QT 20/05/2024 Monday Acts 13. Self check against opposing God and God's work. 自我检查，防止反对上帝和上帝的工作。
QT 20/05/2024 Monday Acts 13. Self check against opposing God and God's work. READ & LISTEN here
https://www.esv.org/Acts+13/
LISTEN TO Acts 13
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Acts.13
The Holy Spirit has "called them", Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:2). The church at Antioch responded to that call by sending Barnabas and Saul off for Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 13:4-14:26).
They were not alone. There were many others along the way who identified with the gospel, even Manaen "a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch" (Acts 13:1). The LORD intervened with blindness on Elymas (Acts 13:8-11). Paul's preaching to the "sons of the family of Abraham" (Acts 13:26) resulted in many who responded to the message of salvation.
Furthermore, the Psalms (Psa 2:7, 16:10) and the Prophets (Isa 55:3, 49:6, 45:22) pointed to what's happening in their midst (Acts 13:33-35,41).
Nevertheless, be prepared that there would always be those who take the negative view of even the most positive happenings in the work of the LORD to the nations: people like Elymas who sought to "TURN the proconsul away from the faith" (Acts 13:8), JEALOUS people who contradicted Paul and was "reviling him" (Acts 13:45). They even "INCITED the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, STIRRED up persecution against Paul and Barnabas" (Acts 13:50), eventually driving them "out of their district".
REFLECTION: Intelligent men have the capability to stir up others, using power play and strategy, towards scattering and chaos. However, wise men obey the sending out work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:3,4,9) with rejoicing and grace of God (Acts 13:43,48,52). Who are you today?
APPLICATION: We join God in His work and be witnesses for Him. However, we might need to shake off "the dust from their feet against them" (Act 13:51) at times and move on. There are more urgent needs to attend to in God's work to the ends of the earth.
星期一2024年5月20日 今日读经：使徒行传13章. 自我检查，防止反对上帝和上帝的工作。
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/Act/13/
听音频使徒行传13章
https://www.bible.com/bible/41/act.13.cnvs
圣灵已“呼召”巴拿巴和扫罗(徒13:2)。安提阿教会回应这呼召并差遣巴拿巴和扫罗去保罗的第一次传教之旅(徒13:4-14:26)。
他们不是孤单的。一路上，有很多人认同福音，甚至是“与分封王希律一起长大”的马念(徒13:1)。神的手临到以吕马使他眼睛变瞎(徒13:8-11)。保罗把救恩的道传给“亚伯拉罕的子孙”(徒13:26)，使到很多人对这救恩的道做出了回应。
再说，诗篇(诗2:7,16:10)和先知书(赛55:3,49:6.45:22)都指向发生在他们当中的事情(徒13:33-35,41)。
尽管如此，要做好心里准备因为即便是神在各国所成就的都是美好的，仍然会有人提出很负面的看法：像以吕马那样，要“使省长转离真道”(徒13:8)，嫉妒的人反驳保罗所讲的还“毁谤”他(徒13:45)。他们“唆使虔诚尊贵的妇女和城内的显要，煽动大家迫害保罗和巴拿巴”(徒13:50)，最后“把他们驱逐出境”。
反思：聪明的人有能力煽动他人，他们利用权势和计谋来扰乱和分散人心。然而，有智慧的人顺服圣灵所差遣的工作(徒13:3,4,9)，他没满有喜乐和神的恩典(徒13:43,48,52)。你今天是属于哪一类的人呢？
应用：我们与神的工作连在一起，成为祂的见证。然而，我们有时候必须“跺掉脚上的尘土”(徒13:51)并往前走。在这世界上，神的工作更为迫切。
