Podcasts about Barnabas

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted and Ronnie sans Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics:1. Baz Luhrman's Elvis movie 2. Do we really care about Elvis? 3. The delightful energy of rock music movies4. Journey and the appeal of beige music 5. The business of fame and whether we'll ever see another dollar from this podcast

Old Testament: Isaiah 26–28 Isaiah 26–28 (Listen) You Keep Him in Perfect Peace 26 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:   “We have a strong city;    he sets up salvation    as walls and bulwarks.2   Open the gates,    that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.3   You keep him in perfect peace    whose mind is stayed on you,    because he trusts in you.4   Trust in the LORD forever,    for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.5   For he has humbled    the inhabitants of the height,    the lofty city.  He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,    casts it to the dust.6   The foot tramples it,    the feet of the poor,    the steps of the needy.” 7   The path of the righteous is level;    you make level the way of the righteous.8   In the path of your judgments,    O LORD, we wait for you;  your name and remembrance    are the desire of our soul.9   My soul yearns for you in the night;    my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.  For when your judgments are in the earth,    the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.10   If favor is shown to the wicked,    he does not learn righteousness;  in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly    and does not see the majesty of the LORD.11   O LORD, your hand is lifted up,    but they do not see it.  Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.    Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.12   O LORD, you will ordain peace for us,    for you have indeed done for us all our works.13   O LORD our God,    other lords besides you have ruled over us,    but your name alone we bring to remembrance.14   They are dead, they will not live;    they are shades, they will not arise;  to that end you have visited them with destruction    and wiped out all remembrance of them.15   But you have increased the nation, O LORD,    you have increased the nation; you are glorified;    you have enlarged all the borders of the land. 16   O LORD, in distress they sought you;    they poured out a whispered prayer    when your discipline was upon them.17   Like a pregnant woman    who writhes and cries out in her pangs    when she is near to giving birth,  so were we because of you, O LORD;18     we were pregnant, we writhed,    but we have given birth to wind.  We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth,    and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.19   Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.    You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!  For your dew is a dew of light,    and the earth will give birth to the dead. 20   Come, my people, enter your chambers,    and shut your doors behind you;  hide yourselves for a little while    until the fury has passed by.21   For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place    to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity,  and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it,    and will no more cover its slain. The Redemption of Israel 27 In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea. 2   In that day,  “A pleasant vineyard,1 sing of it!3     I, the LORD, am its keeper;    every moment I water it.    Lest anyone punish it,  I keep it night and day;4     I have no wrath.  Would that I had thorns and briers to battle!    I would march against them,    I would burn them up together.5   Or let them lay hold of my protection,    let them make peace with me,    let them make peace with me.” 6   In days to come2 Jacob shall take root,    Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots    and fill the whole world with fruit. 7   Has he struck them as he struck those who struck them?    Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?8   Measure by measure,3 by exile you contended with them;    he removed them with his fierce breath4 in the day of the east wind.9   Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for,    and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:5  when he makes all the stones of the altars    like chalkstones crushed to pieces,    no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.10   For the fortified city is solitary,    a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness;  there the calf grazes;    there it lies down and strips its branches.11   When its boughs are dry, they are broken;    women come and make a fire of them.  For this is a people without discernment;    therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them;    he who formed them will show them no favor. 12 In that day from the river Euphrates6 to the Brook of Egypt the LORD will thresh out the grain, and you will be gleaned one by one, O people of Israel. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain at Jerusalem. Judgment on Ephraim and Jerusalem 28   Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,    and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,    which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!2   Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong;    like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest,  like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters,    he casts down to the earth with his hand.3   The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim    will be trodden underfoot;4   and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,    which is on the head of the rich valley,  will be like a first-ripe fig7 before the summer:    when someone sees it, he swallows it    as soon as it is in his hand. 5   In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory,8    and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,6   and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,    and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. 7   These also reel with wine    and stagger with strong drink;  the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink,    they are swallowed by9 wine,    they stagger with strong drink,  they reel in vision,    they stumble in giving judgment.8   For all tables are full of filthy vomit,    with no space left. 9   “To whom will he teach knowledge,    and to whom will he explain the message?  Those who are weaned from the milk,    those taken from the breast?10   For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,    line upon line, line upon line,    here a little, there a little.” 11   For by people of strange lips    and with a foreign tongue  the LORD will speak to this people,12     to whom he has said,  “This is rest;    give rest to the weary;  and this is repose”;    yet they would not hear.13   And the word of the LORD will be to them  precept upon precept, precept upon precept,    line upon line, line upon line,    here a little, there a little,  that they may go, and fall backward,    and be broken, and snared, and taken. A Cornerstone in Zion 14   Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers,    who rule this people in Jerusalem!15   Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,    and with Sheol we have an agreement,  when the overwhelming whip passes through    it will not come to us,  for we have made lies our refuge,    and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;16   therefore thus says the Lord GOD,  “Behold, I am the one who has laid10 as a foundation in Zion,    a stone, a tested stone,  a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation:    ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.'17   And I will make justice the line,    and righteousness the plumb line;  and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,    and waters will overwhelm the shelter.”18   Then your covenant with death will be annulled,    and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;  when the overwhelming scourge passes through,    you will be beaten down by it.19   As often as it passes through it will take you;    for morning by morning it will pass through,    by day and by night;  and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.20   For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on,    and the covering too narrow to wrap oneself in.21   For the LORD will rise up as on Mount Perazim;    as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused;  to do his deed—strange is his deed!    and to work his work—alien is his work!22   Now therefore do not scoff,    lest your bonds be made strong;  for I have heard a decree of destruction    from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land. 23   Give ear, and hear my voice;    give attention, and hear my speech.24   Does he who plows for sowing plow continually?    Does he continually open and harrow his ground?25   When he has leveled its surface,    does he not scatter dill, sow cumin,  and put in wheat in rows    and barley in its proper place,    and emmer11 as the border?26   For he is rightly instructed;    his God teaches him. 27   Dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge,    nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin,  but dill is beaten out with a stick,    and cumin with a rod.28   Does one crush grain for bread?    No, he does not thresh it forever;12  when he drives his cart wheel over it    with his horses, he does not crush it.29   This also comes from the LORD of hosts;    he is wonderful in counsel    and excellent in wisdom. Footnotes [1] 27:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts A vineyard of wine [2] 27:6 Hebrew In those to come [3] 27:8 Or By driving her away; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [4] 27:8 Or wind [5] 27:9 Septuagint and this is the blessing when I take away his sin [6] 27:12 Hebrew from the River [7] 28:4 Or fruit [8] 28:5 The Hebrew words for glory and hosts sound alike [9] 28:7 Or confused by [10] 28:16 Dead Sea Scroll I am laying [11] 28:25 A type of wheat [12] 28:28 Or Grain is crushed for bread; he will surely thresh it, but not forever (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 89:30–52 Psalm 89:30–52 (Listen) 30   If his children forsake my law    and do not walk according to my rules,131   if they violate my statutes    and do not keep my commandments,32   then I will punish their transgression with the rod    and their iniquity with stripes,33   but I will not remove from him my steadfast love    or be false to my faithfulness.34   I will not violate my covenant    or alter the word that went forth from my lips.35   Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;    I will not lie to David.36   His offspring shall endure forever,    his throne as long as the sun before me.37   Like the moon it shall be established forever,    a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah 38   But now you have cast off and rejected;    you are full of wrath against your anointed.39   You have renounced the covenant with your servant;    you have defiled his crown in the dust.40   You have breached all his walls;    you have laid his strongholds in ruins.41   All who pass by plunder him;    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.42   You have exalted the right hand of his foes;    you have made all his enemies rejoice.43   You have also turned back the edge of his sword,    and yo

Old Testament: Isaiah 20–22 Isaiah 20–22 (Listen) A Sign Against Egypt and Cush 20 In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it—2 at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,” and he did so, walking naked and barefoot. 3 Then the LORD said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush,1 4 so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt. 5 Then they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of Egypt their boast. 6 And the inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Behold, this is what has happened to those in whom we hoped and to whom we fled for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And we, how shall we escape?'” Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon 21 The oracle concerning the wilderness of the sea.   As whirlwinds in the Negeb sweep on,    it comes from the wilderness,    from a terrible land.2   A stern vision is told to me;    the traitor betrays,    and the destroyer destroys.  Go up, O Elam;    lay siege, O Media;  all the sighing she has caused    I bring to an end.3   Therefore my loins are filled with anguish;    pangs have seized me,    like the pangs of a woman in labor;  I am bowed down so that I cannot hear;    I am dismayed so that I cannot see.4   My heart staggers; horror has appalled me;    the twilight I longed for    has been turned for me into trembling.5   They prepare the table,    they spread the rugs,2    they eat, they drink.  Arise, O princes;    oil the shield!6   For thus the Lord said to me:  “Go, set a watchman;    let him announce what he sees.7   When he sees riders, horsemen in pairs,    riders on donkeys, riders on camels,  let him listen diligently,    very diligently.”8   Then he who saw cried out:3  “Upon a watchtower I stand, O Lord,    continually by day,  and at my post I am stationed    whole nights.9   And behold, here come riders,    horsemen in pairs!”  And he answered,    “Fallen, fallen is Babylon;  and all the carved images of her gods    he has shattered to the ground.”10   O my threshed and winnowed one,    what I have heard from the LORD of hosts,    the God of Israel, I announce to you. 11 The oracle concerning Dumah.   One is calling to me from Seir,    “Watchman, what time of the night?    Watchman, what time of the night?”12   The watchman says:  “Morning comes, and also the night.    If you will inquire, inquire;    come back again.” 13 The oracle concerning Arabia.   In the thickets in Arabia you will lodge,    O caravans of Dedanites.14   To the thirsty bring water;    meet the fugitive with bread,    O inhabitants of the land of Tema.15   For they have fled from the swords,    from the drawn sword,  from the bent bow,    and from the press of battle. 16 For thus the Lord said to me, “Within a year, according to the years of a hired worker, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. 17 And the remainder of the archers of the mighty men of the sons of Kedar will be few, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.” An Oracle Concerning Jerusalem 22 The oracle concerning the valley of vision.   What do you mean that you have gone up,    all of you, to the housetops,2   you who are full of shoutings,    tumultuous city, exultant town?  Your slain are not slain with the sword    or dead in battle.3   All your leaders have fled together;    without the bow they were captured.  All of you who were found were captured,    though they had fled far away.4   Therefore I said:  “Look away from me;    let me weep bitter tears;  do not labor to comfort me    concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.” 5   For the Lord GOD of hosts has a day    of tumult and trampling and confusion    in the valley of vision,  a battering down of walls    and a shouting to the mountains.6   And Elam bore the quiver    with chariots and horsemen,    and Kir uncovered the shield.7   Your choicest valleys were full of chariots,    and the horsemen took their stand at the gates.8   He has taken away the covering of Judah. In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, 9 and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool, 10 and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. 11 You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago. 12   In that day the Lord GOD of hosts    called for weeping and mourning,    for baldness and wearing sackcloth;13   and behold, joy and gladness,    killing oxen and slaughtering sheep,    eating flesh and drinking wine.  “Let us eat and drink,    for tomorrow we die.”14   The LORD of hosts has revealed himself in my ears:  “Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,”    says the Lord GOD of hosts. 15 Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: 16 What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? 17 Behold, the LORD will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you 18 and whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you shame of your master's house. 19 I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. 20 In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21 and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father's house. 24 And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father's house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons. 25 In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.” Footnotes [1] 20:3 Probably Nubia [2] 21:5 Or they set the watchman [3] 21:8 Dead Sea Scroll, Syriac; Masoretic Text Then a lion cried out, or Then he cried out like a lion (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 88 Psalm 88 (Listen) I Cry Out Day and Night Before You A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil1 of Heman the Ezrahite. 88   O LORD, God of my salvation,    I cry out day and night before you.2   Let my prayer come before you;    incline your ear to my cry! 3   For my soul is full of troubles,    and my life draws near to Sheol.4   I am counted among those who go down to the pit;    I am a man who has no strength,5   like one set loose among the dead,    like the slain that lie in the grave,  like those whom you remember no more,    for they are cut off from your hand.6   You have put me in the depths of the pit,    in the regions dark and deep.7   Your wrath lies heavy upon me,    and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah 8   You have caused my companions to shun me;    you have made me a horror2 to them.  I am shut in so that I cannot escape;9     my eye grows dim through sorrow.  Every day I call upon you, O LORD;    I spread out my hands to you.10   Do you work wonders for the dead?    Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah11   Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,    or your faithfulness in Abaddon?12   Are your wonders known in the darkness,    or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 13   But I, O LORD, cry to you;    in the morning my prayer comes before you.14   O LORD, why do you cast my soul away?    Why do you hide your face from me?15   Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,    I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.316   Your wrath has swept over me;    your dreadful assaults destroy me.17   They surround me like a flood all day long;    they close in on me together.18   You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;    my companions have become darkness.4 Footnotes [1] 88:1 Probably musical or liturgical terms [2] 88:8 Or an abomination [3] 88:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain [4] 88:18 Or darkness has become my only companion (ESV) New Testament: Acts 11 Acts 11 (Listen) Peter Reports to the Church 11 Now the apostles and the brothers1 who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party2 criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.' 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. 13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” The Church in Antioch 19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists3 also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. 27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers4 living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. Footnotes [1] 11:1 Or brothers and sisters [2] 11:2 Or Jerusalem, those of the circumcision [3] 11:20 Or Greeks (that is, Greek-speaking non-Jews) [4] 11:29 Or brothers and sisters (ESV)

