Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

June 28
Sunday


ARE YOU READY?

READ:
Acts 13:1-5
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Three months before a planned missions trip, a friend and I were talking about the upcoming event. He said to me, "If anyone can't go, I'd be willing to step in and join you." This was not going to be an easy 8 days, for we would be painting, repairing, and fixing stuff in the July heat of Jamaica. yet my friend seemed eager to go.

About 6 weeks before we were scheduled to leave, there was an opening. I e-mailed my friend--whom I hadn't seen in the interim--and asked if he was still interested. He immediately responded, "sure! And I got a passport just in case you asked." He had made sure he was ready--just in case he got the call to go.

My friend's preparation reminds me of what happened back in the first century at Antioch. Paul and Barnabas were among a number of people getting themselves ready spiritually for whatever God might ask them to do, or wherever he might send them. They didn't prepare by getting a passport, but they "ministered to the Lord and fasted: (Acts 13:2). And when the Holy Spirit said, "Separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work" (v.2), they were all set for the journey.

Are you preparing for what God might want you to do? When the Spirit says, "Go," will you be ready? __Dave Branon
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````````````````````Available for God to use me,`````````````````
`````````````````Available, if God should choose me;``````````````
``````````Should it be here or there, it doesn't matter where;`````````
```````````````My waiting heart prepare. __Anthony```````````````
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Keep your tools ready--God will find work for you.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Acts 13:1-5**************

1 Now in the church that
was at Antioch there were
certain prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon
who was called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen
who had been brought up
with Herod the tetrarch, and
Saul. 2 As they ministered
to the Lord and fasted, the
Holy Spirit said, "Now
separate to Me Barnabas
and Saul for the work to
which I have called them."

3 Then, having fasted and
prayed, and laid hands on
them, they sent them away.

4 So, being sent out by the
Holy Spirit, they went down
to Seleucia, and from there
they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And
when they arrived in
Salamis, they preached the
word of God in the
synagogues of the Jews.
They also had John as their
assistant.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Antioch (modern-day Antakya in southeast Turkey) is located about
300 miles north of Jerusalem, and was the third most important city
in the Roman Empire (after Rome and Alexandria). Dispersed by
persecution following the death of Stephen, believers brought the
gospel to Antioch (Acts 8:1; 11:19-23). A huge number of Gentiles
became Christ-followers, and Barnabas was sent there to Antioch to teach the new converts. And it was here in Antioch that Jesus' followers were first called "Christians" (11:25-26). SIM KAY TEE