Day 309 or November the 5th. Keep a look out.
Our thoughts today are rooted in Acts chapter
13 verse 2. While they were worshipping the Lord
and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart
for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which
I have called them. And now the big picture surrounding
this verse. With the church established amongst
the Jews and the Samaritans, those half -Jew,
half -Gentile people, the Gentiles are the next
step. Peter has been told that Gentiles are acceptable,
and then Paul is chosen to take the gospel into
the Gentile world. The first missionary journey
sees Barnabas and Saul heading for Cyprus, and
then on to present -day Turkey. They quickly
become known as Paul and Barnabas as god's chosen
man for the gentiles heads up this vital outreach
and now our action step for to -day midway through
the book of acts a major step is taken to send
the world's first official missionaries into
the world Of course there had been witnesses
from the very early days, but missionaries being
sent out by the church was a new venture, and
one for which we can now thank God, otherwise
we may not have heard the good news ourselves.
It's interesting that it was the church who instigated
the action at the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
It seems to me that today it's the missionary
who gets the call, and then asks the church to
send them. I firmly believe the church should
be doing the selecting, and it is our responsibility
to keep an eye open and our spiritual antennae
up to spot those who have been selected by God.
I remember people telling me many years ago that
I should consider full -time ministry, and it
was these promptings that were the beginning
of the road that led to the role God had for
me. You don't have to be a leader to see God's
hand in someone else's life. Whoever you are,
simply tell others what you say. Your words could
be a small but significant part in their Christian
life. So keep watching and listening and speaking.