MAIN IDEA- through whatever opposition they experience on earth, Christ's servants serve Him in dependence upon Him.--INTRODUCTION- desiring and anticipating the spread of the gospel. What might it look like---1. PERSECUTION BY UNBELIEVERS-1.a. Even by some who were -good church members- of late, v50.-1.b. Even -especially-- by -devout and prominent women,- v50.-1.c. Especially by -chief men,- v50.-1.d. Especially through gossip, v50, 14-2.-1.e. Even unto death, 14-5.--2. PERSISTENCE OF BELIEVERS-PARTICULARLY PREACHERS-2.a. Remembering the greater Witness, v51.-2.b. Continuing on mission, end of v51. -cf. 13-5, 14, 24, 31, 32, 49- 14-1, 7, 21-.-2.c. Persisting in excellence, 14-1. They -so spoke- ... -boldness- -v3, cf. 4-29-31, Eph 6-20- and also plainness -cf. 2Cor 4-2- Col 4-4-. -2.d. Encouraged rather than discouraged, v3. -Therefore- they stayed. -Speaking boldly.- -cf. v22--. --3. POWER OF GOD-3.a. Sanctification, v52. -3.b. God's power, not man's. v52 occurs in Paul and Barnabas's absence.-3.c. Great multitudes of all sorts believing, 14-1. The power of the One Who appoints to eternal life -cf. v48-.-3.d. Signs and wonders, 14-3. Today, the sign and wonder is greater- a completed, preserved Bible- a preserved, faithful -to that Bible-defined by that Bible- church.--Conclusion- God Himself is the main character and feature in a revival.

DAS WIRKEN DER APOSTEL mit Pastor Mag. Kurt Piesslinger 3.Serie - "BIS AN DAS ENDE DER ERDE" Die Verwandlung des Verfolgers Saulus zum glühenden Nachfolger Paulus bewirkt die Verbreitung des Christentums im Gebiet der heutigen Türkei und Griechenlands und schließlich sogar bis ins Herzstück des Römerreiches. Die Bemühungen des Apostels Paulus stehen einzigartig da. Nie zuvor hat ein Einzelner – ausgenommen Jesus - so viel bewirkt wie er. Auf seinen Missionsreisen gründet Paulus Gemeinde um Gemeinde. Staunend betrachten wir die Auswirkungen des Heiligen Geistes in seinem gottgeweihten Leben. 3.4 Das Kreuz wird erhöht Die zweite Missionsreise startet mit einem Knalleffekt. Paulus und Barnabas können sich nicht einigen, ob Johannes Markus mitgenommen werden soll oder nicht, da dieser sie auf der ersten Missionsreise plötzlich im Stich gelassen hat. So bilden sich zwei Missionsteams. Paulus nimmt Silas mit und Barnabas seinen Verwandten Johannes Markus. In Lystra nimmt Paulus den jungen Timotheus in sein Team mit auf. Sie durchziehen Galatien und predigen den gekreuzigten Christus. Gottes Segen! Weitere Infos unter: vimeo.com/116841114

I. What is fasting? Don Whitney: “Fasting is going without food for spiritual purposes.” Fasting is the most uncomfortable and probably most unpopular spiritual discipline in our culture. Fasting is not the magic secret of the Christian life. It is one tool among many that should be included in our sanctification tool box. Is it in your toolbox? It hasn't been in mine. Fasting is denying ourselves legitimate pleasure so that we can see how much we are wrongly relying on that pleasure versus how much we are relying on God directly. At least eight types of fasting mentioned in Scripture (borrowed from Don Whitney): Partial Fast (Daniel 1: vegetables and water) For pregnant or nursing mothers, or those who have diabetes or other health issues, fasting is going to look different.  For those physically unable to fast from food without hurting themselves, they could consider fasting from certain enjoyable foods. Perhaps you have no dessert for a period of time. Or just eat rice. Or just eat vegetables and water. Or have a balanced meal but in smaller portions. Skipping one meal can be a legitimate fast. If you are planning to fast more than a day you should consider getting medical advice beforehand. Also consider “fasting” from things other than food: giving up legitimate pleasures for a time: TV, social media, YouTube, etc. and spending that time in spiritual pursuits instead. Absolute Fast (Acts 9:8-9, “Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. [9] And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”) Supernatural Fast (Exodus 34:28, “So [Moses] was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water.”[rare]) Private Fast (Moses, Elijah, & Jesus all fast for 40 days alone) Congregational Fast (Acts 13:2-3: this moment sparked Paul's first missionary journey) National Fast (Nineveh: Jonah 3) Regular Fast (Likely preceding the day of Atonement according to Leviticus 23:27 [only one it appears]) Occasional Fast ([Perhaps most common] David fasting seven days while his child lived) II. What are ungodly reasons to fast? To earn something from God or to impress God with your suffering. Luke 18:9, “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.” Luke 18:11-12, “The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week.'” Colossians 2:20-23, “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” Piper: “The danger of eating is that we fall in love with the gift; the danger of fasting is that we belittle the gift and glory in our willpower.” To be spiritually impressive to others: Matthew 6:16, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” Piper: “There is a difference between being seen fasting and fasting to be seen.” As a key to worldly prosperity: Don't follow Jentezen Franklin (pastor of Free Chapel Church in Gainesville, Ga.). Here are some of his unhelpful quotes about why his church fasted: “I felt led to tell you to pray for release of divine health and long life on this fast. [In] Genesis 15:15 God promised Abraham, ‘you will live to a good old age'. Turn to somebody and say, ‘you're going to live to a good old age.' This is a fast and a call to health, [to] long life. Everybody say, ‘on this fast there's going to be a release into my body of divine health and long life.'” “These are some themes that I felt in my spirit. Really felt this one: Believe God for the abundance of work; the abundance of prosperity. I heard this in my spirit: ‘Believe Me for miracle money!' Praise God! Can you believe God for the abundance of work? ... Shout, ‘Miracle money! Shout, ‘Abundance of work!'” III. Why should we fast? [7 REASONS: adapted from Don Whitney] To Express Our Hunger for God Piper: “What we hunger for most, we worship.” Piper: “Christian fasting is a test to see what desires control us. What are our bottom line passions? [One author] says, ‘More than any other discipline, fasting reveals the things that control us…. We cover up what is inside of us with food and other things.' We all ease our discomfort using food and cover our unhappiness by setting our eyes on dinnertime. Which is why fasting exposes all of us — our pain, our pride, our anger. Another author writes: "If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately.... Anger, bitterness, jealousy, strife, fear — if they are within us, they will surface during fasting. At first, we will rationalize that our anger is due to our hunger. And then, we know that we are angry because the anger is within us. We can rejoice in this knowledge because we know that [transformation] is available through the power of Christ.” Piper: “When midmorning comes and you want food so badly that the thought of lunch becomes as sweet as a summer vacation, then suddenly you realize, “Oh, I forgot, I made a commitment. I can't have that pleasure. I'm fasting for lunch too.” Then what are you going to do with all the unhappiness inside? Formerly, you blocked it out with the hope of a tasty lunch. The hope of food gave you the good feelings to balance out the bad feelings. But now the balance is off. You must find another way to deal with it.” Piper: “Humbly and quietly, with scarcely a movement, [fasting] brings up out of the dark places of my soul the dissatisfactions in relationships, the frustrations of the ministry, the fears of failure, the emptiness of wasted time. And just when my heart begins to retreat to the delicious hope of eating supper with friends, she quietly reminds me: not tonight. It can be a devastating experience at first. Will I find spiritual communion with God sweet enough, and hope in his promises deep enough, not just to cope, but to flourish and rejoice in him? Or will I rationalize away my need to fast and retreat to the medication of food? John 4:31-32, "Meanwhile the disciples were urging [Jesus], saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' [32] But he said to them, 'I have food to eat that you do not know about.'" To Strengthen Prayer Don Whitney: “Is there never a time that you want a prayer answered more than you want lunch? Is there never a time you want somebody to be saved more than you want [your next meal]?” Don Whitney: “I want this so much that I'm going to pray about it all day.” If all you're doing while fasting is counting down the time remaining you are not approaching this subject rightly. To Humble Ourselves Before God Psalm 35:13, David prays, “I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself [humbled myself] with fasting.” Isaiah 58:3, “we fasted...we humbled ourselves." Why is fasting humbling? It reminds us how weak and frail and dependent we are. If you feel strong and self-sufficient, go without food for 24 hours. You will feel weak and needy. You will feel what is true of you all the time but often covered over with food and enjoyments. It reveals sin that we can easily mask with the pleasures of food. To Express Repentance: (majority of biblical examples) This does not atone for the sin and is not a necessary part of repentance. 1 Samuel 7:3-6, "So they gathered at Mizpah … and fasted on that day and said there, ‘We have sinned against the LORD.'” Also see Ezra 9:3-7; Jonah 3:1-10; Joel 2:12-16; Daniel 9:3-5 To Express Desperation in Prayer:  2 Samuel 12:15-17, “And the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he became sick. [16] David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. [17] And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.” Chuck Colson (I think I heard) fasted from lunch every Friday and took that hour to pray for the salvation of his children. To Express Grief: 2 Samuel 1:11-12, “And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.” Nehemiah 1:2-4. To Seek God's Guidance in Major Decisions or Transitions: Acts 13:1-3, “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers…. [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.” While appointing new leaders: Acts 14:23, “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” IV. How often should we fast? Fasting is not explicitly commanded in the New Testament, but it is assumed. In the OT Israel is called to humble themselves leading up to the Day of Atonement which seems to imply fasting (Leviticus 16:29-30). Luke 5:33, “And they said to him, ‘The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.'” The Unbelieving Pharisee in parable fasted twice a week (Luke 18:12, “I fast twice a week”). CONCLUSION: Why did God create food in the first place? Piper: “When we eat, we taste the emblem of our heavenly food — the Bread of Heaven. And when we fast we say, ‘I love the reality above the emblem.'” Jesus, who is the water of life, died thirsty...so that we could be satisfied. You can watch the message here.

