February 11 - New places, new names
Today’s Journey Through Acts excerpt is:
New places, new names
Stephen's death was still making quite an impact. Persecution continued to push the new believers into areas farther and farther from Jerusalem. Through this dispersion, the Holy Spirit was bringing to pass the statement from Jesus in Acts 1:8:
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Once again, we are seeing the methodology of the New Testament church as they moved into a new area. As a church planter, it thrills me to see the people of God move into a new place and break ground on a brand new work to share the Gospel. This is exponentially true in areas of unreached people groups. The fundamental calling of the disciple of Jesus is to make sure the Gospel reaches the world, and these early-church workers were definitely doing their part. They understood that the Spirit would empower them, but they would be the laborers tilling this fresh ground. John York, missionary to Africa and author of Missions in the Age of the Spirit, said it this way:
"Let all who contemplate Christ’s mission be filled with the Holy Spirit, be prepared to the fullest extent possible, be confident of divine blessing, and then run to the battle. And, run to win! **
The infilling of the Spirit, the preparation, the confidence, and the charge forward is exactly what is demonstrated here in chapter eleven of Acts. Consider how Luke describes Barnabas in Antioch in verses 23-30. We're told that Barnabas:
Exhorted them all
Was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith
Brought Paul to be an assitant
They (Barnabas and Paul) sent relief to those struggling through a famine in neighboring regions
The very name that we use today to describe our faith was born right there in Antioch. They were Christians. The work they did there was so impactful that it still resonates today. When God calls you to join Him in His work, you have to assume that it has the potential to impact generations. Is God calling you to be part of His mission? Whether that is in a local context as a missionary to your community, a missionary to a certain group or demographic in your local church or even to the most remote places of the earth, your obedience in that area has the impact to take the name of Jesus into new places and new hearts. Someone may become known as a Christian because of your act of faith.
Reflect on the journey:
Have you ever considered yourself a missionary? If you're a follower of Jesus, He considers you as one. Take some time to look back at your faith journey and reflect on the moments you've felt called or compelled to join the mission of God. Were you obedient to that call? What can you do today to join God in His mission?
Through your prayer time today:
Would you take some time to pray for missionaries today? If you don't know any missionaries personally, THIS is a great resource to spend some time praying for missionaries around the world.
**John V. York, Missions in the Age of the Spirit, ed. Stanley M. Horton (Springfield, MO: Logion Press, 2000), 250.
