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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
Acts Chapter 14. Paul and Barnabas are apostles - men sent by Jesus Christ - as missiles of the Holy Spirit - targeting sin, sickness and darkness - and the devil - and seeking to meet the many needs which faced them.
These disciples of Jesus are leaders who are exercising an apostolic ministry. Apostles are important men in the Church of Jesus Christ - they are like architects. They help build The Church. They are concerned with the overall design of the Church.
What is God using you to build for Him? Or what is He presently building in your personal life?
The apostles do different things at different times. In Cyprus we saw them come up against someone who was involved in the occult, and, using the Power of Jesus, they blinded that man, and as result of that miracle, the leader of that community in Cyprus becomes a believer.
Paul and Barnabas also demonstrate something of the demands of ministering in the Kingdom of God. The cost of commitment at times is very great - physically and emotionally. We are seeing how some come to believe in Jesus, and how some battle against the preaching of Paul. They resisted him. They rejected what he was saying. They stirred up trouble for these apostles.
We are reading of men of God who had tremendous courage. In some situations that courage enabled them to remain and continue to preach and teach. At other times they knew that it was right to move on and they had the courage to do so, leaving the young inexperienced fledgling Church to get on and grow and develop and mature.
Wherever they went there were blessings and battles - revival and riot.
It is vitally important that we understand what can be involved at times when God calls us to serve as leaders and teachers in the Church of Jesus Christ. Certain circumstances might not be as we thought they were going to be.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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