Acts is required reading for every Christian. It is one of the foundation books of study for those interested in understanding our New Testament Church. It is the real beginning of who we are as Christians and as part of the Christian Church of Jesus Christ. This study will give you a greater appreciation for the early days of the apostles in just 10 short weeks. -----------LINKS----------Support 10WB on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/10weekbibleThe 10 Week Bible - http://www.10WeekBible.comTwitter: @DarrenHibbs - https://twitter.com/DarrenHibbsSign up for my newsletter - http://www.darrenhibbs.comGet a copy of the 10 Week Bible Study today - https://www.amazon.com/Darren-Hibbs/e/B00B4I47CE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl2&tag=darrenhcom0a-20&linkId=401f3d79974c70929517936977e32df9My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChUU0XHSHuhSyN8qk-7efYgSupport the show

Ted asks about the tussle between Paul and Barnabas at the end of Acts 15 regarding John Mark. Rod talks about these important struggles, mentioning what Acts 15 also had to say about Peter, and focuses on the struggles in the church that are important and why, and relates them to sinners trying to find a faithful church to attend. SHOW NOTES: Support the show - https://www.1517.org/donate https://www.1517.org/videos/talks-with-dad-rod Explore more 1517 podcasts - https://www.1517.org/podcasts/ === https://gab.com/talkswithdadrod https://tv.gab.com/channel/talkswithdadrod https://www.facebook.com/talkswithdadrod/ https://twitter.com/TalkswithDadRod https://www.instagram.com/talkswithdadrod/ Talks with Dad Rod playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJDWGbhcNf-kTljFKeMHg3j1qqDsV3LGR Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9j2w4_xK0po

Called and SentAs members of God's family, we have the incredible opportunity to participate in God's plan for saving people. With such privilege comes great responsibility. As servants of God, believers should commit to prayerfully seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance and responding quickly to His calling. When we do, we are fulfilling God's purpose for the Church to take the Good News of Jesus to the world.---God can do amazing things through ordinary people who are empowered by the Holy Spirit. In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit was given to all believers and the church was born. The church is God's chosen instrument in the world for sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. The book of Acts is all about the unhindered movement of God throughout the world as the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed through the church. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the early church was an unstoppable movement that proclaimed the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ as the only way to eternal life. Today, the church empowered by the Holy Spirit is called to continue God's redeeming work in the world by fulfilling God's mission of making Jesus known to the ends of the earth. Acts of the Apostles 13:1-12 NLTAmong the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant. Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing. Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. Then he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man's eyes, and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord. • • •1. Some people will be open to hearing God's Word. (v. 1-7) 2. Some people will be opposed to God's Word. (v. 8-11) 3. Some people will believe God's Word and be saved. (v. 12) • • •Supporting Texts:Matthew 28:16-20Acts 1:8Romans 1:16-17Romans 8:29-30Ephesians 1:4 • • •Challenge: Be available for whatever God wants you to do and for wherever God wants you to go! Our best preparation for discovering how God wants to fulfill His mission through us is to start with prayer. Here is a simple prayer that may be helpful in getting you started today. God, grant me the willingness to serve you wherever you send me, in total dependance upon your power and grace to enable me to speak the gospel well and to trust God with the results. Amen!

Finishing Acts 15, Pastor Matt looks at how Jesus sovereignly worked through a strategic disagreement between Paul and Barnabas and explores how Christians should handle disagreements with other believers. The post Acts 15:36-41 – When Christians Disagree; October 2, 2022am appeared first on Greenwood Baptist Church - Greenwood, South Carolina.

In this passage Saul and Barnabas journey to Cyprus where they face an evil sorcerer that opposes them and their message. Paul, full of the Holy Spirit, looked straight at the sorcerer and spoke to him of the judgment of God that was about to fall upon him. There are many lessons for us in our ministry today. The Christian life and ministry is warfare and we do not have to be afraid of our enemy but are to move forward proclaiming the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you are in the neighborhood we would love to have you gather with us on Sundays at 76 Lewis Mill Rd. in Gatesville at 10 a.m. If there is anything we can do for you please reach out and let us know. Connect with us at: hopegatesville.com hopegatesville@gmail.com Online Giving YouTube Facebook

After Cornelius received the Gospel in Acts 10-11 there appears to be a slow response by Christians in Jerusalem to engage in Gentile missions. But other Christian communities weren't as lax. The Christians in Cyrene (North Africa) and those from the island of Cyprus began to send out missionaries to Gentile dense areas like the great city of Antioch. A mission greatly blessed by God! And once the great teachers like Saul of Tarsus and Barnabas got involved, the mission became even more blessed! Join us as we worship and continue our journey through Acts and learn to be bold and brave in our 'adventures' with Christ!

DAS WIRKEN DER APOSTEL mit Pastor Mag. Kurt Piesslinger 3.Serie - "BIS AN DAS ENDE DER ERDE" Die Verwandlung des Verfolgers Saulus zum glühenden Nachfolger Paulus bewirkt die Verbreitung des Christentums im Gebiet der heutigen Türkei und Griechenlands und schließlich sogar bis ins Herzstück des Römerreiches. Die Bemühungen des Apostels Paulus stehen einzigartig da. Nie zuvor hat ein Einzelner – ausgenommen Jesus - so viel bewirkt wie er. Auf seinen Missionsreisen gründet Paulus Gemeinde um Gemeinde. Staunend betrachten wir die Auswirkungen des Heiligen Geistes in seinem gottgeweihten Leben. 3.2 Evangeliumsverkündigung unter den Heiden Paulus und Barnabas kommen auf ihrer 1. Missionsreise nach Ikonion und Lystra. Aufgrund einer Heilung eines Gelähmten in Lystra wird die Begeisterung für die Apostel grenzenlos. Doch neidische Juden aus Ikonion hetzen dermaßen gegen Paulus, dass dieser gesteinigt wird. Doch als die Jünger den am Boden liegenden und aus vielen Wunden blutenden Paulus umringen, schlägt dieser die Augen auf, steht auf und marschiert am nächsten Tag weiter nach Derbe. Gottes Segen! Weitere Infos unter: vimeo.com/116837193

Series: Stand Alone Sermons

Title: Holy Blitzkrieg Text: II Peter 3:8-13 FCF: We often struggle enduring in faith and obedience due to the long delay of God's coming. Prop: Because God's delay is in patience but His judgment will be devastating, we must live purely and steadfastly until He returns. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Peter 3. Last week, we saw how God's people must remind themselves of the predictions of God and the command of Christ. They must do this while understanding above all, that they will face strong opposition from those questioning what the Lord has made plain. Our takeaway was that we needed to be people of the book, constantly reminding ourselves of what God has promised and what He has commanded us. Well, that same message carries on throughout the end of the book. Trusting what God has said and obeying what He has commanded becomes the drum that Peter beats 3 times as he ends his letter. But the reasons we must trust what God has said and obey what He has commanded are abounding. Today He will give us two more reasons which when put together can best be described as Holy Blitzkrieg. It is fitting that this is Dean's first Sunday away from us and I am talking about World War 2. Anyway… Blitzkrieg is the Nazi form of assault on an opponent that is a surprise attack dealt with unrelenting force over a short period of time. The basic strategy is to shock and overwhelm the enemy to the extent that they are beaten before the fighting truly begins. This method of warfare was highly effective against troops expecting trench warfare from World War 1. A long and drawn-out battle gaining little to no ground. Ultimately blitzkrieg helped Germany to secure most of the world before the tide turned. God's nature and judgment are the focus of Peter's argument today. God is not like us, and that impacts both when and how He will come in judgment. Explaining all this will naturally lead Peter to share with his audience what sort of people they should be. And we will benefit from his answer. I am in II Peter 3 and I'll start reading in verse 8. I am reading from the CSB today but you can follow in the pew bible on page 1371 or in whatever version you prefer. Transition: So much to cover today, so let's get right into it. I.) Because God is not like us, we must live purely and steadfastly until He returns. (8-9) a. [Slide 2] 8 – Dear friends, don't overlook this one fact: i. After assuring his readers that there will be a judgment coming upon the ungodly just like the flood before, only this time in fire, Peter now desires for them to pay attention to a particular truth. ii. He doesn't want them to miss an old Jewish axiom that he will give them and then expand on. b. [Slide 3] With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. i. This comes from Psalm 90:4, where it says “in your eyes 1000 years are like yesterday that quickly passes.” ii. Peter actually adds a second phrase on the end of this which inverts the idiom. iii. What does this mean? iv. Some have suggested that this is actually spelling out a time-table for the events of the judgment. 1. Rabbinical tradition refers to a millennia as a day and a day to a millennia. 2. Indeed, some Rabbis taught that the earth would endure for 6000 years and then the Sabbath rest and judgment from God. 3. [Slide 4] This is echoed in the epistle of Barnabas 15:4 where Barnabas says “in six thousand years the Lord shall bring all things to an end; for the day with Him signifies a thousand years; and this He himself bears witness, saying ; behold, the day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years. Therefore, children, in six days, that is six thousand years, everything shall come to an end. 4. Although early church fathers were fairly agreed that the Epistle of Barnabas was not divinely inspired, they are also agreed that it was actually written by the apostle and contains great truths often quoted by Clement and Origen. v. So, is this what is happening here? Is Peter setting down a time that the Lord would return? vi. [Slide 5] Although as mostly premillennial people, we may find this option VERY attractive. It violates the first, second, and third rule of biblical interpretation. Do you know what those rules are? 1. [Slide 6] Context is King 2. [Slide 7] Context is King. Any guesses on the third one? 3. [Slide 8] Context is King. Hey I thought you said you've never heard of them.

