2 Kings 2:1-25; Acts 14:8-20; Psalms 140:1-8; Proverbs 29:19-20

NT: “In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth. He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice. The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting, “People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own way, although he did not leave himself without a witness, since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them. Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭14:8-20‬ ‭CSB)

What a day this was for Paul and Barnabas! It all started with Paul conversing with the townsfolk of Lystra. The word used to describe Paul’s speaking was used in classic Greek to describe light and familiar speech more than a public discourse. So Paul was likely having conversations with people in the town square about the gospel, and a paralyzed man who just so happened to be sitting within earshot of Paul, was paying close attention to what Paul was saying. The Holy Spirit probably directed Paul’s attention to the man and gave Paul a word of knowledge that the man had faith to be healed. So Paul, obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit, gave the man a gift of healing from the Holy Spirit. When the man, who had been paralyzed since birth, got up and started walking around… well, all mayhem broke loose. The gentile people in the square, upon witnessing the obvious miracle, framed the sign and wonder within their own cultural context… they jumped to the conclusion that Paul and Barnabas were gods… and because Zeus was the patron god of their city, they assumed that Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes, Zeus’ messenger. Suddenly, the entire town scrambled to offer sacrifices in worship to Paul and Barnabas. Paul tried, as best as he could, to stop the sacrifices and explain what was going on in a context they could understand. But before he could finish, some Jews from the neighboring towns came in, turned the crowd against Paul, drug him out of the city, and stoned him in an attempt to kill him. Whether Paul died or not, we don’t know – but what we do know is that the believing disciples gathered around his lifeless body and prayed for him. Miraculously, he got up, shook the dust off, and headed to the next town. Several truths can be pulled from this story, but what stuck out to me as I read it, is how important  explanation is. There is a well known saying that is often quoted: “Preach the gospel wherever you go, and when necessary, use words.” Because of that saying, often times well-meaning followers of Christ spend their time demonstrating the gospel without explaining the gospel. They practice random acts of kindness, give to charity, and try to live a life that demonstrates the love of Jesus to the world around them. But as we see in this story, unless the reason for the demonstration is explained, people are left to reach their own conclusions… and they will most likely jump to a conclusion that is wrapped in the context of their Christ-less culture. Acts of kindness will be mistaken for manipulation unless the reason for the acts are clearly explained. Charitable giving will be mistaken for an attempt at buying influence or gaining a tax write-off. Living a loving and peaceable life will misunderstood as just being a nice person who doesn’t want to stir up trouble. The reason the paralyzed man in this story had faith for healing is because he heard Paul’s explanation of the gospel. Biblical faith comes by hearing, not merely by seeing. For people to fully understand the gospel, it must be explained with words they can understand… and then in the context of our explaining, the demonstrating of the gospel has the intended effect.

2 Kings 1:1-18; Acts 13:44-14:7; Psalms 139:13-24; Proverbs 29:18

NT: “The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him. Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district. But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭13:44-52‬ ‭CSB)

I wonder what Paul would have thought if someone had told him that he would spend his latter years traveling around the known world, teaching gentiles and being run out of town by Jews. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t on his list of “things I want to do when I grow up.” But that was the plan God had for Paul all along. Paul’s plan was to become a respected Pharisee and possibly ascend to the role of High Priest… but God’s plan was for Paul to be a light to the gentiles and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Unknown to Paul, his whole life was put together to lead to that grand call and purpose. He could have missed it and gone his own way. Thankfully, he didn’t. There was another plan that I see was in play in this story. Luke’s account says that “all who were appointed to eternal life believed.” The English word ‘appointed’ is translated from the Greek word ‘tasso’ which means arranged in a particular order. What that tells me is that for a large number of the gentiles that were in the crowd that day, there were events that occurred in their lives that all led to them being present that day to hear the word of the Lord, and prepared them to believe the good news they heard. God has plans for all of us, and often times He sovereignly works those plans out in our lives (many times with us being unaware). When the time comes, it is on us to hear the word of the Lord, believe it, and obey it. Whether it is us being the proclaimer, or us being the receiver – God is faithful to arrange our lives unto the appointed time. We need to be faithful to respond when the appointed time comes. Paul and Barnabas laid aside the plans they had for their lives and chose to walk in the appointed way that was made for them. The gentiles took advantage of the appointed time for them, responded in faith to the Gospel, and began their walk in the everlasting way. The result of God’s purposes and plans being fulfilled was a fully-alive community of disciples that was full of Joy and full of the Holy Spirit.

