant to us today. It is amazing that the events in the Bible really happened. The Old and New Testaments are not just stories, but real events, and they have an influence on us today.

Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly (see 13:46 and 14:3). Knowing that the Bible, Old and New Testament, is filled with real stories of realpeople makes us grow bold in our speaking, in our actions, and in our faith. When Barnabas spoke to the fearful church about receiving the newly converted Saul, Barnabas told about “how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27). Then in Jerusalem, Saul “spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 9:29).

And boldness comes not in the absence of opposition but in the very presence of opposition. There was violence in Antioch that caused Paul and Barnabas to go to Lystra and Derbe. Yet there Paul continued to speak boldly to the point where he would be stoned and left for dead. But that did not stop Paul.

The Apostle would later describe his motivation to speak so bold despite opposition, “But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.” (1 Thessalonians 2:2-3)

Notice that last line, and rephrase it in the positive: “Our boldness comes from TRUTH, HOLINESS, and HONESTY.”

I teach “Is Genesis History?” on Sunday nights and Diana Howell asked just last night after the class “What is the purpose of apologetics, is it to convince unbelievers or assure believers?”

I immediately told her, “The Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The more we know and trust that God’s Word is true, the stronger our faith becomes.” And as Paul might would say, the bolder we become. The truth and sincerity of Paul’s belief emboldened him and whether we learn apologetics or learn more from this trip to Greece and Turkey about the historicity of the Bible, our faith will grow.

And as our faith grows, so will our boldness in speaking with others, but also in our prayer. Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Paul was bold in his speaking to others because he KNEW what he was saying was TRUE. And TRUTH, HOLINESS, and HONESTY will also give us boldness in our prayer. Have you thought that because you are going on this trip, the truth and faithfulness of Paul’s journeys and John’s exile to Patmos will strengthen your PRAYER LIFE? Truth emboldens us!

There was another source of Paul’s boldness. Look at Ephesians 6:19, where Paul pleads that the readers pray “for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Pray for our pastor, and staff, and for us as we go on this journey, that as a result of the TRUTH and our PRAYERS we will return bolder in our proclamation and in our prayers. 

I know I ran long today, but one more thing: CS Lewis said "Prayer is not so much about changing God, but changing us." May I say that learning about why we believe is not so much about changing others but changing us. And this journey, as we learn more, will also be about changing us and our relationship with Christ.

Pray boldly before the throne of grace that God changes us.

First missionary Journey, part 3

6 Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

Acts 13:6-15

    Before Paul and Barnabas left on their first missionary journey, there are several instances of the praying church in Jerusalem and in Antioch. So strong was the power of the Holy Spirit, the people were actually begging for the Word to be preached to them. Look at their reception in Cyprus Acts 13:7, “the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.” And then when they left the island, they went from Paphos to Perga in what is now southeast Turkey.

    They then headed for the mountains of another city named “Antioch” but this one is in Pisidia near the area of Galatia. And even there, the word of God was eagerly anticipated and wanted. Read Acts 13:15, “If you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it!”

   In our preparation for our trip in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, we may not be on a missionary journey, per se. But then again, we are always on a missionary journey. Ask God that we ourselves will be hungry for a word from God. We can see the sights and enjoy the time away, but if we do not hear from God, what is the purpose? And if we do not share the word of God, especially words of encouragement and exhortation, what is the point?

    Ask God that we might have such a reception in our hearts to hear from Him in this trip. Write out your own definition of exhortation:     

     Whether on a missionary journey or in the Christian walk, we need to resist the urge to be critical of everything that doesn’t suit us. We should always seek to speak words of exhortation and encouragement. Edification means to build people up. We should look for ways to give compliments to our fellow sojourners on this trip.

    Just like down home on the range, if a discouraging word doesn’t have to be said, then don’t say it. 

First Missionary Journey part 2

Be “set free” in your journey

³ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. ⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant. ⁶ And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

Acts 13:3-6

    Cyprus is an island in the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, some 60 miles off of the coast of Syria and Turkey. Being a distant yet reachable island was a target for Barnabas and Paul for another reason other than its close proximity: Barnabas was from there (see Acts 4:36). The trio, along with John Mark, went from the port of Seleucia near Antioch to Salamis, on the northeast side of the island. While not much information was given in Acts about the first stop of the first missionary journey and to what extent they traversed the island. Acts 13:6 says they went through the “whole island” (NIV, CSB, “town to town”, NLT) ending their journey on the southwest side, the exact opposite of where they landed. As a result of the stoning of Stephen, Jewish believers were dispersed to the island from Jerusalem but only shared the gospel to their fellow Jews.