Healthy churches plant churches. Just as healthy body cells naturally multiply and divide, healthy churches aim to do the same. It need not be viewed as a sad loss or a pragmatic necessity. Church planting can be seen as a natural and intentional response to healthy gospel growth. That was the pattern set by Paul and Barnabas in the book of Acts.

Upon hearing the surprising news of God's outpouring of His saving Spirit on the Gentiles, the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to see this for himself. What we witnessed was the unmistakable work of God's grace and a reminder that we need to be looking out for and rejoicing in God's ongoing work all around us.

"Episode 1736 / Barnabas" - E.R. Hall, Jr.

At Courageous Leadership with Virginia Prodan - the host will  encourage you on: How do you pass on your faith in an ungodly culture --- PART 2 --- And - She will outline for you steps to follow. If you need more training in group or individual coaching - Go to:  https://www.virginiaprodanbooks.com/freedom - coaching.      We encourage YOU to READ THE MEMOIR - Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan - - you can purchase a signed copy(s) at -— https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/product/book/ - And be inspired by how God has been training Virginia to pass on her faith under any circumstances. It must be done intentionally; we must be proactive —teaching, training and leading others by our godly example.        2011 study by Barnabas shows that : 1 out of 9 Christian's - representing 11 % - lose faith; 4 out of 10 - 40%- leave the church but still call themselves Christian's; 3 out of 10 - 30% stay involved in church. We have a tremendous responsibility too. Follow our Podcast each Wednesday & Saturday at 10:00 a.m. CST at : - https://lnkd.in/egT6U5g - - hear encouraging messages. Our podcast is on Spotify; Podbean; Apple, YouTube and now on Edifi Podcast Network.    Invite Virginia to speak at your events - go to - https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/invite-virginia/ #SavingMyAssassin #leadership #LoveWhatMatters #courageousleadership #frc #socialism #romania #jesuschrist #CBN

DAS WIRKEN DER APOSTEL mit Pastor Mag. Kurt Piesslinger 3.Serie - "BIS AN DAS ENDE DER ERDE" Die Verwandlung des Verfolgers Saulus zum glühenden Nachfolger Paulus bewirkt die Verbreitung des Christentums im Gebiet der heutigen Türkei und Griechenlands und schließlich sogar bis ins Herzstück des Römerreiches. Die Bemühungen des Apostels Paulus stehen einzigartig da. Nie zuvor hat ein Einzelner – ausgenommen Jesus - so viel bewirkt wie er. Auf seinen Missionsreisen gründet Paulus Gemeinde um Gemeinde. Staunend betrachten wir die Auswirkungen des Heiligen Geistes in seinem gottgeweihten Leben. 3.1 Das Evangelium in Antiochien In Antiochia werden die Nachfolger Jesu zum ersten Mal als Christen bezeichnet. Barnabas hat Paulus aus Tarsus nach Antiochia geholt. Von dort startet die erste Missionsreise des Paulus mit Barnabas und Johannes Markus. Auf der Insel Zypern bekehrt sich der römische Statthalter Sergius Paulus. In Perge verlässt Johannes Markus der Mut und er kehrt in seine Heimat zurück. In Antiochia in Pisidien kommt fast die ganze Stadt zusammen, um Paulus predigen zu hören. Gottes Segen! Weitere Infos unter: vimeo.com/116835631

1. He is Equipped-2. He is Sent-3. He is Used-4. The Church is Blessed

Talk 15      God speaks to us directly (Part 1) The Bible is full of examples of God speaking very directly, often without any human involvement. Some of the ways he speaks like this include:  an audible voice angels dreams and visions supernatural signs promptings. We'll look at each of these in turn, starting with some biblical examples and then illustrating wherever possible from my own experience. I say ‘wherever possible' because I can't honestly say that God has spoken to me in all of these ways. An audible voice There are many examples in the Bible where we read that the Lord spoke to someone, but it's not always clear how he spoke. Consider the example we looked at earlier in the series. We looked at Acts 13:1-3 where we read that the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." The Holy Spirit may well have spoken with an audible voice on this occasion, but it's just as likely that the spoke through one of the prophets who were present (v.1).  On other occasions, however, it's perfectly clear that God's voice was audible. To mention just a few examples: Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send and who will go for us?' (Isaiah 6:8).  When Ezekiel had a vision of the glory of the Lord, he fell face down and heard the voice of one speaking (Ezekiel 1:28). At Jesus' baptism a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased' (Matthew 3:17). On the road to Damascus, Paul had a vision of Jesus, fell to the ground, and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' (Acts 9:4). Peter heard his voice while praying on the rooftop in Joppa (Acts 10:13-16). And on the isle of Patmos John heard a loud voice, the voice of the Lord, telling him to write (Revelation 1:10-12). All these examples seem to make it perfectly clear that God sometimes speaks with an audible voice. But to be absolutely sure about this, let's turn to the well-known story of Samuel (1 Samuel 3). Hannah, Samuel's mother, had been unable to have children, which, in the culture in which she lived, caused other women to despise her. But she prayed fervently to the Lord and promised that if he would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord's service. So, when Samuel was born in answer to Hannah's prayer, she took him to the temple where the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest (2:11).  In chapter 3 we read how one night, while Samuel was lying down, the Lord called him by name. Samuel, not knowing that it was the Lord, ran to Eli and said, Here I am. You called me. But Eli replied, I did not call; go back and lie down. This happened three times, and by then Eli realised that it was God who was calling Samuel. He told him that, when the Lord called again, he should reply, Speak Lord, for your servant is listening. This was the beginning of Samuel's ministry as a prophet and it's very clear that God's voice was audible. The fact that Samuel thought that it was Eli who was speaking shows that Samuel heard what was being said. From this it seems reasonable to assume that this may well have been the way that God spoke to Samuel on a regular basis. And I have no doubt that if God could do it then, he can do it today. Having said that, although God has spoken to me in many wonderful ways, I have never heard his audible voice and I know very few people who would claim to have done so. However, rather more frequently we hear of God speaking through the ministry of angels. Angels As far as I know, I have never seen an angel and have never heard an angel speak to me – although we need to remember that some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). But both Old and New Testaments show that God sometimes speaks to his people through the ministry of angels. The word angel comes directly from the Greek word aggelos (pronounced angelos) and simply means messenger. Angels are God's messengers. They are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). A good example of this is when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist and told him that his prayer had been heard and that his wife, Elizabeth, who was barren, would bear him a son. Humanly speaking, this was totally impossible because both Zechariah and Elizabeth were now far too old. I think Zechariah's question was quite understandable: How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well on in years (Luke 1:18). Gabriel's reply in the next verse illustrates perfectly the ministry of angels:  I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and have been sent to speak to you and tell you this good news (Luke 1:19). Angels are God's messengers. They stand in God's presence and are sent to speak to us. The Gospels and Acts give us plenty of examples. About six months after his visit to Zechariah, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, to a virgin whose name was Mary (Luke 1:26-27). It was angels who brought the good news of Jesus' birth to the shepherds and told them where they would find him (Luke 2:8-14).  It was an angel that came from heaven and appeared to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, strengthening him (Luke 22:43). And it was the angel of the Lord who descended from heaven and rolled away the stone from the mouth of Jesus' tomb and told the women who had come to anoint the body of Jesus that he was risen (Matthew 28:1:7). In the Book of Acts, as the disciples were looking intently up into the sky, two men dressed in white stood beside them (Acts 1:10). They told them: This same Jesus who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way as you have seen him go into Heaven (v,11) These men dressed in white were undoubtedly angels sent by God to remind them of Jesus' promise that he would come again (John 14:28). In Acts 5:19 the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and released Peter and John. In Acts 8:26 an angel told Philip the evangelist to go south to the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. This led to the conversion of a key national leader from the land of Ethiopia. In Acts 10 it was an angel who spoke to both the apostle Peter and the Roman centurion Cornelius (verses 3, 7, 22) resulting in the conversion of Cornelius and his entire household. In Acts 12 it was the angel of the Lord who once again released Peter from prison (verses 7-11). And in Acts 27:23-24 it was an angel who stood beside Paul before the ship on which he was travelling was wrecked on the island of Malta and said: Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you, Now the Book of Acts was not written simply as a historical account of the beginnings of the early church. Most scholars are agreed that Luke's intentions in writing it were not merely historical. They are theological and missional. Luke is not just teaching us how it was, but how it can and should be. And in recording the frequent activity of angels, he is surely telling us that we can at times expect angelic intervention too. There have certainly been many anecdotal reports recently of people claiming to have experienced the presence of angels in one way or another and I see no good reason to doubt this, particularly when the testimony comes from a reliable source. As far as Eileen and I are concerned, although God has never spoken to us through an angelic messenger, I am confident that we have experienced angelic help on at least one occasion. In 1977 I served as Acting Principal of Mattersey Hall for six months before being appointed Principal in 1978. During that time we were still living in Basingstoke although I was at Mattersey much of the time about 200 miles away from home.  One weekend I went with about 50 of our students from Mattersey to Newport in South Wales. There was a big inter-church meeting on the Saturday night and on the Sunday the students went to different churches to sing, testify, and preach. I stayed in Newport to preach in the church there. After Sunday lunch the pastor, Eric Dando, asked me if I would like to phone Eileen, which of course I was grateful to do. After telling her that the weekend was going well, I asked her how she was and was shocked to hear her reply.     I'm O.K., she said, but I very nearly wasn't!     Oh! What's happened? I replied. And she told me what had happened to her on the Saturday night while I had been away preaching in Newport. There had been a women's missionary meeting in London and Eileen and several of the ladies from the church in Basingstoke had gone to it. They had travelled in two cars and on the way home, on the road between Reading and Basingstoke, several horses ran into the road in front of the cars. It seems that they had escaped from a nearby field. One of the horses collided with the car in which Eileen was travelling in the front passenger seat. The impact was so great that the front of the car roof caved in to within an inch of Eileen's head. The car was a complete write-off and, as the people from the car in front walked back to see exactly what had happened, they feared the worst.  At this point it is important to explain that at that time the wearing of seat-belts was not compulsory in the U.K. and the car in which Eileen was travelling didn't have any. Bearing in mind the speed at which the car had been travelling when it collided with the horse, both Eileen and the driver should have been thrown forward through the windscreen. Indeed, the woman seated behind Eileen was thrown forward so violently into the back of Eileen's seat that it was twisted out of position. Yet Eileen was not thrown forward, and none of those travelling in that car was seriously injured. They all walked away relatively unharmed. As she related the story afterwards Eileen told me that throughout the whole incident she was strangely conscious of something – or someone? – holding her to the back of her seat, preventing her from being thrown forward. Was it a coincidence that on that very evening I had been preaching in Newport on a subject I have rarely preached on before or since? My subject was ANGELS. Of course, I cannot categorically state that Eileen was saved by an angel. But I am certain that Eileen's life was spared by divine intervention of some kind – and, as we have seen, the Bible does say that angels are messengers God sometimes sends to be of help to his people. More recently I had an experience of answered prayer which several of my friends have suggested might have been brought about by angels. It was Sunday May 9th 2021 at around 10.45am. I was travelling from Brixham, where we live, to Newton Abbot for a COVID test. This was required because I was due to go into hospital on the Tuesday for an exploratory procedure on my larynx.  Shortly after I started my journey I noticed a gentle banging sound coming from the rear of the car. At first I wasn't too concerned and anyway I didn't want to stop as I didn't want to miss the appointment for the COVID test which was at 11am. If I had missed the appointment the procedure would have had to be postponed. So I continued my journey hoping that the banging was nothing serious, Within a few miles, however, the banging had become much louder and I was getting scared. Finally, in desperation I called out, Lord Jesus, please take care of this! No sooner had I said this than I saw in the mirror a car behind me flashing its headlights. It drew along side me and indicated that I needed to pull over into the layby that was a few yards ahead. When I did so the problem was obvious. My nearside back wheel was coming off! Two of the five nuts that hold the wheel on were missing and the other three were loose. If I had continued like that, the consequences could have been fatal. Relieved that the other driver had pulled me over in time, I asked if he could help me, explaining the urgency of getting to the COVID appointment. This he gladly did and, when he searched in the boot for the wheel brace, he discovered that there were two spare wheel nuts there!  It took less than a minute for him to fix the wheel and he was on his way. And I reached Newton Abbot just in time for my appointment. I think I have never known such a quick and dramatic answer to prayer. Now, of course, I cannot be sure that the man who fixed my wheel was in fact an angel, but I'm open to that possibility. But in a way it really doesn't matter. What matters is that the Lord answered my prayer, saved my life and brought me safely through the operation. Whether or not he used an angel to do so is unimportant. As we have seen, the Bible does tell us that angels are God's messengers and that they are sent to minister to God's people.  I believe it because the Bible says so, not because I've had an experience that may or may not have involved an angel.

