Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
Thus far in this first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas have traveled from Antioch to Seleucia, Syria, From whence they sailed to Salamis on the Island of Cyprus. We have no idea how long it took them to evangelize Cyprus, but eventually they made it from the...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
“Congenital talipes equinovarus” is the medical term for something commonly known as “club foot.” In about 1 out every 1,000 lives births, a baby comes into this world with one or both feet pointed down and curling in. About two-thirds of these...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
Let’s say that you’ve been having a certain pain for several weeks and that it has been intensifying. So you break down and agree to go to the doctor. He makes a quick evaluation and determines that you have an incurable and fatal disease. There are no known cures for...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
I don’t think that when Paul went to Lystra it was with the intention of becoming known as a faith-healer. He and Barnabas were on a mission to spread the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel is about salvation through Christ, not making the world easier or...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
As king of the reunited country of Israel, Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great was feeling his oats. He had stretched forth his hand to please the Jewish leadership and vexed the church of Christ. He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword, and...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
As Joshua led Israel across the Jordan river there were 12 men chosen for a special two-tiered task. While the river bed was dry, they were to find 12 large rocks to stack into a pile in the middle of the river. Then they were to find another 12 rocks that they were...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
The only comment that Jamieson, Fausset and Brown makes on Paul’ return into Lystra after his stoning is very terse: It said: “Noble intrepidity.” To be INTREPID is to be RESOLUTELY COURAGEOUS, to be FEARLESS. Besides the fact that Paul probably had no...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
I hope that you forgive me, but I have a cartoon-like image of Israel during her 40 years in the wilderness. The nation had sinned against God by not believing and following His direction to claim the Promised Land. So the Lord added the promise that the entire adult...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
As I said this morning, I don’t know how Paul and Barnabas knew that it was time to bring this missionary journey to a close. Perhaps the Lord came to one of them in a dream. Maybe God sent an angel with detailed instructions. Or perhaps during prayer the Holy Spirit...
Jan 21, 2015 | Acts
There is no way of knowing for sure how long this First Missionary Journey took. I don’t know why they say it, but a lot of scholars declare that Acts 12 ended in about 44 AD. And then most of them say that Acts 15 took place in the year 51, although I read where one...
