Fri.’s Devo - Opposition Arises

Read: Acts 12:6-14:20
I don’t know why Stephen had to die and Peter is miraculously set free from prison, but God has a reason in everything he does. When God starts moving in power and miracles, the darkness is exposed and dealt with. Herod rose up as the people’s choice and is labeled a god by the people. God humbles him with sickness to prove that he is no god.
I love the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch. There was Barnabas, who ended up traveling with Paul; Simeon who was a black man; Lucius, a Cyrenesse; Manean, the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas; and Saul. What a motley crew! After prayer and fasting, they sent Paul and Barnabas on a mission trip. John Mark went with them as well.
The first place they went was the island of Cyprus. Satan had his eyes on these men because they were invading his territory. The governor, Sergius Paphos became very interested in what Paul and Barnabas were teaching but Satan’s plant, Elymas attached himself to Sergius determined that he would not be swayed. The Holy Spirit in Paul rose up and he addressed the demon in Elymas, exposed it and called down blindness on him. He immediately became blind so that the governor could “see”.
This is when John Mark went back to Jerusalem and Paul and Barnabas continued to the island of Pisidia. There were many Jews as well as Gentiles who had converted to Judaism in the synagogue. They asked Paul and Barnabas to speak. Paul told them the whole history of the Jewish nation up to Jesus. They begged them to come back the next week and teach again. When they did, the Jews became jealous of the crowd and argued against their message. Paul told them that since they, the Jews had rejected their message, they would preach to the Gentiles. They quoted Isaiah 46:7 which says, “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.” The Gentiles were delighted, but the Jews ran them out of town.
This same thing happened in Iconium and they ended up fleeing to Lystra and Derbe. In Lystra, God healed a man crippled from birth which got them stoned and dragged out of town for dead. The believers gathered around them and they were healed and went on to Derbe.
Each time they were persecuted, they were encouraged. Jesus had taught them not to look at the reaction of the religious, because they have hard hearts. But, the ones that were hungry would receive the message with joy which is exactly what happened.
Lord, give us eyes to see what is going on in the sprit so we won’t get discouraged, but have faith. God is moving in our nation and in his people!