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a variety of topics:1. How do professors choose how much to assign?2. What makes a good professor?3. Syllabus flexes4. How do we break writing slumps?5. Romanticism about writing: where did we lose it and where do we still have it?

Endlich ist die Gruppe in der ersehnten Affenschlucht angekommen, was, wie sich herausstellt, eine Zäsur in vielfacher Hinsicht bedeutet! Episode 13 im wahrsten Sinne ... ein schwarzer Tag. In dieser Episode enthalten: Ataaz Muhahah, Pterafolk, Steingolem Können die 4 Freunde den Seelenfänger finden und den Todesfluch beenden? Aura, Graxx, Barnabas und Fjodoryn dürfen keine Zeit verlieren! Diese Folge auf YouTube ansehen: https://youtu.be/qmKgbw8XyLk Jeden Dienstag live um 20 Uhr: https://twitch.tv/JingleChannel Einladung auf unseren Community-Chat: https://discordapp.com/invite/UxBdysu Stimmen: Aura - Ann-Marie Graxx - David Barnabas - Heiko Spielleitung - Älex Musik: https://tabletopaudio.com https://audiogoblin.com Support-Möglichkeiten: https://twitch.tv/products/jinglechannel https://patreon.com/jinglechannel Eine JingleChannel-Produktion aus dem Jahr 2022. Mehr Infos unter: https://jinglechannel.de  

 The host Virginia Prodan -  At Courageous Leadership with -  will answer your question:         How do you pass on your faith in an ungodly culture? ---PART 1 ----And - She will outline for you steps to follow.   But - If you need more training in group or individual coaching - Go to https://www.virginiaprodanbooks.com/freedom - coaching.   We encourage you to READ - THE MEMOIR - Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan - - you can purchase a signed copy(s) at -— https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/product/book/   - And be encouraged how God has been training Virginia to pass on her faith under any circumstances. It must be done intentionally; we must be proactive —teaching, training and leading others by our godly example.   2011 study by Barnabas shows that 1 out of 9 Christian's - representing 11 % - lose faith; 4 out of 10 - 40%- leave the church but still call themselves Christian's; 3 out of 10 - 30% stay involved in church. We have a tremendous responsibility too.   Follow our Podcast each Wednesday & Saturday at 10:00 a.m. CST at : - https://lnkd.in/egT6U5g -  - hear encouraging messages. Our podcast is on Spotify; Podbean; Apple, YouTube and now on Edifi Podcast Network.   If you want to invite Virginia to speak at your events - go to - https://virginiaprodanbooks.com/invite-virginia/ #SavingMyAssassin #leadership #LoveWhatMatters #courageousleadership #frc #socialism #romania #jesuschrist #CBN DBU Women's Auxiliary Board D. James Kennedy Ministries ADF International FLASHPOINT Fan Page DBU Alumni Association Network The Strong Women Podcast Community Romanian Baptist Church of Chicago Friends of Jack Phillips NRB Christian Media Convention D. James Kennedy Ministries Daily Mail Australia CBN Prayer Warriors SMU Dedman School of Law Student Bar Association Alliance Defending Freedom NRB TV Tyndale House Publishers Museum of the Bible The Victory Channel Daily Wire Focus on the Family Daystar Television Network NRB IRF Summit Sam Brownback Gene Bailey Family Research Council Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk

Old Testament: Isaiah 1 Isaiah 1 (Listen) 1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. The Wickedness of Judah 2   Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;    for the LORD has spoken:  “Children1 have I reared and brought up,    but they have rebelled against me.3   The ox knows its owner,    and the donkey its master's crib,  but Israel does not know,    my people do not understand.” 4   Ah, sinful nation,    a people laden with iniquity,  offspring of evildoers,    children who deal corruptly!  They have forsaken the LORD,    they have despised the Holy One of Israel,    they are utterly estranged. 5   Why will you still be struck down?    Why will you continue to rebel?  The whole head is sick,    and the whole heart faint.6   From the sole of the foot even to the head,    there is no soundness in it,  but bruises and sores    and raw wounds;  they are not pressed out or bound up    or softened with oil. 7   Your country lies desolate;    your cities are burned with fire;  in your very presence    foreigners devour your land;    it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.8   And the daughter of Zion is left    like a booth in a vineyard,  like a lodge in a cucumber field,    like a besieged city. 9   If the LORD of hosts    had not left us a few survivors,  we should have been like Sodom,    and become like Gomorrah. 10   Hear the word of the LORD,    you rulers of Sodom!  Give ear to the teaching2 of our God,    you people of Gomorrah!11   “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?    says the LORD;  I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams    and the fat of well-fed beasts;  I do not delight in the blood of bulls,    or of lambs, or of goats. 12   “When you come to appear before me,    who has required of you    this trampling of my courts?13   Bring no more vain offerings;    incense is an abomination to me.  New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—    I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.14   Your new moons and your appointed feasts    my soul hates;  they have become a burden to me;    I am weary of bearing them.15   When you spread out your hands,    I will hide my eyes from you;  even though you make many prayers,    I will not listen;    your hands are full of blood.16   Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;  cease to do evil,17     learn to do good;  seek justice,    correct oppression;  bring justice to the fatherless,    plead the widow's cause. 18   “Come now, let us reason3 together, says the LORD:  though your sins are like scarlet,    they shall be as white as snow;  though they are red like crimson,    they shall become like wool.19   If you are willing and obedient,    you shall eat the good of the land;20   but if you refuse and rebel,    you shall be eaten by the sword;    for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” The Unfaithful City 21   How the faithful city    has become a whore,4    she who was full of justice!  Righteousness lodged in her,    but now murderers.22   Your silver has become dross,    your best wine mixed with water.23   Your princes are rebels    and companions of thieves.  Everyone loves a bribe    and runs after gifts.  They do not bring justice to the fatherless,    and the widow's cause does not come to them. 24   Therefore the Lord declares,    the LORD of hosts,    the Mighty One of Israel:  “Ah, I will get relief from my enemies    and avenge myself on my foes.25   I will turn my hand against you    and will smelt away your dross as with lye    and remove all your alloy.26   And I will restore your judges as at the first,    and your counselors as at the beginning.  Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness,    the faithful city.” 27   Zion shall be redeemed by justice,    and those in her who repent, by righteousness.28   But rebels and sinners shall be broken together,    and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.29   For they5 shall be ashamed of the oaks    that you desired;  and you shall blush for the gardens    that you have chosen.30   For you shall be like an oak    whose leaf withers,    and like a garden without water.31   And the strong shall become tinder,    and his work a spark,  and both of them shall burn together,    with none to quench them. Footnotes [1] 1:2 Or Sons; also verse 4 [2] 1:10 Or law [3] 1:18 Or dispute [4] 1:21 Or become unchaste [5] 1:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts you (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 81 Psalm 81 (Listen) Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith.1 Of Asaph. 81   Sing aloud to God our strength;    shout for joy to the God of Jacob!2   Raise a song; sound the tambourine,    the sweet lyre with the harp.3   Blow the trumpet at the new moon,    at the full moon, on our feast day. 4   For it is a statute for Israel,    a rule2 of the God of Jacob.5   He made it a decree in Joseph    when he went out over3 the land of Egypt.  I hear a language I had not known:6   “I relieved your4 shoulder of the burden;    your hands were freed from the basket.7   In distress you called, and I delivered you;    I answered you in the secret place of thunder;    I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah8   Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!    O Israel, if you would but listen to me!9   There shall be no strange god among you;    you shall not bow down to a foreign god.10   I am the LORD your God,    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.    Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11   “But my people did not listen to my voice;    Israel would not submit to me.12   So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,    to follow their own counsels.13   Oh, that my people would listen to me,    that Israel would walk in my ways!14   I would soon subdue their enemies    and turn my hand against their foes.15   Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,    and their fate would last forever.16   But he would feed you5 with the finest of the wheat,    and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Footnotes [1] 81:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term [2] 81:4 Or just decree [3] 81:5 Or against [4] 81:6 Hebrew his; also next line [5] 81:16 That is, Israel; Hebrew him (ESV) New Testament: Acts 4 Acts 4 (Listen) Peter and John Before the Council 4 And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. 5 On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6 with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus1 is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.2 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men3 by which we must be saved.” 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old. The Believers Pray for Boldness 23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,4 said by the Holy Spirit,   “‘Why did the Gentiles rage,    and the peoples plot in vain?26   The kings of the earth set themselves,    and the rulers were gathered together,    against the Lord and against his Anointed'5— 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. They Had Everything in Common 32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. Footnotes [1] 4:11 Greek This one [2] 4:11 Greek the head of the corner [3] 4:12 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women [4] 4:25 Or child; also verses 27, 30 [5] 4:26 Or Christ (ESV)

