Missionary Renegade: "The Question of the Ages" -- Harvest Daily Devotion for Thursday, February 5 2015

Thursday, February 5, 2015

"The Question of the Ages" -- Harvest Daily Devotion for Thursday, February 5 2015

Thursday, 5 February 2015
"The Question of the Ages"
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?"[Matthew 22:41–42]
Without question, Jesus Christ is the most controversial figure who has ever lived. He is loved, worshiped, and followed by some. He is hated, despised, and rejected by others. He is disregarded and ignored by most. But it always will come down to Jesus.
Who is Jesus? Two thousand years ago, Christ Himself asked the question: "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" (Matthew 22:42). And to this very day, people are still confused about the answer. Maybe there has never been a time when more people profess faith in Jesus yet at the same time have no clue as to who He really is.
Many will speak with respect about Christ. They will say things like, "I believe that Jesus was a great prophet" or "I believe that Jesus was a messenger sent from God" or "I believe that Jesus was the best of all men."
Yet the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was the unique Son of God, not a man becoming God. He was God becoming a man. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the second member of the Trinity. And it also teaches that He was supernaturally conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He was not merely a good teacher but the greatest teacher—God in human form.
The Bible teaches that Christ was physically crucified and that He bodily rose from the dead. The Bible also teaches that Jesus was not one god among many but is the only God, equal with the Father and above all others. That is why the death of Jesus, and the death of Jesus alone, meets the righteous requirements of God.
Jesus never became God. He always was God. He walked among us as an ordinary looking man, yet He was God incarnate.

Share this today:

If someone asked you who is this Jesus, how would you answer that question?
Dig Deeper:
Today's Radio Program
"Hope for Hurting Marriages, Part 2–2"
This Week's TV Program
"Satisfaction for the Spiritually Thirsty"
Today's Bible Reading
Exodus 39: Making the priests’ clothing

1 They used the blue, purple, and deep red yarns to make the woven clothing for those ministering as priests in the sanctuary. They made the holy clothes for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses.

2 They made the vest[a] of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen. 3 They beat out thin sheets of gold and cut them into threads to work into designs among the blue, purple, and deep red yarns and the fine linen. 4 They made shoulder pieces for it attached to its two edges so that they could be joined together. 5 The vest’s belt was attached to it and made in the same way of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

6 They prepared the gemstones by mounting them in gold settings and engraving on them the names of Israel’s sons, like an official seal is engraved. 7 The stones were attached to the vest’s shoulder pieces as reminder stones for the Israelites, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

8 They made the embroidered chest pendant in the style of the vest, using gold, blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and fine twisted linen. 9 They made the chest pendant square and doubled, nine inches long and nine inches wide when doubled. 10 They set in it four rows of gemstones. The first row was a row of carnelian, topaz, and emerald stones. 11 The second row was a turquoise, a sapphire, and a moonstone. 12 The third row was a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. 13 The fourth row was a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. The settings around them were decorative gold. 14 There were twelve stones with names corresponding to the names of Israel’s sons. They were engraved like official seals, each with its name for the twelve tribes. 15 They made chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, for the chest pendant. 16 They made two gold settings and two gold rings. They attached the two rings to the two edges of the chest pendant. 17 They attached the two gold cords to the two rings at the edges of the chest pendant. 18 Then they fastened the two ends of the two cords to the two gold settings and attached them to the front of the vest’s shoulder pieces. 19 They made two gold rings, and they attached them to the two edges of the chest pendant, on its inside edge facing the vest. 20 They made two gold rings and fastened them on the front of the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the vest, at its seam just above the vest’s belt. 21 The chest pendant was held in place by a blue cord binding its rings to the vest’s rings so that the chest pendant rested on the vest’s belt and didn’t come loose from the vest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

22 They also made the vest’s robe, woven completely in blue. 23 The opening of the robe in the middle of it was reinforced with a strong border so that it didn’t tear. 24 On the robe’s lower hem, they added pomegranates made of blue, purple, and deep red yarns and of fine twisted linen. 25 They also made pure gold bells and sewed the bells between the pomegranates, all around the robe’s lower hem, 26 with a bell and a pomegranate alternating all around the lower hem of the robe that is used for ministering as a priest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

