SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/27/2018 8:44 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The Genesis
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts
11:19-21
Message of the verses: “19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.”
What we are looking at in this passage is what happened
after Acts 8:4 “4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching
the word.” After Stephen was stoned many
of the believers in Jerusalem left, which as we mentioned earlier that they
should have left on their own in order to fulfill the great commission that
Jesus spoke of in Matthew 28 along with Acts 1.
Now remember that this persecution was caused by Saul of Tarsus and as a
result of this persecution there were many souls who heard the Word of God and
were saved. We see in verse nineteen the
places that these persecuted believers went to, and then in verse twenty-one we
see that not only was the Word of God being taught to the Jews, but also to the
Greeks, and when the Bible speaks of Greeks it can also mean Gentiles.
John MacArthur writes “Being Greek-speaking Jews, from
predominantly Gentile areas, they were more open to preaching to Gentiles than
the native Palestinian Jews. Through
their efforts, the first Gentile church was born.”
Antioch was a major ancient metropolis; in fact it was
the third largest in the Roman Empire next to Rome and Alexandria. Like many
cities in the Roman Empire Antioch had much sinfulness that went on their
including pagan worship and sexual immorality.
Like most cities that the Gospel went to in the early days of the church
it was certainly needed in Antioch.
We see in verse 21 that the “hand of the Lord was with
them,” and as a result of this many turned to the Lord. In my Sunday school lesson this week on the
church at Philadelphia there is a statement in it that is similar to this
statement from verse 21 and that is that the Lord opened a door for the gospel
to be heard. My point here is that it is
the Lord who opens doors to people’s hearts as seen in this letter to
Philadelphia along with what we read in verse 21 where His hand was with those
who were preaching the gospel. John
MacArthur writes that in the OT when we see this statement “the hand of the
Lord” it means two things: “First, it
spoke of God’s power expressed in judgment (cf. Ex. 9:33; Deut. 2:15; Josh. 4:24; 1 Sam. 5:6;
7:13). It also referred to God’s power
expressed in blessing
(Ezra 7:9; 8:18; Neh. 2:8, 18). In this
case it was related to God’s blessing, so that ‘a large number who believed
turned to the Lord.’ Again, as in almost
all places where Jesus Christ was being preached, the response was great…People
not only ‘believed intellectually but also ‘turned’ from their sins ‘to the
Lord’ (cf. 1 Thess. 1:9). As always,
believing is inseparable from repentance manifested in a changed life.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Continue to trust
the Lord that His hand will be on me as He leads people into my life so that
they can hear the gospel message.
My Steps of Faith for Today: “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an
account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter
3:15).”
Memory verse: Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do Your will, for
You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “Elkanah” (1 Samuel 1:8).
Today’s Bible
question: “Nathaniel asked if any good
thing could come out of what city?”
Answer in our next SD.
1/27/2018 9:15 AM
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