   Acts 13:3 describes the departure of Barnabas, Paul and John Mark as being released or “set them free for this work” (Phillips translation) to spread the gospel. The same word was used when Paul was released from the Philippian jail in Acts 16:35. The Holy Spirit set them apart; the church commissioned them by laying on of hands; but in their going, they were released and “set free”.

    It was as though they were bound up, much like Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 20:9 “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” Or again the early apostles said in Acts 4:20, “We cannot stop speaking that which we have seen and heard.” Paul would later write to the Corinthians, “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (See 1 Corinthians 9:16).

    Your calling may not be to go to the ends of the earth, but you do have a reason for living and being saved. All believers have at least one spiritual gift that when they walk in it, they are liberated. We may not be feet to go or voices to proclaim to audiences, but we all can be used by God for a purpose. When you find that purpose and fulfill it, it is like being freed.

    For Barnabas, he went back home to Cypress where he was raised, and where he would later die. Like Christ, he went to his own people, but they did not receive him. Four hundred years after his death, his bones were found, buried under a tree by his beloved cousin, John Mark, with a gospel of Matthew on his chest. Your missionary journey does not have to be to some foreign land; it may be like Barnabas, back to your home. Search the Holy Spirit for Him to set you apart, then walk in freedom as you serve the Lord.

     What is your journey? What is your purpose that God “sets you free” to do, your very essence that God created you to be? Read Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Find that your passion that was given to you by God. Seek out your desires which were placed in your heart “beforehand” and you will experience true freedom when you walk in your purpose.

Becoming an "Antioch" Christian

The  following are some devotionals I prepared in preparation of going to Greece. As we prepared to travel the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul's Second Missionary Journey, I wanted to recall also where he went on his FIRST journey. 

We will study all three journeys as well as his journey to Rome on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 p.m., beginning June 30 in Room 147. Please come and see more things we could ever possibly see in an actual journey as we drive through History and the Holy Land with David Stotts video, "Drive Thru History, Acts to Revelation"

Also, there is a video I recommend you watch before we study the missionary journeys. It is a part of the Visual Bible series. You can preview that series at the following link. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqxm9oJpgBs&list=PL0ACB6D2B735F48B2&index=9

Antioch – The Journey Hub for Missions

Acts 12:24-13:4  (NKJV)

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.    

13:1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

    In Waco, there is a church called Antioch which is famous for sending out missionaries. It has developed a nondenominational movement across the country and around the world. Of the Antioch Movement, best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado said, “To visit the Antioch Church is to visit the Book of Acts. To hear their passion, is to hear the heart of God. To listen to their stories of their global impact is to realize: it can happen today!”

    All three of Paul’s missionary journeys started out in Antioch of Syria. The city is the literal birthplace of the name of “Christians” for believers (see Acts 11:26). Located about 300 miles north of Jerusalem, the city was only about 16 miles from Mediterranean. It was the hub of Syria and the capital of the Roman province in Asia. This “first city of the East” ranked third most important city of the Roman empire, after of course Rome and then Alexandria.

   Known now as Antakya in Turkey, this city was open to diversities of beliefs and was a welcomed harbor for the Christians when they were dispersed from the persecution in Jerusalem. The Gentiles were receptive to the gospel here and it was likely the beginning for Barnabas to seek out the assistance of Saul of Tarsus, who was likely converted around 37 AD.

    The city is crucial as it is the origin and final destination of the first two of the three journeys of Paul. Paul likely would have returned to Antioch of Syria at the end of his third journey, had he not been arrested in Jerusalem.

    Why did Paul go on his missionary journeys? He went because of Acts 1:8, “You will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth,” Jesus said in Acts 1:8. Do you have the heart of Antioch to send off missionaries to spread the gospel throughout the world? 

    I hope this series on Sunday afternoons inspire you you to study Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and Titus more. I hope we become educated of the area and the culture of the day.

    But more than anything else, I hope we too can grow in our appreciation of missionaries like those early saints and support those who are continuing their journeys, 2,000 years later. Paul’s first journey began around 45 AD, less than a decade from his conversion. His journeys continued and concluded at the end of his life. If we can go and commemorate his journeys, we too should work to continue them as well. Let us pledge to be Antioch Christians.