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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.Eph 2:9 |
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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, November 7, 2024
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Paul’s First Journey [10] — Paul Stoned at Lystra Bible Verse:Acts 14:19-23 (ESV) "But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. " Message:
Paul and Barnabas’ mission to Lystra was tumultuous. Having been chased out of Iconium (in the preceding verses), 30 miles to the north, they came to Lystra. When Paul healed a man, the city hailed them as incarnations of Zeus and Apollo.
But the enemies they had made in Iconium and Antioch (in Pisidia) followed them to Lystra like a gang of thugs; and, apparently, when the people of Lystra understood that Barnabas and Paul weren’t, in fact, Greek gods come to earth, many of them joined the mob from the north and attacked them, stoning Paul and leaving him for dead.
Christ crucified
Paul’s dedication is tested many times in Acts, but none more than this. He is stoned to the point of death. I have seen a person this badly beaten, and let me tell you, the aftermath is agonizing and debilitating. But Paul—and, one must think, with the intervention of the Holy Spirit—just gets up and keeps going. He is one tough cookie!
The two apostles (as Paul and Barnabas came to be called) and their companions were dauntless. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, they made converts in the nearby town of Derbe and then returned to the other towns — where they had enemies who had already tried to kill them — to strengthen and organize the new devotees into more structured churches.
In each place, they appointed “elders,” members of the church who were stable, respected, and devout. This is one of a number of leadership positions mentioned in the New Testament, in connection with the early churches; nowhere does the Bible give us a specific blueprint for how a church must be organized, but clearly, some sort of leadership is required for any group of size to function.
The variety of terms used in the New Testament for those who lead churches (both as to practical leadership and spiritual leadership) are myriad, and their meaning often uncertain. Moreover, different translations use different English words. The Greek word used in Acts 14:23 is “presbuterous”, which literally means “older men”; so “elder” is a good translation for it. Today, both “elder” and/or “presbyter” are used in various denominations to denote some sort of duty or rank in church organization, usually in a local church, just as in today’s lesson.
Meditation : Prayer : Now all glory to you, great God, who is able to keep us from falling away and will bring us with great joy into your glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to you who alone are God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are yours before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!.........Amen |
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