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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. Thursday, May 2, 2019
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Saul and Barnabas on Cyprus Bible Verse :Acts 13:6-12 "When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. " Message:
Saul and Barnabas are working the island from one end to the other. It would be a difficult walk in the day; as you can see from the topographical map; Cyprus, which is somewhat smaller than Connecticut, has rugged terrain. Paphos, which is a major city still today, is at the opposite end from Salamis, where they started.
Although they are concentrating on synagogues, they are summoned by the “proconsul,” a very senior Roman official who had previously served as a leader of the Roman Senate, far higher in rank than Pontius Pilate. Notice that Saul has now begun to be called “Paul.”
The story of the magician Bar-Jesus repeats the warning, given to us again and again in the Bible, about how witches, magicians, and superstition are regarded by God. He is the “son of the devil”—the exact opposite of Christ, the Son of God.
One of the benefits of our faith is that we may be free of these liars and fakes, who steer us away from true belief. There is no harm in enjoying a “magic” act, because it is entertainment; we are not intended to believe that the magician actually has supernatural power.
superstitions
The word magician, as used in the Bible, refers to a completely different sort of person, one who claims to have actual powers given by supernatural forces. The Old Testament demands that such people be put to death; but Christ and his followers, who did not put anyone to death, still show them out; their demons are cast out or, in rare cases, they are punished while still on earth.
Belief in something we cannot see is part of our natural makeup. Like any part of us—our sex drive, or our desire to earn money, or the strength of our arms—it can be natural and good, or it can be sinful and used to further evil, depending on how we use it. When we are tempted to fear superstitious occurrences, we hear Satan trying to pull us away from God; when we act on our superstitions, we sin.
The number 13, a black cat, or a “ghost” have no power over of us; if we give in to the fear of them, we deny the power of Christ. None of us are without sin, and many will fall to such fear; however, we can recognize our sin and pray to be forgiven for superstition, and try to fight it within ourselves and without, just as we do with all our sinful thoughts and actions. Even if we cannot rid ourselves of fear, we can remember that it crumbles against the power of the Holy Spirit, as the power of the magician Bar-Jesus crumbles before Saul and Barnabas.
Meditation : Prayer : Oh Lord as I face creation Let me see with eyes made clear By Your promise of salvation, Never to return to fear.......Amen |
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