Psalms: “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began… Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:13-16, 23-24‬ ‭CSB)

King David was someone who knew what it felt like to be rejected… to be treated as less than worthy. We saw that when the Prophet Samuel showed up to Bethlehem to meet with Jesse’s family, and David was just an afterthought… not even considered a son worth honoring. However, because of David’s relationship with God, he had a strong sense of who he was and why he was. He was not a mistake… he was not a cast-off. He had been crafted by God for a grand purpose. The same is true of every human being. No matter the origin of or the circumstances surrounding conception, each human being that is conceived is conceived with a pre-destiny… and they are carefully and artistically crafted for that destiny. It is ours to determine, through submission to the Lord, what that call and destiny is. We have the power to abort that destiny. We have the power to choose our own destiny. But oh the satisfaction that comes and the glory that is displayed when we walk in the call and destiny that we were fashioned for. For us to determine what that call and purpose is, we must humbly come to the Lord like David came to the Lord and say, “Search me… know me… show me… lead me in Your everlasting way.”

Proverbs: “Without revelation people run wild, but one who follows divine instruction will be happy.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29:18‬ ‭CSB)

What we see a lot of, is people running wild with no direction in their lives – chasing down whatever they think will make them happy. After all, in our country, we believe that it is an inalienable right to be able to pursue happiness… and boy do we. But the only way to truly pursue happiness is to pursue the Lord and follow the instructions that He has for your life. When we pursue Him and follow His divine instructions, we will be put on the everlasting way and true abiding happiness will be found.

1 Kings 22:29-53; Acts 13:38-43; Psalms 139:1-12; Proverbs 29:15-17

NT: “Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you. Everyone who believes is justified through him from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭13:38-39‬ ‭CSB)

When Paul and Barnabas arrived at the Synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia, the leaders of the Synagogue asked if Paul and Barnabas had any words of encouragement. At that opening, Paul began to share. This is the climax of that message: Through Jesus Christ, who was crucified but was raised to life, forgiveness and justification is available. Everyone (not just some but all) who believes the gospel message and places their faith on the crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ is justified (made and declared righteous) through Christ. The law of Moses has no power to justify – it only has power to condemn. Through Christ, as we own our condemnation, confess our sin and repent to faith in Christ, God forgives our sin, removes the condemnation, and gives us Christ’s righteousness. What an encouraging word that is!

Psalms: “Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; you understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; you are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; you have placed your hand on me. This wondrous knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it. Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I fly on the wings of the dawn and settle down on the western horizon, even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night” — even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:1-12‬ ‭CSB)

As we read and understand Psalm 139, we see more clearly what an amazing and encouraging word the promise of forgiveness and justification is. This psalm was written by David, a man that experienced first hand, the forgiving and justifying work of God. David wrote, “Lord, you have searched me (to dig deep and dig up, penetrate, investigate and examine thoroughly) and known me (to know and understand intimately through experience).” David was far from a perfect man, and God knew every single imperfection that David had. Even the thoughts and considerations that never developed into action, God knew. That is true of all of us. Think about your most intimate friend… the friend that knows everything about you… the person that you divulge your innermost thoughts to… the person that you are most real around. God knows you deeper than that most intimate friend. It is scary to think of someone knowing us that deeply. Were someone to know us in that way, we would probably try to avoid them – just like Adam and Eve tried to hide from God when they fell into sin… or maybe the way you try to avoid your pastor when you are feeling guilty. David wrote that even if he tried to hide from God, he couldn’t – for God is everywhere. God knows everything about us and it is impossible to run away from His gaze or the conviction that His gaze brings. With that in mind, consider what incredibly good news the message that Paul shared is. God knows (even more than we do) how corrupt and unrighteous we are, and there is no way to escape Him and the conviction He brings. Yet, this same God who knows everything about us is willing to forgive everything and give us His righteousness so that the condemnation can be removed, and we can live in peace. All we have to do is commit our lives fully to Him and place our faith in His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

