June 21
Light for the Gentiles!

Acts 13:42-14:7     New International Version (NIV)

 

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. ⁴³ When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.
⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

“‘I have made you^[a] a light for the Gentiles,
    that you^[b] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’^[c]”

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

⁴⁹ The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. ⁵¹ So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

In Iconium

14 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. ³ So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. ⁴ The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. ⁵ There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. ⁶ But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, ⁷ where they continued to preach the gospel.

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Rejoice for the light has come!

Where would we be if not for the ministry of the Grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being given to the Gentiles?!

I shudder to think..... and Praise God! He always had a plan for us.

It should give us hope to know that all the while, the Lord had a plan to rescue all of mankind from sin.. and yet it took thousands of years to be fully revealed and fulfilled.

When we are waiting to see God's plan unfold and we don't see anything happening, we can take heart that God is ALWAYS AT WORK to bring His plan into reality.

He does not work by our time table.

But He is at work. behind the scenes bringing everything into perfect sync at the perfect time....

Rejoice the Light has come for all of us!

and rejoice that everything will fall into place as well.