27 They also made the tunics woven out of fine linen for Aaron and his sons, 28 the turban of fine linen, the decorated turbans of fine linen, the linen undergarments of fine twisted linen, 29 the sashes of fine twisted linen, and of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, decorated with needlework, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

30 They made the flower ornament for the holy crown out of pure gold. Like the engraving on an official seal, they engraved on it the saying “Holy to the Lord.” 31 They fastened to it a blue cord to tie it to the top of the turban, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Completion of dwelling construction

32 In this way all the work of the meeting tent dwelling was finished. The Israelites did everything just exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 Then they brought to Moses the dwelling, the tent, and all its equipment:

its clasps, its boards, its bars, its posts, and its bases,

34 the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, the covering of beaded leather, and the veil for a screen,

35 the chest containing the covenant with its poles and the cover,

36 the table with all its equipment and the bread of the presence,

37 the pure lampstand with its lamps set on it and all its equipment, and the oil for the light,

38 the gold altar, the anointing oil, and the sweet-smelling incense,

the screen for the tent’s entrance,

39 the copper altar and its copper grate, its poles, and all its equipment,

the washbasin with its stand,

40 the courtyard’s drapes, its posts, and its bases,

the screen for the plaza’s gate, its cords, and its tent pegs,

and all the other equipment for the service of the dwelling, for the meeting tent,

41 the woven clothes for ministering as priests in the sanctuary, the holy clothes for the priest Aaron and the clothes for his sons to serve as priests.

42 The Israelites did all of the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 43 When Moses saw that they in fact had done all the work exactly as the Lord had commanded, Moses blessed them.

Moses sets up the dwelling

40:1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 Set up the meeting tent dwelling on the first day of the first month.[b] 3 Place the chest containing the covenant inside the dwelling. Hide the chest from view with the veil. 4 Bring in the table and arrange its items. Bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar for burning incense in front of the chest containing the covenant. Set up the screen at the dwelling’s entrance. 6 Put the altar for entirely burned offerings in front of the entrance to the meeting tent dwelling. 7 Put the washbasin between the meeting tent and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard all around. Hang up the screen at the courtyard gate. 9 Then take the anointing oil and anoint the dwelling and everything in it. Make holy the dwelling and all its equipment, and it will be holy. 10 Anoint the altar for entirely burned offerings and all its equipment. Make the altar holy, and the altar will be most holy. 11 Anoint the washbasin with its stand and make it holy.

12 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the meeting tent’s entrance and wash them with water. 13 Dress Aaron in the holy clothes. Anoint him and make him holy so that he may serve me as priest. 14 Then bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them like you anointed their father so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing is to the priesthood for all time in every generation.

16 Moses did everything exactly as the Lord had commanded him. 17 In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the dwelling was set up. 18 Moses set up the dwelling. He laid out its bases. He set up its boards, inserted its bars, and raised up its posts. 19 He spread the tent out over the dwelling, and he put the covering of the tent over it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 20 He took the covenant document and placed it inside the chest. He put the poles on the chest, and he set the cover on top of the chest. 21 He brought the chest into the dwelling. He set up the veil as a screen to hide from view the chest containing the covenant, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 22 He placed the table in the meeting tent, on the north side of the dwelling, outside the veil. 23 He set the bread in its proper place on the table in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 24 He put the lampstand in the meeting tent, opposite the table on the south side of the dwelling. 25 He set up the lamps in the Lord’s presence, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 26 He put the gold altar in the meeting tent in front of the veil. 27 He burned sweet-smelling incense on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 28 He also set up the screen at the entrance to the dwelling. 29 He placed the altar for entirely burned offerings at the entrance to the meeting tent dwelling. He offered the entirely burned offering and the grain offering on it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 He put the washbasin between the meeting tent and the altar, and put water in it for washing. 31 Moses, Aaron, and his sons used it to wash their hands and their feet. 32 Whenever they went into the meeting tent and whenever they approached the altar, they washed themselves, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 33 He set up the courtyard around the dwelling and the altar, and he hung up the screen at the courtyard’s gate.

