Acts 13:4-12 Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
I am sometimes shocked by how often and in how many ways the enemy tried to stop the gospel. In this instance the governor sent for Paul to hear the gospel message. But a magician attempted to prevent the official from speaking with Paul. However, Paul, filled with a boldness that comes only through the Spirit, literally stopped the man in his tracks.
One of the lessons we can learn from this passage is that the gospel will not be stopped. The Holy Spirit still empowers us today to be bold even in the face of opposition as we share Christ with others.
May we go out today in the power of the Spirit and share Jesus with someone who needs Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Acts 13:1-3 Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While 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.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Do you ever consider what it would have been like to know Paul when he first started spreading the gospel? Trained and ordained not by men, but by Jesus, Paul began his first missionary journey in Antioch, in southern Turkey along with Barnabas, already an established leader in the church.
I grew up in in the age of tent revivals, where evangelists would travel from town to town and pitch huge tents filled with folding chairs. The preacher yelled out the Scripture, added some fire and brimstone, and if the Holy Spirit didn’t draw you to the kneeling rails, the fear of eternity in hell did.
In contrast, Paul, well educated and trained, strategically planted churches in urban areas near ports where the gospel spread quickly. And did you notice one vital part of Paul’s preparation that is all too often missing today? Before beginning their journey Paul and Barnabus, along with others, fasted and prayed.
Replacing a meal with prayer is a way to help us draw near to God. When we have an urgent need, approaching God with such humility and sacrifice can enable us to better receive His guidance.
May we purpose in our hearts to seek out God with intention and devotion so that we can hear from the Holy Spirit and accomplish His will.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Give Thanks
Psalms 107:1 (ESV) 1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Today we celebrate another Thanksgiving, where we in the United States we remember those first settlers to our shores and the meals shared with the Native Americans. Elementary school kids put on plays and homes are decorated with autumn wreaths, pumpkins, and other seasonal decorations and the smell of apple cider permeates the air. We gather with families and friends to enjoy tables burdened down with food followed by football, football and more football.
As a child I remember Thanksgiving was celebrated at my Aunt Dean’s house on Shackleford Road. The house was filled with laughter as we joined our grandmother, aunts uncles and cousins in our annual Thanksgiving feast.
When we moved to Richmond with Reynolds Metals we took turns with Coralie and Larry Hawkins in hosting a meal for all of our little conclave, and later in Pittsburgh we enjoyed a smaller version of our annual tradition.
After returning home, our tables overflowed with food as family and friends gathered for what has always been my favorite holiday, inspired I am sure by those long ago memories made on Shackleford Road.
Some have adopted the practice of volunteering at shelters to serve a Thanksgiving meal to those without a home. For Christ followers, the practice of being thankful predates our secular rituals, as the Bible is replete with encouragement for us to give thanks, first to God and then to others.
So, on Thanksgiving, 2025, I am thankful for salvation, for God’s faithfulness, and for a church where I can worship with other believers and deepen my relationship with Jesus. I am thankful for family, whether near or far, and for both the challenges and rewards that are part of life.
I am reminded of a song we sang in grade school, and am closing with the following lyrics.
- We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing;
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own. - Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!
May we be thankful to our Lord and Savior today and every day.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer is the Key
Acts 12:1-19 (NIV) 1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”
16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.
18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.
What a perilous time in the life of the Church. James, also known as one of the Sons of Thunder, had already been martyred, and because this action pleased the Jewish leaders, Peter faced the same fate. But God…
You see, we can never give up as long as God has a plan. And God always has a plan.
As Peter slept, an angel appeared and the laws of nature were thrust aside. Peter’s metal manacles fell to the ground and heavy iron gates were flung open, all without a sound. No one saw Peter nor the angel, and when Peter arrived at the home of fellow believers, he was left outside while those who had gathered to pray for him tried to understand what was happening.
What was happening? Their prayers had been answered! Father God, may I never be part of a prayer group whose prayers are successful, and then I wonder what is going on!
May we always approach the Throne of God with untarnished faith, thanking God before the miracle occurs, and praising Him afterwards.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
With All My Praise
Psalms 104:33-34 (NIV) 33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
Psalms 27:4 (NIV) 4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
Psalms 27:13-14 (NIV) 13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
And just like that, we have arrived at Thanksgiving. How do the days rush by, so many without any seeming significance? Yet, each day that God gives us breath, we have reason to praise.
Don’t you love David’s resolve? “I remain confident,” “I will see the goodness,”and “I will sing praise.” These are not timid statements, nor are they dependent upon anything God is doing!
Years ago, I wrote a short chorus, praising the Lord of Lords. Allow me to share it with you.
Jesus is the rock of my salvation and my strength
He lifts me high above the heads of all my enemies
He hides me in His pavilion in His secret dwelling place
where I behold the beauty of his face
Higher and higher, higher and higher, I will lift Him above all others
Higher and higher, higher and higher, come on sisters and brothers
He said if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me, so lift Him higher
for all the world to see.
May we, too, lift our praises, higher and higher, to the God of all, to Jesus our Lord, and to the Holy Spirit, our, Comforter and our Guide.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 