PAUL AND BARNABAS - Good News for the Gentiles

TO THE JEWS FIRST

Read: Acts 13:13–52

'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" Acts 13:47 NIV

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     Paul and Barnabas, led by the Holy Spirit, set out on a journey to Cyprus where they spoke in the synagogues. From there they traveled to Pisidian Antioch where the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak." (13:15)
     Paul stood up and motioned with his hand, "Men of Israel and you Gentiles, who worship God, listen to me …We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus…" (13:16, 32-33a)

      The people, eager to hear more, invited the apostles to speak the next Sabbath when almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. (13:44-45)

      The desire for power in these men blinded them to the truth that their Messiah had come and offered them forgiveness of sin. By rejecting Him, they were giving up the gift of eternal life.

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     Lord, I am so thankful that You offered that gift to us also, so that we could share the good news with others, both Jews and Gentiles.

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     "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles."  Acts 13:46b

THE EARLY CHURCH - King Herod's Persecution

AN UNEXPECTED ANSWER

Read Acts 12:1–24

     (King Herod) had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword… So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.  Acts 12:2, 5 NIV

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     On the last night before Peter's trial, the disciples gathered at John Mark's home to pray for his deliverance. What they did not expect, was that their prayers would be miraculously answered that very night. 
     A young servant girl, Rhoda, came to answer the door, and we are told that "when she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" "You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." (12:14–15)

     While they tried to process what was happening, "Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished." (12:16)

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     Lord, I wonder how many times I have prayed without really expecting an answer. It is a comfort to me that You worked this miracle, not because of the strength of their faith, but on the basis of Your Almighty power in answer to earnest prayer. 

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     …Herod, (who had murdered James) wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.   Acts 12:21–23 NIV