Daily Bred 7-20-17
Acts 17:2-4
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach to you, is Christ.
4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
ref. - Ac 9:20 - And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the son of God.
Ac 14:1 - And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.
Ps 22:16-18 - For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Is 53: 1-3,10-12/1-3 - Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form or comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
10-12 - Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. therefore I will divide him a portion with he great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Ac 28:24 - And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
Ac 15:22 - then pleased it the apostles, with the whole Church, to send chosen me of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barnabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
Ac 15:27 - We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
Ac 15:32 - And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
Ac 15:40 - And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
Paul was a great man, chosen by God. But the one who he preached about was the greatest man to ever walk the earth. What God did through his Son, Jesus Christ were undeniably the most important events that ever have or ever will happen on this earth. What happened to Christ as he was here looked as torture and suffering to man but if we look at it Spiritually it was absolutely necessary for God to prove to us, through another human being, that he had power over the heaven and the earth and over life and death. In Christ's triumphs and sufferings God has proven to us that we can be forgiven, we can be redeemed, and we can pass from life unto death and back to life again! And it is all supported by the scriptures and writings of the prophets of old. If we look at this scripture today we see that Paul did not force anything upon the Jews or the Greeks. He was not afraid or ashamed to bring this gospel into their synagogues and he boldly spoke it, but all that he spoke was supported by their own doctrines and beliefs. He had proof through their own scriptures that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Today we have this same exact scripture as a proof and the New Testament as a guideline to follow on how to find our way to God. Some accepted the ways and the gospel that Paul preached. Some did not, even some of his own men rejected him and his teachings. As we read in our scripture references these men sailed off and were replaced very rapidly as this gospel was still to be preached. It was God's will. But to the believers there was a release and a way to learn, all they had to do was believe what they were being shown and follow it. Today we have the same options. We have been drawn to God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have received forgiveness and redemption from a Lord that makes intercession for our sins, and we have been set free through the blood of Jesus that was shed on that cross. That Lord being none other than Jesus Christ. And today this gospel lives through us and in us as examples of a perfect gospel. No, we are not quite perfect yet, but in this gospel we are brought to perfection. We will never be seen as perfect to a people who choose to live a life of imperfection but it is time to pass over from a carnal worldly people to a Spiritual people. We will have to allow some to go, as Barnabas should have let Mark go,and we will have to join with others, as many did to Paul as he taught the scriptures and proved them through the words of the prophets that lived in a time before Christ. This scripture says that many Greeks left their beliefs as well as Jews and clung to what Paul was teaching. They had to leave their comfort zone and enter into something that probably brought their own people to mock them and disown them, but they saw the truth in the gospel that Paul preached and were willing to take that step in order to find a way to God. We will have to make that choice some day too. Willing to leave all that is in the world and is near and dear to us on this earth to go and be with Christ. Are you ready today? Or are you trying to hold onto the best of both worlds? As was proven by the scripture and holds true today, we must pick up our crosses and follow Christ! It is possible!! It is available!! And it is ours through the one who died on that cross to save our souls!!! Stand with the right and grow in this wonderful gospel.......stand with Christ!!! Have a great day!!!!