Jesus has given up His life to ransom the souls of men, but death could not hold Him. Risen again, He promises a power that will come over His people.
Despite the joy that He is alive and interceding in the heavenlies on their behalf, heartache has...
"Mom," Estelle soothed, decked in her bridal attire, "I'll always be your Bean."
"It's not the same, oh darling, how I'll miss you!"
It was time. The chick flew from the nest the moment wedding vows were exchanged.
Samuel nodded knowingly at Mavy who, despite her love for the young man, still slit her eyes towards him. She'd be watching, always watching...
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Now when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles pleaded that they might hear the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Paul the following Sabbath, many Jews and religious converts following him and Barnabas. Paul agreed, "... continue in the grace of God."
The next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
Paul and Barnabas, filled with the Holy Ghost spoke boldly, "It was necessary that to you, first, the gospel should be preached, but seeing as you reject it, showing that you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, we will go to the Gentiles. God has commanded us that we should be a light to the Gentiles, and all salvation shall come to the end of the earth."
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. However, the Jews stirred up the people, both men, and women who raised persecution against the preachers, expelling them from their coasts.
As Jesus had told His own, to shake the dust from their feet as a testimony against them that they had rejected the Word of God unto salvation, so did they, coming into Iconium, wherein the synagogue a great number believed.
Persecution followed, yet at the same time, what was meant for evil, God turned into good for as they fled to Lystra and Derbe they came upon a certain cripple from his birth. The same heard Paul speak.
Paul looked down at him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed commanded loudly, "Get up!"
And he leaped and walked.
As soon as the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted their voices, "The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. Let us call Barnabas, Jupiter, and Paul, Mercurius."
Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates and would have done sacrifice with the people.
Barnabas gaped at the ado, they having not understood the language of the Lystrans. He grabbed hold of both sides of his vesture, the ripping alerting Paul to the scene, as he ran among the people, "Don't do this! We're just men! We're preaching that you need to turn from these vanities to the Living God who made heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is therein!"
With these words, they persuaded them not to make sacrifices to them, just in the nick of time.
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