Dr. Greg Linville joined Andrew for an OVRadio Livestream Special focusing in on Timothy Relationships for the Family & the Church. We also took the time to honor Dr. Linville for 50 years of Ministry through letters, messages, & a phone call from past Timothy & Barnabas relationships.For more information on CSRM go to: https://www.csrm.org/For more information Overwhelming Victory go to: https://www.overwhelmingvictory.org/For more information on OVRadio visit: https://www.overwhelmingvictory.org/ovradio-podcastsFor more information on Bryan Mason or Dr. Linville's books visit: https://csrm.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/csrm/giftstore.jspTo financially support Dr. Linville go to: https://csrm.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/csrm/survey.jsp?surveyId=8&To support the Misfits go to: www.patreon.com/ministrymisfitsFor Misfits Merch visit: https://www.ministrymisfits.com/shopSEASON 2 of Ministry Misfits is brought is sponsored by Token Branding (Laird Creative Agency). For more information visit: https://www.tokencreative.co/Laird Creative Agency Support the show

Dr. Greg Linville joined Andrew for an OVRadio Livestream Special focusing in on Timothy Relationships for the Family & the Church. We also took the time to honor Dr. Linville for 50 years of Ministry through letters, messages, & a phone call from past Timothy & Barnabas relationships.For more information on CSRM go to: https://www.csrm.org/For more information Overwhelming Victory go to: https://www.overwhelmingvictory.org/For more information on OVRadio visit: https://www.overwhelmingvictory.org/ovradio-podcastsFor more information on Bryan Mason or Dr. Linville's books visit: https://csrm.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/csrm/giftstore.jspTo financially support Dr. Linville go to: https://csrm.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/csrm/survey.jsp?surveyId=8&To support the Misfits go to: www.patreon.com/ministrymisfitsFor Misfits Merch visit: https://www.ministrymisfits.com/shopSEASON 2 of Ministry Misfits is brought is sponsored by Token Branding (Laird Creative Agency). For more information visit: https://www.tokencreative.co/Laird Creative Agency Support the show

With family: 2 Samuel 22; Galatians 2 2 Samuel 22 (Listen) David's Song of Deliverance 22 And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said,   “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,3     my1 God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,  my shield, and the horn of my salvation,    my stronghold and my refuge,    my savior; you save me from violence.4   I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,    and I am saved from my enemies. 5   “For the waves of death encompassed me,    the torrents of destruction assailed me;26   the cords of Sheol entangled me;    the snares of death confronted me. 7   “In my distress I called upon the LORD;    to my God I called.  From his temple he heard my voice,    and my cry came to his ears. 8   “Then the earth reeled and rocked;    the foundations of the heavens trembled    and quaked, because he was angry.9   Smoke went up from his nostrils,3    and devouring fire from his mouth;    glowing coals flamed forth from him.10   He bowed the heavens and came down;    thick darkness was under his feet.11   He rode on a cherub and flew;    he was seen on the wings of the wind.12   He made darkness around him his canopy,    thick clouds, a gathering of water.13   Out of the brightness before him    coals of fire flamed forth.14   The LORD thundered from heaven,    and the Most High uttered his voice.15   And he sent out arrows and scattered them;    lightning, and routed them.16   Then the channels of the sea were seen;    the foundations of the world were laid bare,  at the rebuke of the LORD,    at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. 17   “He sent from on high, he took me;    he drew me out of many waters.18   He rescued me from my strong enemy,    from those who hated me,    for they were too mighty for me.19   They confronted me in the day of my calamity,    but the LORD was my support.20   He brought me out into a broad place;    he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 21   “The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.22   For I have kept the ways of the LORD    and have not wickedly departed from my God.23   For all his rules were before me,    and from his statutes I did not turn aside.24   I was blameless before him,    and I kept myself from guilt.25   And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,    according to my cleanness in his sight. 26   “With the merciful you show yourself merciful;    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;27   with the purified you deal purely,    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.28   You save a humble people,    but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.29   For you are my lamp, O LORD,    and my God lightens my darkness.30   For by you I can run against a troop,    and by my God I can leap over a wall.31   This God—his way is perfect;    the word of the LORD proves true;    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 32   “For who is God, but the LORD?    And who is a rock, except our God?33   This God is my strong refuge    and has made my4 way blameless.534   He made my feet like the feet of a deer    and set me secure on the heights.35   He trains my hands for war,    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.36   You have given me the shield of your salvation,    and your gentleness made me great.37   You gave a wide place for my steps under me,    and my feet6 did not slip;38   I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,    and did not turn back until they were consumed.39   I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;    they fell under my feet.40   For you equipped me with strength for the battle;    you made those who rise against me sink under me.41   You made my enemies turn their backs to me,7    those who hated me, and I destroyed them.42   They looked, but there was none to save;    they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.43   I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;    I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets. 44   “You delivered me from strife with my people;8    you kept me as the head of the nations;    people whom I had not known served me.45   Foreigners came cringing to me;    as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.46   Foreigners lost heart    and came trembling9 out of their fortresses. 47   “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,    and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,48   the God who gave me vengeance    and brought down peoples under me,49   who brought me out from my enemies;    you exalted me above those who rose against me;    you delivered me from men of violence. 50   “For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,    and sing praises to your name.51   Great salvation he brings10 to his king,    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,    to David and his offspring forever.” Footnotes [1] 22:3 Septuagint (compare Psalm 18:2); Hebrew lacks my [2] 22:5 Or terrified me [3] 22:9 Or in his wrath [4] 22:33 Or his; also verse 34 [5] 22:33 Compare Psalm 18:32; Hebrew he has blamelessly set my way free, or he has made my way spring up blamelessly [6] 22:37 Hebrew ankles [7] 22:41 Or You gave me my enemies' necks [8] 22:44 Septuagint with the peoples [9] 22:46 Compare Psalm 18:45; Hebrew equipped themselves [10] 22:51 Or He is a tower of salvation (ESV) Galatians 2 (Listen) Paul Accepted by the Apostles 2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. Paul Opposes Peter 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.1 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Justified by Faith 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified2 by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness3 were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Footnotes [1] 2:12 Or fearing those of the circumcision [2] 2:16 Or counted righteous (three times in verse 16); also verse 17 [3] 2:21 Or justification (ESV) In private: Psalm 78:1–37; Ezekiel 29 Psalm 78:1–37 (Listen) Tell the Coming Generation A Maskil1 of Asaph. 78   Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;    incline your ears to the words of my mouth!2   I will open my mouth in a parable;    I will utter dark sayings from of old,3   things that we have heard and known,    that our fathers have told us.4   We will not hide them from their children,    but tell to the coming generation  the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,    and the wonders that he has done. 5   He established a testimony in Jacob    and appointed a law in Israel,  which he commanded our fathers    to teach to their children,6   that the next generation might know them,    the children yet unborn,  and arise and tell them to their children,7     so that they should set their hope in God  and not forget the works of God,    but keep his commandments;8   and that they should not be like their fathers,    a stubborn and rebellious generation,  a generation whose heart was not steadfast,    whose spirit was not faithful to God. 9   The Ephraimites, armed with2 the bow,    turned back on the day of battle.10   They did not keep God's covenant,    but refused to walk according to his law.11   They forgot his works    and the wonders that he had shown them.12   In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders    in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.13   He divided the sea and let them pass through it,    and made the waters stand like a heap.14   In the daytime he led them with a cloud,    and all the night with a fiery light.15   He split rocks in the wilderness    and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep.16   He made streams come out of the rock    and caused waters to flow down like rivers. 17   Yet they sinned still more against him,    rebelling against the Most High in the desert.18   They tested God in their heart    by demanding the food they craved.19   They spoke against God, saying,    “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?20   He struck the rock so that water gushed out    and streams overflowed.  Can he also give bread    or provide meat for his people?” 21   Therefore, when the LORD heard, he was full of wrath;    a fire was kindled against Jacob;    his anger rose against Israel,22   because they did not believe in God    and did not trust his saving power.23   Yet he commanded the skies above    and opened the doors of heaven,24   and he rained down on them manna to eat    and gave them the grain of heaven.25   Man ate of the bread of the angels;    he sent them food in abundance.26   He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens,    and by his power he led out the south wind;27   he rained meat on them like dust,    winged birds like the sand of the seas;28   he let them fall in the midst of their camp,    all around their dwellings.29   And they ate and were well filled,    for he gave them what they craved.30   But before they had satisfied their craving,    while the food was still in their mouths,31   the anger of God rose against them,    and he killed the strongest of them    and laid low the young men of Israel. 32   In spite of all this, they still sinned;    despite his wonders, they did not believe.33   So he made their days vanish like3 a breath,4    and their years in terror.34   When he killed them, they sought him;    they repented and sought God earnestly.35   They remembered that God was their rock,    the Most High God their redeemer.36   But they flattered him with their mouths;    they lied to him with their tongues.37   Their heart was not steadfast toward him;   &am

Although the Epistle of Barnabas may be best known for its Two Ways Tradition or its anti-Jewish use of Scripture, its contents reveal much that will be of interest to anyone studying Christian origins. In keeping with other contributions to the Apostolic Fathers Commentary Series, Jonathon Lookadoo's book The Epistle of Barnabas: A Commentary (Cascade Books, 2022) not only introduces readers to critical issues such as date, authorship, and opponents but also reflects on the multifaceted scriptural interpretations at play within the argument and sketches the theological beliefs that underlie the text. The commentary also provides a fresh English translation of the Greek text while endeavoring to highlight the internal literary connections within the Epistle of Barnabas. In so doing, this book provides a knowledgeable and accessible interpretation of a fascinating early Christian document. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Pastor Gabe Castro continues with Part 30 of the current series that is an epic journey through the New Testament Gospel of Mark, verse by verse. The book of Mark was most likely the first one written, and is generally attributed to John Mark, a close associate of Peter, and also of Paul and Barnabas. The Gospel of Mark is all about Jesus and the good news (Gospel) of the kingdom of God. Who was Jesus really, and why exactly did he come? Last week Pastor Marc preached on the transfiguration. In today's message, Pastor Gabe teaches through the story of Jesus casting an unclean spirit out of a young boy. If you would like to view the video of today's service, as well as previous videos, go to: https://www.facebook.com/northridgelife/videos/ (copy and paste into your web browser address bar). For additional information, you may also visit the church website, www.northridgelife.org, and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/northridgelife/.

