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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. Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Barnabas and Saul at Antioch Bible VerseActs 11:19-26 "Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. " Message:
As we have seen in the preceding verses, Peter had difficulty accepting that Christ’s word must be spread to the Gentiles. Only after God commanded him to forsake Jewish dietary laws did Peter baptize the first Gentiles, a few Roman soldiers in Caesarea.
Christ medallion
Those who were not in contact with him and had traveled far away did not know of this event. They assumed that Jesus was the Messiah specifically to the Jews. He was, after all, the culmination of nearly 2000 years of Jewish prophesy and devotion, stretching back to the covenant of Abraham in the foggy dawn of history. They did not even consider trying to bring Christ’s word or the Holy Spirit to Gentiles.
Barnabas, who was in Jerusalem, traveled to Antioch, a city located in Syria at the border of Cilicia, right in the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean. (Today it is in Turkey.) Antioch was a hugely important city in that time, the largest city between Jerusalem and Rome. One might compare it to Chicago, lying between New York and Los Angeles.
The Hellenists were not Greeks, but Jews who had adopted the Greek language and culture. They still practiced Judaism, just as American Jews today speak English and live in American-style houses, etc. Greek culture and language, which was a great advance in civilization, had spread throughout the mideast. It was the language of commerce and greatly influenced the culture. Most likely, Jesus himself spoke some Greek.
The area was composed of dozens of tribes with diverse languages, and Greek was the lingua franca, which greatly improved trading and the spread of ideas and lifestyles throughout the area.
Notice also that the word “Christians” was first used to describe these converts in Antioch.
Meditation : Prayer : Oh God Almighty, send me Your light and truth, to keep this day and all the days of my life. And may Your mighty hand protect me, and all my brothers and sisters who have joined me in prayer this day, blessing our homes and our lives.........Amen |
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