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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
Acts 13. Antioch, in central Turkey, was on the main road from Europe to Asia. On the day of worship, these two men of God, Barnabas and Paul, looked for the place where the Jewish people would be meeting to worship and to read The Word of God.
These two men go into the synagogue to worship and pray and hear God's Word. They go to the place, which had rejected Jesus. The Jews may have rejected Jesus. They may have rejected what God was doing in the world, but God had not rejected them, and God will never reject them. Paul and Barnabas are a sign of this.
Every time we come together to Worship - every time we gather around The Word of God - we are a sign to the world that we are committed to Jesus Christ, and that we are committed to all the other people who are committed to Jesus Christ. Those around us watch and observe us more than we realise at times.
We are a sign that God is doing something in our world. We are a sign to those who look. People see Christian missiles when they see our witness and faithfulness and loyalty.
Two mighty men of God, Barnabas and Paul, walk into that place of prayer, quietly and without any fuss. They are there to worship. They are also there to make themselves available to God.
After the readings they are invited to speak - "If you have a word of encouragement for the people, please speak." Come and share it with us.
What an opportunity to give to a man like Paul. When Paul received such an invitation he would always say "YES". He is not long into his speech when he is speaking about Jesus. Acts 13:23.
At verse 16, in that place of prayer, there are men of Israel, and some who were not Jews, but they were seeking God. They realised that these Jews were on to something. They were not committing themselves yet, but they were interested. And to everyone, Paul has the boldness to say - "Listen to me!"
He knew that there were those present who were seeking something real. He saw people unsatisfied with what this world has to offer. He saw people who were unfulfilled and looking for a purpose in their lives, and some were deeply interested.
He begins to do what Jesus had commanded him to do, and he sows seed all around that place of prayer, and the seed is the Living Lord Jesus Christ and His Word.
No sooner has he sown some seed, when he realises that he can do some harvesting too - verse 38. He speaks about Jesus forgiving people who believe, and there was a harvest - a mixed harvest of wheat and tares.
There were those who truly believed - and there were those who rejected it all.
But in the hearts and lives of those who believed in Jesus, and received all that Paul was saying, they were glad, and there was joy.
Men and women were tasting the mercy and love of our Faithful God. A people who had never heard about Jesus had come to believe. That remains the challenge, which God continues to set before us.
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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