When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
The Prophecy of Agabus by Louis Cheron (1660-1713)
During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)
So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.
Prayer: Lord Jesus – May I bear the name “Christian” with honor and courage. Holy Spirit – Give me a teachable spirit, and open my heart to follow as you lead. Heavenly Father – All that I have is on loan from you. May I use it wisely to further your Kingdom purposes. I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews.
However, some of the believyers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.
When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.
Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.
Prayer: Lord Jesus – Send your Barnabas-like emissaries throughout the world… people with good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit, and strong in faith… encouragers of your people, and supporters of your Church. And make me one of them… to your benefit and glory. Amen.
Spiritual Song :“Once to every man and nation” – James Russell Lowell, 1845
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Once to every man and nation / Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, God’s new Messiah, Offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by for ever / ‘Twixt that darkness and that light.
Then to side with truth is noble, When we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, And ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses, While the coward stands aside;
Till the multitude make virtue / Of the faith they had denied.
By the light of burning martyrs / Jesus’ bleeding feet I track,
Toiling up new Calvaries ever / With the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties, Time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still and onward / Who would keep abreast of truth.
Though the cause of evil prosper, Yet ’tis truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, And upon the throne be wrong,
Yet that scaffold sways the future, And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow / Keeping watch above his own.
Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God.
But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said.
Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’
“‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean. ’
“But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’ This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.
“Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us. He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’
“As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”
When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”
Prayer:Heavenly Father – You have repeated this story of Cornelius’ conversion and baptism three times for emphasis – everyone, regardless of their background, has been given the privilege of repenting and receiving eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. No people, tribe or nation is left out… no matter what I might think of them. Lord Jesus – You died for my sins and the sins of the world. Give me a passion for the lost… wherever I might find them. Holy Spirit – Show your power… demonstrate the authenticity of those who believe and repent… so that together we might rejoice with the angels in heaven over every soul that receives eternal life. I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Spiritual Song:“Hosanna” – Hillsong United
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They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!” So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.
Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”
Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me. He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’ So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”
Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God.
Then Peter asked, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.
Prayer:Heavenly Father – Yours is a big family made up of people from every tribe and nation. Give me an open heart towards all who love and serve you. Holy Spirit– Manifest your presence and power in the life of every believer… and show us how to express our praise and longings of our hearts. Lord Jesus – Keep our eyes focused on you, to the end that every knee shall bow and tongue confess you as Lord. Amen.
Hymn:“Show me your glory” – Jesus Culture
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Reading: Acts 10:1-8 NLT In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment. He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.
Vision of Cornelius the Centurion Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1621-1674)
One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.
Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel.
And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering! Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.”
As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants. He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.
Prayer: Lord God – Give me a generous heart… and make me a God-fearing person of prayer. Help me to listen more than I speak… and give me a spirit of willing obedience. I ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Spiritual Song: “I will run to you” – Hillsong _________________________
The Peanut Gallery 