God’s presence fills the dwelling!

When Moses had finished all the work, 34 the cloud covered the meeting tent and the Lord’s glorious presence filled the dwelling. 35 Moses couldn’t enter the meeting tent because the cloud had settled on it, and the Lord’s glorious presence filled the dwelling. 36 Whenever the cloud rose from the dwelling, the Israelites would set out on their journeys. 37 But if the cloud didn’t rise, then they didn’t set out until the day it rose. 38 The Lord’s cloud stayed over the dwelling during the day, with lightning in it at night, clearly visible to the whole household of Israel at every stage of their journey.[Footnotes:

Exodus 39:2 Heb ephod

Exodus 40:2 March–April, Abib]

Psalm 15: A psalm of David.

1 Who can live in your tent, Lord?

Who can dwell on your holy mountain?

2 The person who

lives free of blame,

does what is right,

and speaks the truth sincerely;

3 who does no damage with their talk,

does no harm to a friend,

doesn’t insult a neighbor;

4 someone who despises

those who act wickedly,

but who honors those

who honor the Lord;

someone who keeps their promise even when it hurts;

5 someone who doesn’t lend money with interest,

who won’t accept a bribe against any innocent person.

Whoever does these things will never stumble.

Acts 12: Herod imprisons Peter

1 About that time King Herod began to harass some who belonged to the church. 2 He had James, John’s brother, killed with a sword. 3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter as well. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 He put Peter in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers, sixteen in all, who guarded him. He planned to charge him publicly after the Passover. 5 While Peter was held in prison, the church offered earnest prayer to God for him.

6 The night before Herod was going to bring Peter’s case forward, Peter was asleep between two soldiers and bound with two chains, with soldiers guarding the prison entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared and a light shone in the prison cell. After nudging Peter on his side to awaken him, the angel raised him up and said, “Quick! Get up!” The chains fell from his wrists. 8 The angel continued, “Get dressed. Put on your sandals.” Peter did as he was told. The angel said, “Put on your coat and follow me.” 9 Following the angel, Peter left the prison. However, he didn’t realize the angel had actually done all this. 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. After leaving the prison, they proceeded the length of one street, when abruptly the angel was gone.

11 At that, Peter came to his senses and remarked, “Now I’m certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod and from everything the Jewish people expected.” 12 Realizing this, he made his way to Mary’s house. (Mary was John’s mother; he was also known as Mark.) Many believers had gathered there and were praying. 13 When Peter knocked at the outer gate, a female servant named Rhoda went to answer. 14 She was so overcome with joy when she recognized Peter’s voice that she didn’t open the gate. Instead, she ran back in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate.

15 “You’ve lost your mind!” they responded. She stuck by her story with such determination that they began to say, “It must be his guardian angel.” 16 Meanwhile, Peter remained outside, knocking at the gate. They finally opened the gate and saw him there, and they were astounded.

17 He gestured with his hand to quiet them down, then recounted how the Lord led him out of prison. He said, “Tell this to James and the brothers and sisters.” Then he left for another place.

18 The next morning the soldiers were flustered about what had happened to Peter. 19 Herod called for a thorough search. When Peter didn’t turn up, Herod interrogated the guards and had them executed. Afterward, Herod left Judea in order to spend some time in Caesarea.

20 Herod had been furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon for some time. They made a pact to approach him together, since their region depended on the king’s realm for its food supply. They persuaded Blastus, the king’s personal attendant, to join their cause, then appealed for an end to hostilities. 21 On the scheduled day Herod dressed himself in royal attire, seated himself on the throne, and gave a speech to the people. 22 Those assembled kept shouting, over and over, “This is a god’s voice, not the voice of a mere human!” 23 Immediately an angel from the Lord struck Herod down, because he didn’t give the honor to God. He was eaten by worms and died.

24 God’s word continued to grow and increase. 25 Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch from Jerusalem[a] after completing their mission, bringing with them John, who was also known as Mark.[Footnotes:

Acts 12:25 Critical editions of the Gk New Testament read returned to Jerusalem.]

