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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Saul Ravages the Church Bible Verse:Acts 8:1-8 (ESV) "And Saul approved of his [Stephen’s] execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city." Message:
The first great figure in Acts has been Peter. We are now introduced to the second, Saul. In the previous verses, he was the man who held the high priests’ cloaks, while they ran after Stephen and stoned him to death in a rage. Lest we be unsure, today’s reading states bluntly that he “approved” of Stephen’s murder. So Saul was a dedicated underling; an apprentice to the priesthood of the Temple, a young man making his way up the ladder of Pharisee hypocrisy.
And Saul shines in his ambition; he eagerly assumes the role of henchman. The high priests have previously been circumspect in their treatment of the Christian heretics, letting them off with warnings and beatings. But Stephen’s outrageous speech during his trial was the last straw.
Thus, the political/religious leadership of Israel begins a period of ruthless suppression of Jerusalem’s Christian population; and it is Saul who executes the policy, rooting out and imprisoning the followers of Christ, with the zeal of his ambition.
Although his actions temporarily quiet the Jerusalem Christ movement, the long-term consequences will come back to haunt his bosses. He has spooked the disciples of Christ, and like cattle in a pen, they stampede. They scatter throughout Judea, taking with them the good news of Christ’s resurrection.
There is some confusion about the identity of “Philip.” He could conceivably be the apostle Philip, who would later travel throughout the regions directly north and west of Judea, converting Jew and Greek alike.
Equally possible is the Greek man named Philip whom we encountered in Chapter 6 of the Book of Acts. This Greek Philip was made one of the seven deacons of Jerusalem, along with Stephen, when the Greeks complained that the widows among them were not getting their share of food. He was later called “Philip the Deacon” and “Philip the Evangelist,” a great missionary, traveling primarily south to spread the Word.
After the Ascension, the term “apostle” was sometimes used to describe great disciples other than the original 12 (or 13), especially those who traveled to foreign lands spreading the Gospel. In Romans, for example, Paul described himself as an “apostle of Christ.”
Meditation : Prayer : Now the God of patience and consolation grant to me, and to all who pray in the name of Christ, to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That we may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...........Amen |
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