they could keep in their minds and remember how at first I preached to them lest they believe in vain. How that Christ Jesus died on the cross for our sins according to the Scriptures. That He was buried and laid in a tomb, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. This was the message that I got them to believe in. This is what they were baptised into with water once they believed.
Do you not know, that so many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death. That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together with Him in the likeness of His death, we shall be also be planted together with Him in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old fleshly man, the man of dust is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we should no longer serve sin and be enslaved by it. For he that is dead is freed from sin. How anybody could think that they could achieve righteousness by rituals and works were insane. It could only be by faith and by faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ alone. No other way!
After some time I said to Barnabas, "Lets go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we proclaimed the message about the Messiah, and see how they are doing!" Barnabas was determined to take John Mark with us again. Barnabas and John Mark were near relatives who grew up together. They were family. Barnabas, whose real name was Joseph, was a Levite and native of Cyprus. He was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles in Jerusalem as he had sold a field which belonged to him and gave the money to the church, laying it at the apostles feet. John Mark owned the upper room where Jesus and His disciples stayed.
I thought it not a good idea to take John Mark with us again. He had gone off and deserted us in the Province of Pamphylia, leaving us to do the work by ourselves. According to me he was unreliable. There followed a sharp disagreement between Barnabas and I over John Mark, that we separated from each other. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. I chose Silas and left, after the brothers had committed him to the grace of God. We passed through the Provinces of Syria and Cilicia, establishing and strengthening the churches. So my second missionary journey began with Silas by my side. God's holy apostles and prophets being yoked together in agreement, as was God's divine order for His church.
My heart yearned for Barnabas. We were divided and separated by something so stupid and trivial. I wished that I could have taken my words back, reversing time so that the event never happened. But God knew that we needed to be divided in order to multiply. He and I were both on missionary journey's, on the road preaching the Gospel in two different parts of the world. Not only was he my best friend but he had become closer to me than any brother could. His name meant son of encouragement and he had encourage me on numerous occasions, living up to the destiny on his name. I missed him dearly. I loved him.
Though I speak with the languages of men and of angels, and have not love, I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. If I give all my goods to feed the poor, and I give my body to be burned, and have not love, I gain nothing. Love endures long. It is patient and kind. Love is never envious nor boils over with jealousy. Love is not boastful or vainglorious. It does not display itself haughtily. Love is not arrogant and inflated with pride. It is not rude and does not act unbecomingly. Love does not insist on it's own rights or it's own way, for it is not self seeking. It is not resentful, it keeps no record of wrong doings. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when truth prevails. Love bears up under all things. It is ready to believe the best of every person. Love endures everything without weakening. Love never fails.
I encouraged Cassius to, "Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire this love. Make it your aim and your greatest quest to have it. Aim to be rooted deep in this love. For God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
I told him that whatever has happened in the past is in the past. It cannot be changed. I warned him of the dangers of carrying his past into his present and future, as that would be the thief of his destiny. "Let it go!" I said, "and forget those things which are behind."
I am Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Sent to promote among God's chosen people, both Jews and Gentiles the faith and knowledge of the truth. To lead them to recognise the truth which leads to godliness. May true love that grows out of sincere devotion to God be with you all.
Amen - so be it.
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[email protected] Hard Times. #13
I am Paul, a bond slave of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, because I was called and set apart for preaching the Gospel of God. This Good News had been promised in advance by His prophets in the holy Scriptures. It concerns His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Who is the descendant of David according to earthly linage. Through Him I have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith. When Silas and I went down to the city of Derbe and then on to the city of Lystra. I met a young disciple there, a believer whose name was Timothy. He was the son of a Jewish woman but his father was a Greek. His name meant, "honouring God" and he did indeed live up to the destiny of his name.
All the brothers in the cities of Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy as he had a good reputation. I wanted Timothy to accompany me on my missionary journey as a helper. So I took him and did the unthinkable, I had him circumcised as all the Jews living in those areas knew that Timothy's father was a Greek. I was a firm believer in being all things to all men. to the Jews I was a Jew and to the Gentiles I was a Gentile. Besides, Timothy had no objections to being circumcised. As we went through the towns, we delivered to the saints the decisions reached by the apostles and the church elders in Jerusalem for them to observe. Accordingly, the congregations were strengthened in the faith and increased in number day by day.
We travelled through the Provinces of Phrygia and Galatia, because we had been forbidden and prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in Asia. When we came to the frontier of Mysia, a region of Asia Minor, we tried to go into the region of Bithynia, but the Spirit of Christ would not let us. So we passed by Mysia and went down to Troas, a maritime city in the plains of Asia Minor. There a man from the Province of Macedonia appeared to me in a vision while I slept that night, saying, "Come over to Macedonia, and help us."
As soon as I had seen the vision, we lost no time in getting ready and left for Macedonia, a region of Greece. We concluded that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them there. Sailing from the port of Troas, we made a straight run to Samothrace, an island in the Aegean Sea. The next day we went to Neapolis, a town in the Province of Macedonia. From there we went to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading maritime city of that part of Macedonia. Philippi was the main Roman highway through Greece and it was exempt from imperial taxes. We spent a few days in that port city. Then on the Sabbath, we went outside the city gates to the bank of the river, where we understood that a congregation of Jewish worshippers gathered for prayer. We sat down and began speaking to the woman who had gathered there.
One of those listening to us was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia. She was a dealer, selling fabrics dyed in purple. Clothing dyed purple was highly prized and expensive. Purple was known as the colour of the wealthy and royalty. The Roman Emperors wore purple robes as did the Kings of Israel. The Messiah was clothed with a purple garment while been beaten and mocked before He was crucified. Lydia was already a God-fearer. She
worshipped God with reverence and awe. The Lord opened up her heart to respond to what I was saying. After she and the members of her household were baptised by being immersed in the water. Signifying that they believed that Christ died upon the cross for their sins. They believed that they were crucified with Him, buried with Him and raised to new life in Him. She gave us this invitation, "If you consider me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay in my house." She insisted until Silas, Timothy and myself, all went.
One day, when we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a snake-spirit that enabled her to see the future. She earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. This girl kept following me and the rest of us. She kept screaming and shouting loudly at the top of her voice, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you how to be saved!" She kept this up day after day, until I became greatly disturbed. I turned and said to the spirit within her, "In the name of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, I order you to come out of her!" The spirit came out of her, at