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A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold is as pictures of silver.(Prov.25:11) It is so important to speak the right words to people at the right time to produce the right results. When you think of apples of gold in pictures of silver, then you are thinking of wealth and excellence. When we speak wisdom into the lives of others we are making them wealthy. Therefore we must seek God for He is the source of all wisdom and He will give us just the right words needed at the right time.
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#Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? Acts 13:9,10
Saul has his name changed to Paul, this is because the Romans know him by that name so he is now the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles. So Paul sets his eyes on Elymas the sorcerer, and warns him to repent of perverting the right ways of the Lord. This apparently did not happen, so Paul is going to be forced to punish him with blindness for a season. We too need to beware of false teachers by reading the Bible every day, and pray to the Holy Spirit so that we will be guided in all the ways of the truth.
#And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus: Acts 13:6
When Saul and Barnabas had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, who was a Jew named Bar-Jesus. Sorcery is going to be an end-time plague as the book of Revelation 9:21 said they would not repent of their murders, sorcery, thefts, and fornication. It is amazing that Barjesus is a Jew, like Judas Iscariot, who was a false prophet and he betrayed the Lord. This Barjesus will have his name changed to Elymas the sorcerer. The sin of sorcery involves witchcraft and drugs. It has an etymology from the Greek word Pharmicai which we get the English word Pharmacy. So we see the apostles had to deal with this with Simon the sorcerer who tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit with money, and Peter told Simon to repent or he would perish with his money. So how do we know when we are in contact with a sorcerer? They are covetous and deal with the occult. So when you find someone like that you need to stay away from them. II Tim 3 tells us they will have a form of godliness, but denying the power; from such turn away. Paul is going to deal with this Elymas the sorcerer in a mighty way by smiting him with blindness for a season. We do not have the gifts of an apostle, so we have to rebuke them by the power of the Holy Spirit and turn away from them.
#And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews and they had also John to their minister. Acts 13:5
Barnabas and Saul took every opportunity to preach the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews in Salamis, which was about fifty miles away from Seleucia. And they had John Mark as their minister, as Col. 4:10 tells us he was a relative of Barnabas, so that would explain why he was invited to minister with them. Saul is going to stir up the Jews with his preaching of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The gospel was to be preached to the Jews first, then also unto the Gentiles. Later when Saul has his name changed to Paul, he would be charged with preaching the gospel to the Gentiles mainly. Peter and Paul would later clash over some of the Gentiles' foods that they would eat, which was not acceptable for the Jews in Gal. 2, as Peter was enjoying some ham which the Jews did not eat, so he did it when the Jews were not present. This caused Paul to have to rebuke Peter for his hypocrisy. Today the churches are so multicultural that this issue hardly ever comes up anymore. I thank God that I ministered in Houston, Texas which is the most diverse city in the United States of America. So preaching the gospel here you will reach many cultures. So we can fulfill the great commission of taking the gospel to the whole world here.
#And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. Acts 13:3,4
So after the Church had fasted and prayed they laid their hands on Barnabas and Paul. So they were sent forth by the Holy Spirit and departed for Seleucia and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. Where the Lord would use them mightily in the power of the Holy Spirit. We too should pray and fast, then lay hands on those who have been anointed to preach the gospel. I remember almost thirty years ago I was anointed to preach the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and He anointed me to use the book of Jonah; A Rendevous with destiny. I played on the piano the sermonic hymn: It Is Well with My Soul. I thank God for sending me out and I have been preaching ever since then. I co-pastored a church: The Trinity Nazarene, for nine years. The church closed in 2008, and since then I have been an itinerant minister using the Internet and my Blog to preach the good news. We must use every method that the Lord gives us, as with this pandemic and many are isolating to stay safe from this Omicron variant of the coronavirus, many are using Youtube and Podcast to preach the gospel. Praise God for this technology that is allowing us to get the good news out.
#Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. Acts 13:1,2
Antioch was the birthplace of the Gentile church and Barnabas as well as Simeon was responsible for starting it. Simeon was of Niger descent which meant he was a black man. We do not know much about Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen but they had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, who was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded, and is now in exile. Saul was converted on the Damascus road and also was used to preach in the church at Antioch. So the Holy Spirit told them to separate Barnabas and Saul for the work I have them too, after they had ministered to the Lord and fasted. This will be the beginning where Saul's name would be changed to Paul and all the things that the Lord Jesus had told him that he was a chosen vessel to take the gospel to the Gentiles. There he would suffer many things of the Jews and be stoned at Iconium. Nevertheless, the Church would grow throughout all the persecutions, and then John Mark would prove unfaithful in the ministry.
#But the word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry and took with them John, whose surname was Mark. Acts 12:24,25
So the word of God grew and multiplied as the angel of the Lord had taken vengeance on Herod. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem since they had completed their ministry. Now they are taking John, whose surname was Mark with them. This will lead to conflict in the ministry as John Mark will cause Saul some consternation on their missionary journey. It would take some while before Paul when he is in prison on his swan song to see that John Mark was indeed profitable for him in the ministry. This tells us that even though we may fail in the ministry at times, God can restore us, as He did for John Mark. So the lesson that we can learn is to never give up and redeem the time for the days that are evil. Also we must be quick to forgive those who have disappointed us and move on by faith trusting in the Lord to make a way in the ministry for us to complete the work God has ordained us to do.
#And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost. Acts 12:21-23
Almighty God alone is to be worshipped and not man. God will not share His glory with any man, so the angel of the Lord smote Herod, because he gave not God the glory. Vengeance is of the Lord so He avenged Herod for the death of James. We must warn those in authority to give God the glory, for He sets up, and puts down those that are lifted up in pride. This was an immediate judgment upon Herod because of his exceeding wickedness. I shall exalt the Lord at all times for He alone is worthy of all our praises. Pride goes before destruction and a proud spirit before a fall.
#And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon but they came with one accord to him, and having made Blastus the king's chamberlin their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. Acts 12:20
We do not know why Herod is highly displeased with Tyre and sidon but they came with one accord to him seeking peace. So Blastus the king's chamberlin and friend desired this peace. Perhaps it was with some sort of offer he was able to nourish their country by the king's country. We would call that diplomacy today when nations seek to appease one another with monetary gain to nourish their people. So the Christians were blessed by this diplomacy. We need to see some type of diplomacy today between the United States and Russia as tensions have not been this high since the Cold War Era. We must pray for our leaders to have prayer for peace so that the nations can be nourished and not suffer famine from war. May God grant that Mr. Blinken can negotiate some peace treaty with Russia soon.
#Now as soon as it was day there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, he examined the keepers and commanded that they should be put to death. Acts 12:18
God is going to show mercy to the soldiers, by putting Herod to death. The soldiers had done nothing wrong it was the angel of the Lord that released Peter. This reminds us that if we are sent to prison for doing the will of God, we too can expect miraculous deliverance. So you think God does not deliver us that way anymore? Then do not be surprised what God can do for He is omnipotent and moves when we place our faith in Him. For without faith, it is impossible to please God. So if you are a soldier holding a child of God in prison, then beware your life may be in danger. Do not fight against God for it is a losing matter.
#And he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James and the brethren. And he departed and went into another place. Acts 12:17
Peter does not know that the apostle James has been killed by Herod, so he beckons for them with his hand to hold their peace and declared unto them how the Lord had delivered him out of the prison. He told them to show these things unto James. Then he departed and went into another place. We must continue to pray for the Lord to deliver us in the same way as he delivered Peter and even though James too was delivered unto death, it is absent from the body and present with the Lord. We will all get to heaven through death or the rapture for those who are alive at His appearing. God is faithful and will not allow us to be tried beyond what we may endure. So count it all joy, even though we are in manifold temptations, the trying of our faith is producing patience in us. So rejoice in the Lord always.
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