1 Kings 22:1-28; Acts 13:26-37; Psalms 138:7-8; Proverbs 29:12-14

OT: “There was a lull of three years without war between Aram and Israel. However, in the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit the king of Israel. The king of Israel had said to his servants, “Don’t you know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we’re doing nothing to take it from the king of Aram?” So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the Lord’s will is.” So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go against Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?” They replied, “March up, and the Lord will hand it over to the king.” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here anymore? Let’s ask him.” The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king shouldn’t say that!” Jehoshaphat replied… Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the whole heavenly army was standing by him at his right hand and at his left hand. And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? ’ So one was saying this and another was saying that. “Then a spirit came forward, stood in the Lord’s presence, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ “He said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “Then he said, ‘You will certainly entice him and prevail. Go and do that.’ “You see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”” (‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭22:1-8, 19-23‬ ‭CSB)

King Ahab of the Northern kingdom of Israel surrounded himself with about 400 “prophets” that would tell him exactly what he wanted to hear and strengthen him in his resolve. When Jehoshaphat, the godly king of the Southern kingdom of Judah, partnered with Ahab to go to battle against Aram (Syria), Jehoshaphat didn’t want to hear from Ahab’s band of prophets. He wanted to hear the true word of the  Lord – so he asked for a prophet of the Lord. Due to Ahab’s rejection of the Lord for the idols of the land, the Lord didn’t have a lot of encouraging things to say to Ahab – so Ahab had run all the prophets of the Lord off… except for Micaiah. After some strong urging from Jehoshaphat, Ahab sent for Micaiah… and as Ahab expected, Micaiah didn’t bring any words of encouragement. Micaiah explained that because Ahab had rejected the word of the Lord, the appeasing voices that Ahab had surrounded himself with were going to lure him to his demise. It is really easy to fall into the trap of only listening to “prophetic voices” that appease your ears and say what you want to hear. At the same time, it is easy to fall into the temptation of only saying what people want to hear. When I write my daily devotions, because I post them to Facebook, there is a temptation to write things that will garner “likes” from the people that “friend” me. So I have to remind myself that I am not writing these devotional thoughts to garner likes or build a following. I write these thoughts so that people will have an opportunity to be exposed to the true Biblical gospel. Also, as a practice, I do not listen to prophetic voices that I do not know, nor do I listen to commentators that are trying to build a following. I listen to trusted voices that line up with the word of God and are not trying to promote themselves over the truth. How can I know what is the truth and what is merely words of appeasement, you may ask. The Holy Spirit can help you with that. The Holy Spirit not only gives the gift of discerning of spirits, He also graces us to grow in our ability to discern between truth and deception. There are a lot of voices out there vying for your attention, your clicks, and your forwards. Condition your ears and your heart to the truth by hiding the word of God in your heart. Submit to the voice of the Holy Spirit and trusted, proven leaders who speak the truth and don’t just tell you what you want to hear.

