Friday... Just another day.

Acts 14:1a (NLT), "The same thing happened in Iconium."

Friday... Just another day.

Now I am a routine kind of guy. At my age that is the way I remember. I find that to be a very affective way to live. So as my alarm goes off at the same time then I get up and can say, "Just another day." I'm excited and I'm ready. Now there is variety in there but also monotony. But I don't mind that. I'm excited for another day of opportunity to live.

But for some there are major difficulties. That was true of Paul and Barnabas over in the book of Acts. At the end of chapter 13 they were in Antioch of Pisidia, sharing the Good News of Christ and many were coming to accept what they were sharing but others incited a mob against them and ran then out of town. Verse 51 says, "So they shook off the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconiam and chapter 15:1a says, "The same thing happened in Iconium." So what did they do?

Now verse 1 continues, "Paul and Barnabus went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers." Verse 2, "Some of the Jews, however, spurned God's message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas."

But this time they didn't shake off the dust. Yes, they did leave Antioch but they came back. That was the first place that believers were called Christians. No they didn't leave Iconium. Verses 3 says, "But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders." Yes, there still was division but they stayed.

God has a plan for our life. Sometime we leave when difficulties happen but sometime we stay and He uses them. What is important is that circumstances aren't what directs us but God does. Let him lead your life! Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Comments

Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...

Thursday... Yet, now this is true.

Colossians 1:22a (NLT), "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body." Thursday... Yet, now this is true. Now Paul a prisoner in Rome is writing a letter to a church in Colossae. And in Colossians 1:21 (MSG) he says, "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds" The NLT says "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated by your evil thoughts and actions." And that is where so many in this world live today. They are blowing it and they don't know what to do. Yes, they are hostile in their minds and they are engaging in evil deeds but there is Good News. Now Paul in verses 19-20 sets the stage for an answer to those who don't want to live that way. He says, "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth b...

Today's Beginning

Search This Blog