Fan the Flame - a Journey Through Actsഉദാഹരണം

Day 29 - The Church in Antioch

Today's scripture marks another key shift and a move of God in the book of Acts and the early church. It centres on a small church of believers of Jesus who fled north from Jerusalem for fear of death after Stephen was killed (recorded in Acts 7).

This is an encouraging passage that reflects on the move of God in this Church. The author of Acts records that amongst these people it was recognised that the hand of the Lord was on them. In other words, we could say the Holy Spirit is a work amongst them. News had travelled about what God was doing by word of mouth and weary travellers over 600 kilometres south of Antioch to Jerusalem. So, they sent Barnabas, a good man full of the Holy Spirit, to investigate what God was doing in this church. As he arrived, we read that he saw the grace and move of God, which made him glad, and he encouraged them to keep going. As a result, many were saved, so much so that Barnabas went to find Saul for reinforcements to help these new believers be taught all that Jesus commanded us.

We see here in this passage God is doing a new work through the Holy Spirit amongst his people. Barnabas was most likely sent by the church leaders in Jerusalem because what was happening at Antioch was outside the box. It was different than how God had worked before, and they wanted to see if it was God or the power of Satan at work there. I experienced something similar with one guy I met and started to disciple last year. As he walked into the church one Thursday afternoon, it was evident the Holy Spirit was at work in his life even though he was yet to believe in God. His worldly experience was so different than mine; my traditions and practices said there were certain steps to take to believe in God, yet he seemed to do the opposite. As I met with him, it was evident that despite his journey being outside my box, the Holy Spirit was at work in his life. So, like Barnabas to the church in Antioch, as we meet regularly, I simply encouraged him in his faith, and he came to believe in God and was baptised at the end of last year.

So, my encouragement, like Barnabas did, is to remain faithful to God but not so ridged in your traditions that you miss the different ways the Holy Spirit works in your life and the lives of others around you. How can you be an encouragement to the faith of those around you today?

Let’s pray and ask the Lord to fan our hearts into flame today as we seek to obey Him. Would we not be so rigid in our traditions but allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to direct our paths and guide our relationships? In all of this, would we remain faithful to Scripture and God’s calling upon our lives to teach all that Jesus commanded us to teach?

Written by Dan Keevers