Psalms: “If I walk into the thick of danger, you will preserve my life from the anger of my enemies. You will extend your hand; your right hand will save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Lord, your faithful love endures forever; do not abandon the work of your hands.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭138:7-8‬ ‭CSB)

These two verses of Psalm 138, written by King David, are encouraging words of truth. Though they may sound similar to the words of appeasement that were given by the 400 false prophets of Ahab, there is a difference. These words of hope and encouragement… that God will preserve our lives and save us from the dangers that surround us, are given in the context of the first six verses of this psalm. In those verses, David talked about worshipping God and God alone… praising and thanking God with all of his heart… humbly submitting to the Lord’s word, will, and ways. Promises that come from God are always contingent on our faithfulness to worship the Lord exclusively and obey His word, will, and ways to our fullest ability. Also, David didn’t write that God would give him an easy life… that he wouldn’t face challenges. On the contrary, he wrote that he would face challenges… that there would be times when he would be surrounded by enemies that were angry with him. David’s hope wasn’t that God would give him an easy life of comfort. David’s hope was that God would fulfill the purposes that He had for David, even in the midst of challenges and trials. Those are words of truth that we can apply to our lives. As we remain committed to God’s purposes by grace through faith, God will protect and preserve our lives until those purposes are fulfilled… and He will even use the bad things that happen to us and around us to accomplish the good that He has in store for us.

1 Kings 21:1-29; Acts 13:16-25; Psalm 138:1-6; Proverbs 29:9-11

Psalms: “I will give you thanks with all my heart; I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings. I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your constant love and truth. You have exalted your name and your promise above everything else. On the day I called, you answered me; you increased strength within me. All the kings on earth will give you thanks, Lord, when they hear what you have promised. They will sing of the Lord’s ways, for the Lord’s glory is great. Though the Lord is exalted, he takes note of the humble; but he knows the haughty from a distance.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭138:1-6‬ ‭CSB)

This is a psalm of David where he gives thanks and praise for the Lord’s faithfulness to His word of promise. The Hebrew word translated here as ‘heavenly beings’ is the word elohiym (gods) and is most likely referring to the gods of the nations. David wrote, “I will yadah (release praise, thanks, and celebration) with all of my heart.” He was not willing to half-heartedly thank and praise the Lord… he wasn’t going to “mail in” some cursory words of gratitude… he was not going to attribute his blessing and success to any other name but the name of the Lord. Then David wrote, “I will let all the gods of the nations watch and look at me zamar (sing, make music, dance) my praise to You and boast of Your unfailing faithfulness.” Finally, David wrote, “I will shachah (lay prostrate, bring myself low to honor and lift you up) before Your sanctuary… Your dwelling place… Your presence and yadah Your name.” David was not describing a subdued and hushed time of contemplative worship. Every ounce of David’s being (body, soul, mind, and voice)… all that he could physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually give was engaged in thanking the Lord and praising His name. Why? Because the God of all gods, the Creator of the universe had taken note of David, heard him when he called out, and was faithful to His word of promise in a way that was abundantly above anything David could have expected or imagined. The Lord is like that for people who will humble themselves and place their faith in Him. But those who haughtily keep Him at a distance, He will keep at a distance. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Because of David’s faith and humility, God proved Himself faithful… which led David to all the more humble himself before the Lord and boast on the Lord’s goodness. That is how a man after God’s heart behaves. That is the kind of man God is looking for to bless and use powerfully in the world. That is the kind of man I desire to be.