Although the Epistle of Barnabas may be best known for its Two Ways Tradition or its anti-Jewish use of Scripture, its contents reveal much that will be of interest to anyone studying Christian origins. In keeping with other contributions to the Apostolic Fathers Commentary Series, Jonathon Lookadoo's book The Epistle of Barnabas: A Commentary (Cascade Books, 2022) not only introduces readers to critical issues such as date, authorship, and opponents but also reflects on the multifaceted scriptural interpretations at play within the argument and sketches the theological beliefs that underlie the text. The commentary also provides a fresh English translation of the Greek text while endeavoring to highlight the internal literary connections within the Epistle of Barnabas. In so doing, this book provides a knowledgeable and accessible interpretation of a fascinating early Christian document. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

The Poison Of UnbeliefReader: Jon WatsonDate: 27th September 2022Passage: Acts 14:2-------------------Many a person has been imprisoned (or executed) for poisoning someone they planned to murder. It is a terrible crime deliberately to poison someone to death. It is also a terrible thing to poison people's minds. There are fanatical people who try to brainwash the young into believing extreme ideologies or political views or even wrong religious theories.When Paul and Barnabas arrived at the city of Iconium which was 80 miles from their last port of call they began to preach the Gospel. At first things went well and many believed. But as so often happened unbelieving Jewish people became angry with Paul and Barnabas and the message they preached. In their anger they twisted the truth that the brothers had been preaching and "poisoned the minds of the people against the Gospel message".In our own day there are certain writers who deliberately set out to contradict the teaching of the Bible and to undermine and destroy the faith of people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a 'criminal' thing to do. The poison of unbelief can be very strong, even deadly, if it turns people away from Christ. But God has a day when such poisoners will have to answer to him personally for what they have done. But God also has the word of his grace to help those whose belief is challenged to keep on believing in Jesus. His truth will triumph. PrayerDear Lord Jesus, I pray that you will help me to keep believing in your Word. Amen.

Five Leaders in the church at Antioch were worshipping and fasting and the Holy Spirit said it is time to send Saul and Barnabas off for a special work. The Holy Spirit sent them out to do a special work. What does this mean? How do we obey this? How does this change the world? If you are in the neighborhood we would love to have you gather with us on Sundays at 76 Lewis Mill Rd. in Gatesville at 10 a.m. If there is anything we can do for you please reach out and let us know. Connect with us at: hopegatesville.com hopegatesville@gmail.com Online Giving YouTube Facebook

Although the Epistle of Barnabas may be best known for its Two Ways Tradition or its anti-Jewish use of Scripture, its contents reveal much that will be of interest to anyone studying Christian origins. In keeping with other contributions to the Apostolic Fathers Commentary Series, Jonathon Lookadoo's book The Epistle of Barnabas: A Commentary (Cascade Books, 2022) not only introduces readers to critical issues such as date, authorship, and opponents but also reflects on the multifaceted scriptural interpretations at play within the argument and sketches the theological beliefs that underlie the text. The commentary also provides a fresh English translation of the Greek text while endeavoring to highlight the internal literary connections within the Epistle of Barnabas. In so doing, this book provides a knowledgeable and accessible interpretation of a fascinating early Christian document. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although the Epistle of Barnabas may be best known for its Two Ways Tradition or its anti-Jewish use of Scripture, its contents reveal much that will be of interest to anyone studying Christian origins. In keeping with other contributions to the Apostolic Fathers Commentary Series, Jonathon Lookadoo's book The Epistle of Barnabas: A Commentary (Cascade Books, 2022) not only introduces readers to critical issues such as date, authorship, and opponents but also reflects on the multifaceted scriptural interpretations at play within the argument and sketches the theological beliefs that underlie the text. The commentary also provides a fresh English translation of the Greek text while endeavoring to highlight the internal literary connections within the Epistle of Barnabas. In so doing, this book provides a knowledgeable and accessible interpretation of a fascinating early Christian document. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Acts, part 14. On their first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas are told to go, but are not yet told what to do. So often God reveals one step of the journey at a time.

Galatians 2:11–16 11  But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” 15  We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Forgiving Paul for how he persecuted believers in Christ, Barnabas gives a strong example of the fruit of forgiveness. Think of all those who came to know Jesus through Paul because Barnabas was willing to forgive him and stick up for him. Speaker: Dave Stone