___________________________________

"The Divine Paradox" -- Harvest Daily Devotion for Wednesday, 4 February 2015

Wednesday, 4 February 2015
"The Divine Paradox"
"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."[Luke 14:11]
If we have learned nothing else from our culture telling us what we should do to be happy, we have learned this: It is just not true. We have realized where happiness isn't.
Prior to becoming a Christian, I already knew the answer was not in the world. I knew it wasn't in my mother's world of hedonism and drinking and partying. I knew it wasn't in my world, limited as it was at seventeen years old. So I was wondering where it was. And then I became a Christian.
We have a different paradigm to follow, given to us by God in His Word. We could call it the divine paradox, because in God's economy, if we want to be great, we must learn to be humble. If we want self-fulfillment, we should seek the fulfillment of others.
Regarding this divine paradox, Malcolm Muggeridge pointed out, "Where, then, does happiness lie? In forgetfulness, not indulgence, of self. In escape from sensual appetites, not in their satisfaction."
The way to happiness is sadness. By that I mean we are sad over our sinful state, so we turn to God, ask for His forgiveness, and enter into a relationship with Him. Jesus gave us the beautiful beatitude, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). Another way to translate this would be, "Oh how happy are the unhappy." There is no greater example of this upside down life than Jesus Christ Himself.
We want to find our happiness and our joy in the right place, or more specifically, in the right person, which is God. As we come to know and walk with Him, we will find something better than happiness, and that is joy. We will find joy in our circumstances, regardless of what they are.

Share this today:

Has it been your experience to find joy in your circumstances, regardless of what they are? How is that possible?
Dig Deeper:
Today's Radio Program
"Hope for Hurting Marriages, Part 2–1"
This Week's TV Program
"Satisfaction for the Spiritually Thirsty"
Today's Bible Reading
Exodus 37: Building the chest containing the covenant document

1 Bezalel made the chest of acacia wood. It was forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 2 He covered the chest with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding all around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 4 He made acacia-wood poles and covered them with gold. 5 He put the poles into the rings on the chest’s sides to use to carry the chest. 6 He made a cover for the chest out of pure gold, forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 7 He made two winged heavenly creatures of hammered gold for the two ends of the cover, 8 one winged heavenly creature at one end and one winged heavenly creature at the other. He placed the winged heavenly creatures at the cover’s two ends. 9 The winged heavenly creatures spread out their wings above, shielding the cover with their wings. The winged heavenly creatures faced each other toward the cover’s center.

Constructing the table and lampstand

10 He also made the table of acacia wood, three feet long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 11 He covered it with pure gold and made a gold molding all around it. 12 He made a frame around it that was four inches wide and gold molding around the frame. 13 He made four gold rings for the table. He fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs. 14 The rings that housed the poles used for carrying the table were close to the frame. 15 He made the poles used to carry the table out of acacia wood, and he covered them with gold. 16 He made the containers of pure gold that were to be on the table: its plates, dishes, bowls, and jars for pouring drink offerings.

17 He also made the lampstand of pure, hammered gold. The lampstand’s base, branches, cups, flowers, and petals were all attached to it. 18 It had six branches growing out from its sides, three branches on one side of the lampstand and three branches on the other side of the lampstand. 19 One branch had three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a flower and petals, and the next branch also had three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a flower and petals. A total of six branches grew out of the lampstand. 20 In addition, on the lampstand itself there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its flower and petals. 21 There was a flower attached under the first pair of branches, a flower attached under the next pair of branches, and a flower attached under the last pair of branches. 22 Their flowers and their branches were attached to it. The whole lampstand was one piece of pure hammered gold. 23 He made its seven lamps and its tongs and its fire pans out of pure gold. 24 He made the lampstand and all its equipment from pure gold weighing one kikkar.

Making the incense altar, incense, and oil

25 He made the incense altar out of acacia wood. The altar was square, eighteen inches long by eighteen inches wide. It was three feet high, and its horns were permanently attached. 26 He covered it with pure gold, including its top, all its sides, and its horns. He also made a gold molding all around it. 27 He made two gold rings, and he attached them under the molding on two opposite sides of the altar. They housed the poles used to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood, and he covered them with gold.