1 Kings 20:16-43; Acts 13:13-15; Psalms 137:5-9; Proverbs 29:5-8

OT: “So Ahab mobilized the young men of the provincial leaders, and there were 232. After them he mobilized all the Israelite troops: 7,000. They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings who were helping him were getting drunk in their quarters… The young men of the provincial leaders and the army behind them marched out from the city, and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry. Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the cavalry and the chariots. He inflicted a severe slaughter on Aram. The prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go and strengthen yourself, then consider carefully what you should do, for in the spring the king of Aram will attack you.” Now the king of Aram’s servants said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hill country. That’s why they were stronger than we were. Instead, we should fight with them on the plain; then we will certainly be stronger than they are… In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to battle Israel. The Israelites mobilized, gathered supplies, and went to fight them. The Israelites camped in front of them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the landscape. Then the man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans have said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will hand over all this whole huge army to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” They camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle took place, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans — one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. The ones who remained fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell on those twenty-seven thousand remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled and went into an inner room in the city… So Ben-hadad came out to him, and Ahab had him come up into the chariot. Then Ben-hadad said to him, “I restore to you the cities that my father took from your father, and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, like my father set up in Samaria.” Ahab responded, “On the basis of this treaty, I release you.” So he made a treaty with him and released him… The prophet said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you released from your hand the man I had set apart for destruction, it will be your life in place of his life and your people in place of his people.’”” (‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭20:15-16, 19-23, 26-30, 33b-34, 42‬ ‭CSB)

Elijah’s spiritual victory on Mount Carmel must have impacted King Ahab in some way, for when Samaria was under siege by Ben-hadad of Aram (Syria), King Ahab actually listened to the voice of the Lord through the prophets. Both times that Ahab listened to the godly prophets, he won a miraculous victory over the vastly larger army of Syria. God didn’t move because he was blessing Ahab’s righteousness. God moved in spite of Ahab to prove to Ahab, the nation of Israel, and the nation of Syria that He was the One True God over all the earth. Though God won Ahab two convincing victories, Ahab’s heart was not changed. He did not fully embrace the Lord and His righteousness. Instead of utterly defeating the enemy of Israel, Ahab made a treaty with the defeated enemy and allowed the enemy to live to fight another day. When a person comes to the Lord in faith, repents of his sin, and accepts the Lord’s gift of salvation – in that moment the enemy of sin in that person’s life is miraculously and convincingly defeated. That newly saved person then has a choice: embrace the Lord completely, follow Him fully, and see sin utterly defeated… or… keep the Lord and His ways at arms length, make a treaty with the enemy of his soul, and continue holding on to the sin that he is accustomed to. The Bible teaches that if we embrace the Lord and His righteousness fully, then He will ongoingly sanctify us (make us holy) by the grace that He gives us, and allow us to become more and more like Him. The Bible also teaches that friendship with the world and its “pleasures” is enmity/hostility toward God, and those who retain their friendship with the world become enemies of God (James 4:4). As a result, there are many who claim to be saved… who may have grown up in a moral home… who may have prayed a prayer of salvation at one time in their life, but are actually spiritual enemies of God because they have made treaties with the enemy instead of fully and completely embracing the Lord and His righteousness. If that is you, hope is not lost. All that is required is for you to repent from your friendship with the world, turn to God, and fully embrace His word, will, and ways in faith. As you do that, He will place you on the upward cycle of grace where He will transform you from glory to glory as you fully follow Him.

1 Kings 19:15-20:15; Acts 12:24-13:12; Psalms 137:1-4; Proverbs 29:2-4

NT: “Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭13:1-5‬ ‭CSB)

The church at Antioch, Syria was the first church consisting of both Messianic Jews and converted gentiles; and was becoming a hub of the Lord’s Kingdom focused ministry. The structure of ministry in this New Testament church was quite different from the traditional Jewish model. Throughout the historical Jewish scriptures, individual people would receive special anointing to either prophecy or lead. The responsibility for teaching the law and ways of God fell exclusively to the priesthood. In Antioch, the model was much different, for the Holy Spirit had been poured out on every believer… every believer was anointed, and every believer was part of a royal priesthood. Dr. Luke (the author of Acts) mentioned five men from a varied background (all empowered, anointed, and led by the Holy Spirit) that were serving in both the role of prophet (forth-telling the heart of God) and teacher (explaining the word and ways of God). In the church that I attend, we have a saying that “no one of us is as gifted as all of us.” That is why, in the New Testament age, it is so key that we work as a team – that we work as part of a body, where every part of the body is graced with its unique flavor of giftings, insights, and perspectives. Paul (Saul) later taught that as individuals, we only prophesy in part and only see in part – but when we work together as a team… as part of a body – we are able to minister in the manifold wisdom of God as all of our parts come together. It was within that context of the manifold wisdom of God that the Holy Spirit spoke to the leadership of the Antioch Church and led them to initiate a new strategy in taking the gospel of the Kingdom to the rest of the world. The Holy Spirit spoke to the team of leaders and told them to set apart, not just Barnabas, nor just Saul (Paul); but to set apart both Barnabas and Saul and send them out to take the Gospel of the Kingdom with accompanying signs and wonders, to the rest of the world. And Barnabas and Saul didn’t limit their team to two, they also brought along John Mark. Another saying in our church is, “the Bible is not a me book, it is a we book.” To see the gospel reach everyone and to see God’s kingdom fully established on earth, it requires a community of individual believers working together in unity under the anointing and leadership of the Holy Spirit.

