God Continues to Transform and Direct The Church (Acts 11:19 – 12:24)
Channel: The Bible In Historical Context
Date: 2023-06-30

God is our Rock, our deliverer! God miraculously creates the Church on the Day of Pentecost, grows it in Jerusalem, begins to scatter it across the Levant, and continues to transform and make the Church into what he needs it to be - the vehicle by which God’s salvation is delivered. 
     In Acts 11 and 12, God spreads the Gospel as far as the great city of Antioch on the Orontes River, the third largest and third most important city in the world, the former capital of what had been the Greek Seleucid Empire. 
     Christians face persecution and all sorts of other challenges, but God is Lord, and is in control even when seemingly bad things happen. Peter is delivered from almost certain death at the hands of Herod Agrippa; and the Church is being prepared to send Barnabas and Saul on their first missionary journey to Cyprus and what today is Turkey.
 God is in control of all things today also. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Just as he delivered Peter, he can deliver us today. 
     An ancient prayer from the Eastern Church says, “Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that Your will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by you.”
     Trust in God, He has a plan for your life and mine, let us trust in it.
Please join me as we study Acts 11 and 12.