\u201cOn the Sabbath\u00a0they entered the synagogue\u00a0and sat down.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 It was the custom of Paul to first go to the Synagogues.\u00a0 It would seem a strategic starting point as those who attended there would know the Old Testament scriptures and the prophecies concerning the Messiah.\u00a0 In this synagogue were both Jews and Gentile converts and seekers-of-God.\u00a0 This location was not easy to get to.\u00a0 After landing in Asia Minor the port cities were surrounded by mountains.\u00a0 The roads were dangerous with thieves and murderers. \u00a0It was about a one-hundred mile trek from the port to the city of Pisidian Antioch. \u00a0Because of the dangers of criminals, of getting hurt traveling through the mountains and also because of the one hundred mile trek, not many outside Rabbi\u2019s came to visit.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the reading from the Law\u00a0and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, \u201cBrothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.\u201d<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 The custom of the Jews was to first read from the Law and then to read from the Prophets.\u00a0 After that if some capable person in the congregation had a word they may be asked to share.\u00a0 This is really, even for Christians to this day, Preaching 101.\u00a0 Sometimes a believer will tell someone they need to be \u201csaved.\u201d\u00a0 Many times a person will want to know from what they must be saved?\u00a0 They don\u2019t know what it is they must be saved from.\u00a0 So first they must be taught that all people have a need to be saved from their sinful nature that has separated them from God. \u00a0So first the Law is preached so that people may know they have a need to repent.\u00a0 After they know how hopelessly they are lost, they must be given the hope of redemption offered through Jesus Christ.\u00a0 They must receive the promises of God to have hope for their future.\u00a0 Men with soft hearts and honest minds will see their need and come to Christ, if not at the first time of hearing, then in time as God continues to work on their hearts they will come to the Lord, if their hearts are right.<\/p>\n
Paul had incredible Jewish credentials.\u00a0 Both Paul and Barnabas were Jews from Jerusalem which instantly gave them a good reputation.\u00a0 So they asked them if they would like to speak.\u00a0 Paul was like a starving wolf who was just thrown a lamb chop, he probably had to control himself not to run up and deliver a message in the name of Jesus.<\/p>\n
We do not know why John Mark left after they had arrived in Perga (V13<\/b>).\u00a0 There are a few guesses, but scripture does not tell us why.\u00a0 Could it have been because Uncle Barnabas was no longer the leader of the company?\u00a0 We know that Barnabas had been the most prominent member of the group and his name was mentioned first.\u00a0 In fact in\u00a0V1<\/b>\u00a0Barnabas was mentioned first and Paul (Saul) was mentioned last.\u00a0 But after the Lord used Paul so powerfully in\u00a0Vs 6-12<\/b>, in the next verse the group was mentioned as \u201cPaul and his companions<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0 Some think that perhaps John Mark became resentful that Paul was elevated to take the lead and his uncle was now in the second spot.\u00a0 Maybe, maybe not.\u00a0 But one thing we can know is that God is the one who promotes and who demotes as best serves His purpose.\u00a0 And we all should be completely happy that it is He who makes the decisions.\u00a0 After all, we know that John the Baptist was the phenom on the scene until the time of the ministry of Jesus to start.\u00a0 Because God has put a person in charge at a location or certain duty, does not mean that God will always have that person in charge.\u00a0 A missionary may start a church where there was not one, but he may give way to a man with the gift of pastoring to then lead the new church.\u00a0 This has been a pattern well established by God.\u00a0 We all must learn to know that it is all God\u2019s call. Every single time.\u00a0 It is God who establishes favor.\u00a0\u00a0Psalm 75:7<\/b>\u00a0\u201cIt is God who judges: He brings one down, He exalts another.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0So we, like the group with Paul, must not keep our eyes focused on men, but on God.\u00a0 We follow God.\u00a0 Not that we don\u2019t admire, respect and even find good models of faith in men and women.\u00a0 Certainly we do.\u00a0 But ultimately God decides who sits in different positions.\u00a0 A person may be meant to lead and grow a group for a time and then that same man may be moved to another group to bless.\u00a0 As that happens, as it is ordained by God and not men, then both groups will be blessed.\u00a0 The group that the man leaves God will already have prepared another to lead.\u00a0 The ministry that the man is moved to will be blessed.\u00a0 God grants favor and not man.\u00a0 It is God\u2019s plan that will succeed and will bless us.\u00a0 Neither should men fight against that favor lest they find themselves fighting against God at their own peril.\u00a0 Let us trust God.\u00a0 He is worthy and when we do trust Him, we are safely in His will.\u00a0 Let\u2019s trust and praise God.\u00a0 He always has a person prepared.\u00a0 Praise God! Yes, praise God!<\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Acts 13:13-15\u00a0\u2013 From Paphos,\u00a0Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia,\u00a0where John\u00a0left them to return to Jerusalem.14\u00a0From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.\u00a0On the Sabbath\u00a0they entered the synagogue\u00a0and sat down.\u00a015\u00a0After the reading from the Law\u00a0and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, \u201cBrothers, if you have a word…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,94,17],"class_list":["post-1712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-micah","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1712"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1713,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1712\/revisions\/1713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}