29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure sweet-smelling incense like a skilled perfume maker.

Making the altar for entirely burned offerings

38:1 He made the altar for entirely burned offerings out of acacia wood. The altar was square, seven and a half feet long and seven and a half feet wide. It was four and a half feet high. 2 He made horns for it, one horn on each of its four corners. Its horns were attached to the altar, and he covered it with copper. 3 He made all the altar’s equipment: the pails, the shovels, the bowls, the meat forks, and the trays. He made all its equipment out of copper. 4 He made a grate for the altar of copper mesh underneath its bottom edge and extending halfway up to the middle of the altar. 5 He made four rings for each of the four corners of the copper grate to house the poles. 6 He made the poles out of acacia wood, and he covered them with copper. 7 He put the poles through the rings so that the poles were on the two sides of the altar when it was carried. He made the altar with planks but hollow inside.

8 He made the copper washbasin with its copper stand from the copper mirrors among the ranks of women assigned to the meeting tent’s entrance.

Constructing the dwelling’s plaza

9 He also set up the courtyard. The courtyard’s south side had drapes of fine twisted linen stretching one hundred fifty feet 10 with twenty posts, twenty copper bases, and silver hooks and bands for the posts. 11 Likewise the north side stretched one hundred fifty feet, with twenty posts, twenty copper bases, and silver hooks and bands for the posts. 12 On the west side the drapes stretched seventy-five feet, with their ten posts, their ten bases, and silver hooks and bands for the posts. 13 The front side facing east was seventy-five feet. 14 There were twenty-two and a half feet of drapes on one side with three posts and three bases for them. 15 Likewise, there were twenty-two and a half feet of drapes on the other side of the plaza’s gate with three posts and three bases for them. 16 All the drapes around the courtyard were made of fine twisted linen. 17 The bases for the posts were made of copper, but the hooks for the posts and their bands were made of silver. The tops of the posts were covered with silver, and all the posts surrounding the courtyard had silver bands. 18 The screen for the gate into the courtyard was made with blue, purple, and deep red yarns and fine twisted linen, decorated with needlework. It was thirty feet long and, along the width of it, seven and a half feet high, corresponding to the courtyard’s drapes. 19 It had four posts, their four copper bases, their silver hooks, and their tops and bands covered with silver. 20 All the tent pegs for the dwelling and for the courtyard all around were made of copper.

A listing of materials used

21 These are the accounts of the dwelling, the covenant dwelling, that were recorded at Moses’ instructions. They are the work of the Levites, under the direction of Ithamar, Aaron the priest’s son. 22 Bezalel, Uri’s son and Hur’s grandson from the tribe of Judah, made everything that the Lord had commanded Moses to make. 23 Working with Bezalel was Oholiab, Ahisamach’s son from the tribe of Dan, who was a gem cutter, a designer, and a needleworker in blue, purple, and deep red yarns and in fine linen.

24 The total amount of the gold that was used for construction of the whole sanctuary, gold from the uplifted offerings, was twenty-nine kikkars and seven hundred thirty shekels in weight, measured by the sanctuary shekel. 25 The silver from the community census totaled one hundred kikkars and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels in weight, measured by the sanctuary shekel. 26 They gave a beqa per person (that is, half a shekel, measured by the sanctuary shekel) for everyone who was counted in the census, 20 years old and above, 603,550 men. 27 One hundred kikkars of silver were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and the bases for the veil, one hundred bases from one hundred kikkars of silver, one kikkar for every base. 28 He used one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels of silver[a] to make the hooks for the posts, cover their tops, and make bands for them. 29 The amount of copper from the uplifted offering was seventy kikkars and two thousand four hundred shekels in weight. 30 He used it to make the bases for the meeting tent’s entrance, the copper altar, its copper grate, and all the altar’s equipment, 31 the bases all around the courtyard, and the bases for the courtyard’s gate, all the dwelling’s tent pegs, and all the tent pegs used around the courtyard.[Footnotes:

Exodus 38:28 Heb lacks shekels of silver.]

