Acts 14
Today we are traveling on the Rio Coco In Nicaragua with our friend Danilo.
In
Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went together to the synagogue and preached with
such power that a great number of both Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews
who spurned God’s message stirred up distrust among the Gentiles against Paul
and Barnabas, saying all sorts of evil things about them. The apostles stayed there a long time,
preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. The Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do
miraculous signs and wonders. But
the people of the city were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided
with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
A mob of Gentiles and
Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. When the apostles learned of it, they fled
for their lives. They went to the region of Lycaonia, to the cities of Lystra
and Derbe and the surrounding area, and
they preached the Good News there. Acts 14:1-7
When
God wants to use supernatural powers for evangelism, He will. It is His choice.
As
you read the New Testament, you will notice that the life of a
missionary/evangelist/disciplemaker is mostly “unflashy” day-to-day relational
service work.
Don’t
you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night
and day we toiled to earn a living so that our expenses would not be a burden
to anyone there as we preached God’s Good News among you. You yourselves are
our witnesses—and so is God—that we were pure and honest and faultless toward
all of you believers.
And
you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. We
pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way
that God would consider worthy. 1
Thess 2:9-12
Principle:
God will often use signs and wonders to
attract people into the Kingdom, but He will more often use your relationships,
lifestyle, and good works to bring attention to Him.
Comments