August 16, 2015 - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2024

The Good Seed - Sunday, August 16, 2015
by GBV Dillenburg GmbH

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August 16, 2015

Today's reading: Isaiah ch. 52

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.
Acts 13:1-5

Thoughts on the Book of Acts (104)
In Antioch in Syria, the third largest city in the Roman Empire, there existed a large Christian community consisting of converted Jews and non-Jews. There were also various preachers of very different origin who expounded the word of God.
From here the Apostle Paul was to set out on his first missionary journey together with Barnabas. Both had been in the Lord's service for some time. But now, the Holy Spirit sent them out to distant places by a prophetic word, so that the message of Christ could be borne to the peoples of the world.
"The Holy Spirit said" This phrase stresses that God the Holy Spirit was present in the church and laid claim to authority and leading in Christian ministry. When the other servants of God laid their hands on Paul and Barnabas, they did not transmit any gift or authority. It was an expression of their fellowship with them in their service.
(to be continued next Sunday)

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