by Pastor Cecil | Jul 21, 2020 | Acts
Acts 12:25
“And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.”
Barnabas and Saul had been sent from Antioch to Jerusalem to deliver help to the believers there who were about to be stricken with a severe drought. I am sure that along with the generous gifts the church at Antioch had sent, Barnabas must have also given much-needed words of encouragement. After all, he was known as the Son of encouragement!
It seems as if Barnabas was always on the alert for those who the Lord would bring across his path to disciple. John Mark was one of those men. John Mark was a raw and undisciplined believer, but I guess we all were at one time – right?
We need to evaluate our own walk with the Lord and determine how we are faithful in sharing what God has taught us with someone in our circle of influence. It may be a friend, a family member, or a new believer who needs Godly instruction.
We do not need to be educated in a seminary in order to minister. It is far more important to be willing to share those tidbits of truth that we discover in our personal study of God’s word. Are you watching for someone who will become your new recruit?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 20, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:29-30
“So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.”
A prophetic message was received that a famine would soon descend on the world. Immediately the Christians wanted to extend care for the mother church in Jerusalem. The Christians in Antioch gave generously and sent relief by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
We are once again given a picture of the reliable and faithful nature of Barnabas. He and Saul were chosen to deliver the much needed relief to the apostles and other believers in Jerusalem.
I can only imagine the joy in the hearts of the believers in Jerusalem as such a generous gift was sent by the hands of their former persecutor, Saul and their faithful encourager, Barnabas. It shows us how God uses all who come to Him in faith believing.
Barnabas did not play a role to be seen of others. He was faithful to follow after his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This picture of a faithful representative for the Lord is just another view of what it means to be a son of encouragement!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 16, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:26
“And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch. There must have been great rejoicing in the church, not so much for Saul since he was not well known and was still a student of The Way, but for the encourager and teacher Barnabas.
For an entire year the church (a great many people) assembled and listened as Barnabas taught them the basic principles of being sold out soldiers for Jesus Christ.
Prior to this time the followers of Christ were known only as believers or sometimes THE WAY. In Antioch they began to be called Christians. That was a name that gave identification and in some cases insured they would experience persecution.
Barnabas was the primary teacher in this dynamic church and for an entire year he taught a large number of believers what it meant to be a sold out follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Among those who sat under his teaching was Saul who would become known as Paul. WOW!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:25
“Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.”
It is important to grasp the significance of what Barnabas did in searching for Saul. Remember that there was no rapid transit systems back then and so travel was done on foot. Tarsus was roughly 80 miles northwest of Antioch, so it would have taken the better part of a week for Barnabas just to get there. Then there was the daunting task of finding him in fairly large city. Without doubt Barnabas must have been led by the Holy Spirit to find the man God would use in a mighty way.
Keep in mind that at this time, Saul was not the mighty man of God that we see later in the New Testament. He was a fairly new convert to Christianity and was the target of the Jewish religious leaders who wanted him dead.
I can only imagine the conversations that took place between Barnabas and Saul about what would happen next. Finally Barnabas convinced Saul to leave the city where he had been raised and travel into the unknown with a man who had been the one who had paved the way for him to have access to the Apostles back in Jerusalem.
A new life for both of these men was about to begin!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:24
“He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.”
What adjectives would someone use if they were asked to describe your character? Have you ever considered that question? Would you have to close your ears so you would not feel embarrassed by their negative comments? We have in today’s Scripture the glowing adjectives used to describe our dear friend Barnabas.
The first adjective is good. That word implies that he had merit and a reputation for doing the right thing at the right time. A good reputation qualified Barnabas to be trusted for service to the Lord and the early church.
He was also a man that was full of the Holy Spirit. That necessitated him to be empty of self. It is impossible to be full of the Holy Spirit and full of yourself at the same time. A spirit-filled believer must increasingly have more of Christ and less of self.
The final adjective mentioned was that he was full of faith. Barnabas was a believer who let go of any sense of self-importance in order to allow the Lord to accomplish His work through him. Oh, for more believers who would live their life in such a manner as Barnabas!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 13, 2020 | Acts
Acts 11:23
“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.”
Veni, vidi, vici is a Latin phrase popularly attributed to Julius Caesar. In essence it means I came. I saw. I conquered. The long-lasting result of Caesar’s conquests was a trail of suffering and death.
Barnabas was sent on a mission to Antioch to investigate reports that believers had fled Jerusalem because of the persecution and had started a church in that city. They wanted to send someone who knew what true believers were and one that was a faithful follower of the risen Lord Jesus. Barnabas was their man.
When Barnabas arrived in Antioch he saw that the grace of God was evident in this new church and he rejoiced with them and EXHORTED them. That means he gave them words of encouragement and blessing. We need more of that today!
Not only did he encourage them, he instructed them to remain faithful with a steadfast purpose. It is too easy to get our eyes on minor divisions and lose sight of the calling God has given us to keep our eyes on Him and Him alone. Barnabas’s report to the church back in Jerusalem must have been received with great rejoicing.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