1 Kings 19:1-14; Acts 12:20-23; Psalms 136:13-26; Proverbs 29:1

OT: “Ahab told Jezebel everything that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!” Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. When he came to Beer-sheba that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there, but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” …Then the angel of the Lord returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. He entered a cave there and spent the night. Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” …Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.” At that moment, the Lord passed by. A great and mighty wind was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”” (‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19:1-5, 7-9, 11-14‬ ‭CSB)

I wonder if Elijah thought, after Baal was humiliated on Mt Carmel and God proved Himself to be the God of all gods, that the war was over… that God had won and that the nation would return to following Him… that Elijah’s life could go back to “normal.” Unfortunately, the enemy does not give up that easily. Even when Jesus defeated the devil’s temptations in the wilderness, the Bible says that the devil went away until a more opportune time. The devil, and those under his influence, do not give up. When we resist the enemy, he will insist, and we must persist by grace through faith. Elijah literally had a mountain top experience as he defeated Baal, executed his priests and prophets, and prayed for rain to come once again to the parched land. We are always the most vulnerable to valleys of despair right after our mountaintop victories, and Elijah was no different. God had sustained Elijah during years of drought and had demonstrated that  Baal was powerless – but all it took was a threat from Jezebel to send Elijah running in fear. Thankfully, God showed Elijah grace even when Elijah was ready to give up and die. First, God sent an angel to bring nourishment to a worn-out Elijah – much like angels ministered to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as He was tormented over what was about to come. Then God presented Himself to Elijah, not only as an all-powerful force, but also as a tender small voice. There was more that God had for Elijah, and through God’s grace, tenderness, and strength; Elijah was given what he needed to faithfully persist. Just because we win a battle, it doesn’t mean that the war is over. Moments of joyous victory will always be followed by valleys of self-doubt and despair, as the enemy of our souls seeks to reclaim any lost ground and insist on his will. We need to expect that and be prepared for that – and know that by grace from the Lord, that we receive by faith in the Lord’s word and purposes, we will be able to persist against the enemy until the end. Don’t give up! Rest in and receive strength from the Lord.

1 Kings 18:20-46; Acts 12:1-19; Psalms 136:1-12; Proverbs 28:27-28

OT: “Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.” So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!” They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention… At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “ Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things. Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the Lord’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “The Lord, he is God! The Lord, he is God!”” (‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭18:25-29, 36-39‬ ‭CSB)