Psalm 19: For the music leader. A psalm of David.

1 Heaven is declaring God’s glory;

the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.

2 One day gushes the news to the next,

and one night informs another what needs to be known.

3 Of course, there’s no speech, no words—

their voices can’t be heard—

4 but their sound[a] extends throughout the world;

their words reach the ends of the earth.

God has made a tent in heaven for the sun.

5 The sun is like a groom

coming out of his honeymoon suite;

like a warrior, it thrills at running its course.

6 It rises in one end of the sky;

its circuit is complete at the other.

Nothing escapes its heat.

7 The Lord’s Instruction is perfect,

reviving one’s very being.[b]

The Lord’s laws are faithful,

making naive people wise.

8 The Lord’s regulations are right,

gladdening the heart.

The Lord’s commands are pure,

giving light to the eyes.

9 Honoring the Lord is correct,

lasting forever.

The Lord’s judgments are true.

All of these are righteous!

10 They are more desirable than gold—

than tons of pure gold!

They are sweeter than honey—

even dripping off the honeycomb!

11 No doubt about it:

your servant is enlightened by them;

there is great reward in keeping them.

12 But can anyone know

what they’ve accidentally done wrong?

Clear me of any unknown sin

13 and save your servant from willful sins.

Don’t let them rule me.

Then I’ll be completely blameless;

I’ll be innocent of great wrongdoing.

14 Let the words of my mouth

and the meditations of my heart

be pleasing to you,

Lord, my rock and my redeemer.[Footnotes:

Psalm 19:4 LXX, Vulg, Sym; MT line or string

Psalm 19:7 Or soul]

Acts 11: Jerusalem church questions Peter

1 The apostles and the brothers and sisters throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God’s word. 2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him. 3 They accused him, “You went into the home of the uncircumcised and ate with them!”

4 Step-by-step, Peter explained what had happened. 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying when I had a visionary experience. In my vision, I saw something like a large linen sheet being lowered from heaven by its four corners. It came all the way down to me. 6 As I stared at it, wondering what it was, I saw four-legged animals—including wild beasts—as well as reptiles and wild birds.[a] 7 I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!’ 8 I responded, ‘Absolutely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 The voice from heaven spoke a second time, ‘Never consider unclean what God has made pure.’ 10 This happened three times, then everything was pulled back into heaven. 11 At that moment three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them even though they were Gentiles. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered that man’s house. 13 He reported to us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is known as Peter. 14 He will tell you how you and your entire household can be saved.’ 15 When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as the Spirit fell on us in the beginning. 16 I remembered the Lord’s words: ‘John will baptize with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, then who am I? Could I stand in God’s way?”

18 Once the apostles and other believers heard this, they calmed down. They praised God and concluded, “So then God has enabled Gentiles to change their hearts and lives so that they might have new life.”

The Antioch church

19 Now those who were scattered as a result of the trouble that occurred because of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They proclaimed the word only to Jews. 20 Among them were some people from Cyprus and Cyrene. They entered Antioch and began to proclaim the good news about the Lord Jesus also to Gentiles. 21 The Lord’s power was with them, and a large number came to believe and turned to the Lord.

22 When the church in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw evidence of God’s grace, he was overjoyed and encouraged everyone to remain fully committed to the Lord. 24 Barnabas responded in this way because he was a good man, whom the Holy Spirit had endowed with exceptional faith. A considerable number of people were added to the Lord. 25 Barnabas went to Tarsus in search of Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They were there for a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching large numbers of people. It was in Antioch where the disciples were first labeled “Christians.”

27 About that time, some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, Agabus, stood up and, inspired by the Spirit, predicted that a severe famine would overtake the entire Roman world. (This occurred during Claudius’ rule.) 29 The disciples decided they would send support to the brothers and sisters in Judea, with everyone contributing to this ministry according to each person’s abundance. 30 They sent Barnabas and Saul to take this gift to the elders.[Footnotes:

Acts 11:6 Or birds in the sky]

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