The Barnabas Effect - Acts 4, 9, 11-15 - September 25, 2022

The Gospel Saves Us into True Friendships Colossians 4:7-18 Introduction Good morning, Church! My name is Trent Houck, and I am one of the Pastors here at FCBC. We are closing out our series on the book of Colossians with this 18th sermon on the book. Over the past weeks, we have heard the Gospel preached through: Steve Walker, Ryan Patterson, Billy Mogensen, Dave Gibson, David O'Hara, Javier Sepulveda/Ben Tyson, Josiah Gerbitz, and Benj Foreman. We have been meditating on the truth of God's word that: 1.Jesus is enough (Col. 1:1-8) 2.Jesus is the one we run to in prayer (Col. 1:9-14) 3.Jesus is enough because he is preeminent (Col. 1:15-20) 4.Jesus' sufficiency saves us from our insufficiency (Col. 1:21-23) 5.Jesus' presence in us is the hope of glory! (Col. 1:24-29) 6.Jesus is our treasure of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:1-5) 7.We receive Christ, and walk in him (Col. 2:6-7) 8.Jesus is captivating (Col. 2:8-15) 9.Jesus is the substance and fullness of God (Col. 2:16-19) 10. Man made rules keep us from Christ (Col. 2:20-23) 11.Jesus is a worthy object for our new minds (Col. 3:1-4) 12.Christians slay sin because Jesus is enough (Col. 3:5-11) 13.Christian Community is defined by love (Col. 3:12-17) 14.The Gospel determines family order (Col. 3:18-22) 15.Christ's Kingdom is worth working for (Col. 3:23-4:1) 16. Christians preach the Gospel! (Col. 4:2-5) 17. Christians are saved to preach the Gospel prayerfully, wisely, and graciously (Col. 4:2-6) 18.Finally: The Gospel saves us into true friendships (Col. 4:7-18) All of this is to highlight our central theme: Rooted in Christ 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. But, what does all this actually look like? It would be so easy for all of us to walk away from Colossians with better theology, more insight, and deeper interest in the person and work of Christ and to miss the connection to real people in real places. The final section of Colossians means to show us that the Gospel saves us into true friendship. That is to say, that when you have been reconciled to God, that necessarily means that you are in right standing with your brothers and sisters in Jesus. In other words, when you come to Christ, when you become a friend of God, you inherit all of Jesus' friends also. Illustration 1: (1st service just imagine) So, I would like to begin this section by illustration. I need 10 volunteers. (Count them out). Once I call you out, come on up and sit in a seat on the stage. Each of you will represent one of the people mentioned in Colossians 4:7-18. Let's hear God's word. Read the Text 7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, (1) 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. (2) (Ask Tychicus and Onesimus to go sit down) 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, (3) and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), (4) (Ask this group to stay) 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. (5) (Stay) 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. (6) (Ask Epaphras to get into a prayer posture) 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, (7) as does Demas. (8) (Ask to wave and look dignified) 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, (Left Side of the Sanctuary) (Ask congregation to say: "Greetings!") and to Nympha and the church in her house. (9) (Ask the congregation on the left side to say: "Hi Nympha!) 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. (Ask the congregation to say: "You got it, Paul!") 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” (10) (Ask the Congregation to say: "We'll tell him!") 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. (Self) (Ask the congregation to celebrate volunteers and the close of the letter). Prayer: Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we come before your word now in order to allow you to speak to our hearts. We recognize that this too is your word. In your sovereign plan, you chose to use these men and women to advance your Gospel. Help us to catch a vision of what this would look like for our own lives. Jesus, we praise you for your perfect life. The Father sent you, and you went for the joy set before, even enduring the cross. We thank you for your atoning death, for drinking the cup of God's wrath against sin, so that we might have friendship with God and fellowship with one another. Thank you for your resurrection, for the fact that you are now seated at the right hand of the throne in heaven, making intercession for us, even as we gather before you. Holy Spirit, give us a vision for Gospel-friendships and Gospel-partnerships here at FCBC. Give us the boldness, courage, and desire to lay down our lives for others, to trust each other, and to grow in maturity to the stature and fullness of Christ. We pray these things for the glory of God in Jesus' name, amen. Exegetical Introduction The Gospel saves us into true friendship. You don't have to look past the first verse in Colossians to see that Paul was a man who loved friendship. He writes in Colossians 1:1-2, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother. To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae…" Timothy was one of Paul's closest friends. Paul writes of Timothy in Philippians 2:20, "...I have no one like him[Timothy], who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare" and "...you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel" (Phil. 2:22). Paul almost never worked alone, and when it came to writing his books, he gave credit to the co-author, Timothy. That's true friendship. Do you have these kinds of friends? Even a best friend? In many ways, the entire letter to the Colossians was an expression of friendship. We rarely write letters today, but the communication between Paul and Collosae was dripping with familial affection and love. Since Paul has come to know Epaphras, he has come to love him. And, a friend of Epaphras (who planted the church in Colossae, and wanted to plant more in the Lycus Valley) is a friend of Paul's. Paul loved to surround himself with friends. One author writes, “In the book of Acts there are more than 100 different Christians associated with Paul. He named sixteen different friends in Romans 16 alone! Here in Colossians he was true to form as he named ten people in closing.”[ Hughes, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, 362. ] Why do you think that Paul had so many friends? Paul had friends because friendship is intrinsic to the Gospel. It's like pizza with cheese. You can't have pizza without the cheese. (I suppose, some of you can). Paul writes, "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14). You can't have the Gospel without the "us". That is, Jesus' decisive saving work in the life of the believer places you in a new kingdom. And, a friend of Jesus is a friend of mine, Paul says. In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that these relationships are brother/sister relationships. Because of Jesus' finished work, we are now family. Now, these new brothers and sisters are not only people who destroy your lego sets, leave their clothes out in your room, and savagely beat you at Monopoly. These are the kinds of brothers and sisters who get you presents at Christmas, help you with the dishes, and are people you'd like to emulate.[ Edit: Every isolated individual sipping Starbucks and reading their Bibles on Sundays thinking that they can have Jesus without the Church are sorely mistaken. Jesus without the Church, is Trent without Lauren. Jesus without the Church, is spirituality without realism. Jesus without the Church is not what Jesus died for. Jesus died for his bride. And, he calls Christians to live for her, to love her, to strengthen her. Because, after all, who hates his own body? ] Main Question/Tension: So, here is the main question for us this morning: are we actively engaging with these kinds of friendships here at FCBC? Are you a good friend? Paul has already detailed for us that sin breaks friendships down in a few ways. He writes, "Here [that is, in the household of God] there is not Greek and Jew [that is, friendship on the basis of racial or ethnic background], circumcised and uncircumcised [that is, friend lines because of religious background], barbarian [that is, friend lines on the basis of social status], Scythian [geography or obscurity], slave [economic status], free [citizenry]; but Christ is all [that is, what matters most] and in all [that is, in all kinds of people]" (Col. 3:11). Paul says, "none of these things need to divide you." However, because we live in a fallen world, left to ourselves we do divide over all kinds of things. We feel alienated by people who are different than us, and we sometimes actively or accidentally alienate those who would otherwise befriend us.This happens within our church even as it happens in our world. People want to form groups around age, gender, married, single, kids, no kids, hobbies, school choice, background, and the like. We naturally drift toward people who are just like us. Raise your hand if you have ever felt lonely. Have you ever wondered why? What's the solution to this sin problem? The answer is the Gospel. The Gospel saves us into true friendships. Here's what this means. The Gospel saves us into at least six kinds of friendships. We need all the types. And, we need to learn to become all of them as well.[ What Paul details here in this list of friends is that the Gospel rescues us into active friendship with a variety of kinds of people. This is good news, because the Gospel is not reductionistic. God knows that we need close friends, weird friends, old friends, new friends, lost friends, found friends, and everywhere in between. ] This is the good news: when we become friends with Jesus through his death, burial and resurrection, we have a friend who will never leave us or forsake us, and Jesus brings you into friendship with his best friends. Outline: The Gospel saves us into: 1.Commissioned Friendships (Colossians 4:7-9). a.These are friends we purposefully give away to others. 2.Comfort Friendships (Colossians 4:10-11). a.These are longtime childhood friends. 3.Commended Friendships (Colossians 4:12-13). a.These are respected friends that we look up. 4.Church Friendships (Colossians 4:15-16). a.These are friends that we'd only make because of the Gospel. 5.Collapsing Friendships (Colossians 4:17). a.These are friends who need support, struggling friends. 6.Current Friendships (Colossians 4:18). a.New Friends.[ Edit: a.What kinds of friends do you need? (Ask God for this) b.What kind of friend am you? (Ask your friends about this) c.What kinds of friends have you had in the past? (Praise God for this!) d.What kind of friend will you be in the future? (Ask God about this) e.What do I appreciate most about God's friendship with me? (Praise God for this!)] Main Point: The Gospel saves us into true friendships. Commissioned Friendships (Colossians 4:7-9) First, the Gospel saves us into commissioned friendships. We read, 7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts,9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. Tychicus and Onesimus are commissioned friends. Tychicus was a loyal friend. He was faithful. He was with Paul when Paul went through really hard times. Paul wrote: "I was shipwrecked, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure" (2 Corinthians 11:25-27). Tychicus was there for all that. Many left Paul behind, but Tychicus stuck by him. As the Colossian letter is being written in Rome, someone had to volunteer to take it back. Paul was probably scratching his chin, wondering: who should I send to take this back to the Colossians? Tychicus had internalized this beautiful passage from Romans, "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed, Tychicus? And how are they to believe in him in whom they have never heard, Tychicus? And how are they to hear without someone preaching, Tychicus? And how are they to preach unless they are sent, Tychicus? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:14-16). As the final pen strokes of Colossians are being laid, I imagine that Paul is asking: Who will go for us? Tychicus steps forward. "Send me, I'll go." More than likely, tears filled Paul's eyes, realizing what he was asking. "Yes, Tychicus, you will go, but not without Onesimus." Onesimus looked up surprised. "Me?" Onesimus is a runaway slave. Paul says, "Yes you, Onesimus. I have a letter for your master Philemon that you will carry as well."[ Meynell, Colossians For You, 169. ] Tears fill Onesimus's eyes for other reasons. "Remember, Onesimus, 'Here in the body of Christ there is no…' "Slave or Free." Onesimus says. "Okay, Paul. I will go." Onesimus was being commissioned to apply the Gospel to a broken friendship and partnership with Philemon. And, Onesimus was being sent to repair the breach because, "If two believers cannot be reconciled, then either both or one is not in fellowship with God."[ Hughes, 364. ] Tychicus went to deliver the letter. Onesimus went as the embodiment of the message. Gospel proclamation necessarily means this kind of Gospel friendship. These two depart on their 1000 mile journey to the Colossians with their letters in hand, and one more (likely Ephesians). Do you have friends like that? If you know Jesus, you have a friend who was sent to deliver you a message. If you know Jesus, you know someone like Onesimus too: Jesus was the message (John 1). Paul has friends that he is willing to commission so that the Gospel advances in the world. He trusts them. He leans on them. He sends them. Paul sends Tychicus and Onesimus. Paul has commissioned friends. But, doesn't that leave Paul lonely? That leads us to our next point: Comfort Friendships (Colossians 4:10-11) Second, the Gospel saves us into friendships that bring us comfort. When we lose friends, it's really important that we are not left alone. So, God provides other kinds of friends. Paul writes, 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me So, Paul has three Jewish friends. These are friends who share heritage, upbringing, native language, and new life in Jesus. If you have been in foreign area for any length of time, you begin to hunger and thirst for your native language, culture, and norms. God graciously provides these three men to: a.Be in prison with him (Aristarchus) b.Be reconciled to him (Mark) c.Be with him (Jesus). Now, Paul highlights these men for a few different reasons: 1.The Colossians care about Paul! They want to know how he is doing. They want to know that he's alive, and how God is providing for him. They desire to pray for him and help him in any way they can. They are not indifferent to him. 2.The Colossians wondered about Mark. If the Colossians are aware of Mark's departure from Paul in Acts 16, they'll need to know that things are good between them now. As you remember, there was a point when Mark bailed on Paul, and it hurt him pretty badly! But, Paul wants them to know that they are in good hands if Mark comes their way. They've reconciled. 3.The Colossians needed to know who was safe. We don't know almost anything about Jesus called Justus. But,I think that Paul mentions him here so that if the Colossians have developed an apprehension to Jewish teachers because of the Colossian heresy, they would know that Jesus called Justus comes recommended by Paul. These are comfort, safe friends. They are people who continually encourage Paul's heart because they get him. These are friends with whom Paul would share inside jokes from his culture. They would know his native language. They would be able to speak in a unique way to the matters of his heart. But, doesn't Paul also need to be challenged? This leads us to our third point: Commended Friendships (Colossians 4:12-14) Third, the Gospel saves us into commended friendships. These are friendships with people that we look up to in the faith, or at least those who are peers with us. Even Paul needed to see examples of faith. He needed to be encouraged by church planters and missionaries. He needed to be reminded of the Gospel. He writes, 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. This is quite a commendation! "Praise from the praiseworthy is above all rewards."[ Attributed to Tolkien. ] To have the hard-working, prayerful Paul say: "That guys is hard-working! That guy is prayerful!" is a deep commendation of Epaphras' spiritual fitness. This was encouraging to Paul. Paul didn't always have good days. There were times that Paul was really lonely, scared, fearful, and depressed, just like we would be if we were in his situation. We read in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). There were also times when Paul was anxious: 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? (2 Corinthians 11:28) Epaphras reminded Paul of why he was doing what he was doing. Epaphras was a church-planter, a missionary. Paul's own life was reflected in Epaphras. And, Jesus' life was reflected in both. So, Paul commends three things about Epaphras: 1.His prayer life. Epaphras prays often "...always struggling on your behalf…" He prays specifically "...that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God."[ Edit: We know that Epaphras was also in prison with Paul (Philemon 23). While being chained, Epaphras knew that the most effective work that he could do for the kingdom was through prayer. ] 2.His work ethic. "He has worked hard for you." Epaphras is not in this for self-glory, but for Gospel advancement. He hits his knees, preaches, teaches, and leads for the sake of the Gospel. This impresses Paul. 3.His vision. And if that isn't enough, Epaphras wants to see the Gospel advance. He has a heart "For those in Laodicea and Hierapolis." He's not concerned only for his hometown, but for the surrounding cities. Paul mentions two more friends: 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. You can read about Luke all throughout the book of Acts. He is the Author of Luke and Acts, and he is a key player in the Gospel advancing. He is the "beloved healer", probably extremely bright, intellectual, and competent. We don't know a ton about Demas. At the moment of the writing of Colossians, he is "a fellow worker with Paul"[ Philemon 1:24. ] Maybe that's all we need to know! Nonetheless, Paul needed commendable friends. Even so, Paul needs friends who will move the Gospel work forward. That leads us to our next point. Church Friendships (Colossians 4:15-16) Fourth, God saves us into Church friendships. These are friendships that develop around the mission of Christ, and that continue in the mission of Christ. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. Paul expected that the Colossians would pass along the things that he had said to the Laodiceans and to the Church in Nympha's house. Further, he expected that his letters would be read all over the Lycus Valley. The "letter from Laodicea" is probably Ephesians.[ Meynell, Colossians for You, 173. ] This means that his communication was intended to be read more broadly.[ Edit: In other words, the very words of Paul were to be taken not only as authoritative, but as the means through which other people would be converted to Christ. There were timeless, truths that have spanned beyond the Roman Empire into our day that were to be understood, applied, and lived out in the Church Age. ] Because the greetings spanned out across the Lycus Valley, we can also say, in a very indirect way, that Paul greets us from the first century through the letter to the Colossians. Pretty cool! Here is the key point: when you have deep, Gospel friendships, the relationships expand much further than just the individual. Illustration: The Gospel brings you into a sort of web of friendships. Whatever you do in one friendship affects all the rest. We can see this very clearly with Paul, but we usually don't consider the ways that we are at center-points of our web of friendships. The Christian is called to have Jesus at the center of all of his or her friendships, and that necessarily connects you to the rest of the body of Christ. That leads to our fifth point. Collapsing Friendships (Colossians 4:17) Fifth, and briefly, Collapsing friends. These are people who are struggling in Christian ministry and are very tempted to give up. We are not to see these people as projects or as lost causes, but to follow Paul's examples in the following way: 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” Maybe Archippus was just beginning in ministry (Phil. 1:2), or maybe there was a particular issue that was leading him to feel like he couldn't fulfill his ministry. Either way, Paul singled out this man and called the Colossian Church to reaffirm their desire for him to fulfill his ministry. Paul, at the end of his own life says this in 2 Timothy 4: 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul knows that it is not how a minister starts his ministry that really matters, but how one finishes. All along the way, there will be people in your life who will struggle to finish well. We are called to encourage them. That leads us to our final point. Current Friendships (Colossians 4:18) Sixth, and finally, Paul affirms his friendships with the Colossians. 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Paul knows that his personal voice matters to the Colossians. He pulls back the curtain and says something to help the Colossians feel, know and believe that Paul is for them because God is for them. Application: a.What kinds of friends do you need? (Ask God for this) b.What kind of friend are you? (Ask your friends about this) c.What kinds of friends have you had in the past? (Praise God for this!) d.What kind of friend will you be in the future? (Ask God about this) e.What do I appreciate most about God's friendship? (Praise God for this!) Testimony & Baptism So ends the book of Colossians. We are going to transition now into two things. 1.Testimony: We are going to show a short recap of testimonies from people who have been encouraged by the message of Colossians. Then, 2.Baptism: We are going to see a baptism together. Water baptism, intended for true believers who have been saved by the work of Christ, is an act of obedience and a visual demonstration of a person's union with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection. It signifies that the power of sin is broken, vividly depicting a believer's newness of life. Key Texts: Mt 28:19- 20; Acts 2:41; 8:34-39; Rom 6:3-11. a. The person being baptized will share their testimony, be baptized and then we will celebrate the end of this series with one final song of worship. Let's join together in celebrating what God has done here at FCBC in the past 3-4 months.