Psalm 115 says that the idols of the nations, which are made by human hands with silver and gold, have ears but do not hear. Our God is the true and living God – and He hears the prayers of those who fear Him and walk according to His word, will, and ways. We see that demonstrated clearly in this story from 1 Kings. Elijah challenged the priests and prophets of Baal to a contest to see who was truly the God of all. All day long the priests and prophets of Baal called out to him to answer. The later it got, the more frantic their efforts. They did everything they could think of to try and get Baal’s attention, even cutting themselves and offering their own blood. On the other hand, Elijah quietly built the altar, presented the sacrifice, doused everything in gallons of water, then simply (but boldly) asked God to answer and prove Himself to the crowd. God heard Elijah and answered in a most convincing way. As faithful followers of the Lord, we don’t have to wonder if God hears us. In fact, Jesus told us several times, that if we keep His word and obey His commandments, God will hear what we ask for and will answer. Why is it then, in some of our gatherings and worship services, do we act more like the priests of Baal than Elijah? In some circles of the church, worship has become more about trying to do enough to call down God from heaven than to simply approach Him in boldness and faith. I understand passion – but there is a difference between earnest and sincere passion and theatrics. God is not impressed with our theatrics, but He is moved when we, in faith, approach Him humbly and worship Him in spirit and truth.

NT: “About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, and he executed James, John’s brother, with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him. When Herod was about to bring him out for trial, that very night Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.” So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what the angel did was really happening, but he thought he was seeing a vision. After they passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and suddenly the angel left him.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭12:1-10‬ ‭CSB)

The key to this miracle was that the church was fervently praying to God for Peter. The Greek word that is translated here as fervent could also be translated as constant or without ceasing. It is earnest prayer that continues until an answer comes. The Apostle James (not the James that was executed in this story) wrote in James 5:16, that the effective and fervent prayer of a righteousness person accomplishes much. James’ example of an effective fervent prayer was that of Elijah, when he prayed for an end to the years long famine. Elijah didn’t jump up and down and hoot and holler to try and get God’s attention. He knew what God was going to do, so he bowed down with his face between his knees, and asked God in faith to bring rain… and when rain didn’t come after the first prayer, he kept praying in faith until a cloud appeared on the horizon. That’s how the church prayed for Peter: they prayed in faith to God, and kept praying until they got an answer. That is how we should pray as well. We don’t have to make a big scene and try to get God to pay attention to us. If we are walking faithfully with the Lord, we can be assured that He hears us – so we can pray to Him in faith and keep praying in faith until we receive an answer. Sometimes that answer comes right away. Sometimes that answer takes years… but it will come if we pray fervently in faith, according to His word, will, and ways.

1 Kings 18:1-19; Acts 11:19-30; Psalms 135:13-21; Proverbs 28:25-26

NT: “Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. News about them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch. When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord. Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭11:19-26‬ ‭CSB)

According to early tradition, Barnabas was a pupil of Gamaliel, as was Saul (Paul); and even attempted to convince Saul to follow Jesus before Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. After Saul was converted and began preaching the Gospel of Jesus and following the Way, he was run out of Damascus and tried to join the Disciples in Jerusalem. The Disciples would not allow Saul to join them because they didn’t believe that he had truly converted. They were afraid of him. It was Barnabas who believed Saul, presented him to the Disciples, and vouched for Saul’s genuine conversion. Soon after, Saul’s life became threatened in Jerusalem as well, so the church leaders sent him away to Tarsus. Barnabas was familiar with the Lord’s assignment for Saul – that Jesus was going to use Saul to bring the gospel message to the gentiles. So when an opportunity arose to disciple a community of converted gentiles in Antioch, Barnabas went to get Saul instead of taking on the responsibility on his own. Barnabas was a man who believed in the work of the Holy Spirit in others and lived to see other people released in their gifts – often to the detriment of his own platform and notoriety. So often, the people that are elevated in ministry are the people that are after their own notoriety… the people that are more concerned with promoting their own brand than believing in the call and potential in other people. I admire Barnabas‘ selflessness. We often focus on the impact that Paul made on the world, but Paul would not have had the impact he had were it not for Barnabas who encouraged and equipped Paul to become all that God had destined for him. It is so rare to encounter people like Barnabas… and so often times, they go unnoticed – quietly working behind the scenes and rarely getting recognition or attention. Being a Barnabas is not glamorous, but it is glorious. Lord, help me to be Barnabas to those in my sphere of influence.