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We Must Go Through Many Hardships To Enter The Kingdom Of God
Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Acts 14:22, NIV After Paul was stoned by the Jews, he went to Derbe. Then, he returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch to strengthen and encourage the people there. Even though he was physically in pain, he still chose to serve God and His people. He remained true to his faith and encouraged others to do the same thing. Paul, in his wisdom, shared with them, “We must endure many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” He and the early disciples understood…
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Don’t Allow The Disappointments Or Fear To Reign
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. Acts 14:19-20, NIV Paul went through pain and persecution to preach the gospel. The Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium chased, stoned, and dragged him outside the city. Since they were thinking that he was dead, then it’s possible that the stoning Paul experienced was not an ordinary one. Perhaps his body was in pain, and his…
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Let’s Fix Our Gaze On The Source Of Miracles And Blessings
“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. Acts 14: 15, NIV This is what Paul said when the people in Lystra tried to worship him and Barnabas after witnessing a miracle. Because they saw a supernatural thing, they thought that the god they believed in appeared to them in human form. They thought that Paul was Hermes and Barnabas was Zeus. They bowed down to them and attempted to offer sacrifices. Because…
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We Can’t Harvest Anything Without Planting Any Seeds First
Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. Proverbs 20:13, NIV It’s okay to sleep and rest, but loving it to the point of being lazy is no longer a good thing. Sometimes, when we are so consumed with what we want, we simply follow our instincts regardless of the consequences. We somehow patronize immediate gratification to the point of compromising the work we must exert. We can’t harvest anything without planting any seeds first. The effort and the time we offered were like seeds that will someday bear fruits if we will only persevere and stay consistent. This very…
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David Chose to Trust God
Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” Psalm 16:1-2, NIV David asked God to preserve Him. Perhaps he went through a very difficult situation that threatened his safety and security. Maybe, David was in trouble. But despite what he felt, he still put his confidence in the Lord. He chose to trust him. A Christian commentator named John Trapp even said, “This was a most powerful plea, for to trust God is the highest honour we can do him, it is to set the crown upon…
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The Man Was Healed Not Because Of His Own Effort, But Because He Listened And Kept His Faith
In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. Acts 14:8-10, NIV There was this man who knew how it felt like to lack something. Perhaps, all throughout his life, he was looking for hope and healing. And here comes Paul, trying to present him the possible answers to his prayers. He listened to his message and received the hope…
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The Lord Is Close To The Brokenhearted
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalms 34:18, NIV Sometimes, it’s so easy for people to say, ‘move on.’ It sounds like a very simple step that a wounded person can do. But the reality is, it’s a hard pill to swallow. You will never know what it feels like not until you go through the same pain. It’s so difficult to see a bright future when your heart is still aching. But the good thing is God’s word is there to remind us that we have a companion along the journey. If you are in so much pain right now…
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Learn To Let Go Of The Bad Things And Allow The Holy Spirit To Move
So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Acts 13: 51-52, NIV When Paul and Barnabas went to Pisidian Antioch, a great number of people followed them after they shared about Jesus. The word spread all throughout the region, but the Jewish leaders tried to persecute them. And so, Paul and Barnabas shook the dust of their feet as a warning to them. After that, they went to another place. Jesus also commanded His disciples to do the same thing when He sent out His twelve disciples. In Matthew…
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Seek God’s Wisdom Above All Else
Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12, NIV We are somehow living in a world where people tend to feel entitled to the things that they have or the knowledge that they gained. And because of this, they rely so much on what they learned rather than listening to trusted and wise people. We may sometimes think that we have already gone through enough experiences in life and that we don’t need other people to instruct and guide us, but this verse simply reminds us to seek wise counsel. There are still so many things that we need to learn, and other people…
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Continue In The Grace Of God
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. Acts 13:43, NIV When Paul and Barnabas shared the word of God with the people, they urged them to continue in God’s grace. This is a powerful reminder for us, especially as we grow along the journey. When we get to know Him even more, it’s important to remember the grace of God because it will keep us humble and serve as our foundation. After all, we are saved not because of our efforts and strength but…
