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SENT BY GOD Today we come to a new season and direction of the early Church. From chapter 13 to the end of the book of Acts, we see the launching of the ministry of Apostle Paul and the spread of the gospel to mostly Gentile world. This is also where we see Saul being referred to Paul for the first time (Acts 13:9). It was not so much of a name change but a new focus. We will also see a shift from Jerusalem to the city of Antioch which will now be the new missionary base to reach the Gentiles. Many ministries abound today. Sometimes you begin to wonder who sent some of them. In our age, it has been highlighted by the TV and internet. The “TV evangelist” has become something of ridicule. The early church did not have this reputation and the ministers were ordained and sent by the Holy Spirit of God. Paul and Barnabas were sent by God. Has God sent you and me and to whom? They will also deal with false prophets and deceivers along the way and we must do the same. Acts 13: 1-12 1In t

God Why James? We are introduced today to King Herod, another enemy of God and of the Church. Remember that there was a King Herod (the great) who had ordered the killing of all boys two years and under so that he could kill the baby Jesus (Matthew 2). There was also another Herod who ordered the killing of John the Baptist and had his head brought to him in a platter (Matthew 14). Herod of Acts 12 is the grandson of Herod the great and cousin of the Herod who had killed John the Baptist. I guess for the fun of it, he decides to kill Apostle James, the brother of Apostle John and then goes on to arrest other Christians including Peter. Herod’s intent was to kill off the Church leaders and stop the spread of the Gospel. Did he really accomplish that? In the midst of this great persecution and killing of Apostle James, God was doing incredible things in the early Church times. Things that you read and say, “I must be dreaming”. Today, we come across another miracle of God designed in

The First “Christians” @ Antioch The Church is spreading by the “Acts of the Holy Spirit”. In fact the proper reference to the book of Acts should be “Acts of the Holy Spirit” and not “Acts of the Apostles”. The Apostles were instruments who listened, obeyed and cooperated with the Holy Spirit of God. Last we saw Peter being instructed by the Holy Spirit to go to the Gentiles, the house of Cornelius and a new Church community was born in Caesarea. Peter’s obedience met opposition from Jewish believers in Jerusalem. 2”So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them." Acts 11:2 Peter had to explain what happened and “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." Acts11:18. The ministry to the Gentiles will continue at Antioch by the power of the Holy Spirit and we

The First Gentile Church God is on the move to accomplish all that he destined to do to save men and women from our sins. The promise of the Father which is the thesis of the Book of Acts is being fulfilled on a day basis. Let’s remind ourselves of this promise of God to live in us. 17" 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” Acts 2:17-18. We have seen this promise fulfilled among the Jews in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria. We also learned about the baptism of the Ethiopian who was going to take the gospel to Africa. Now God is going to open the door to the rest of the Gentile world through the ministry of Apostle Peter. We will see later that the ministry to the Gentiles would be spearheaded by Apostle Paul while Peter focuses on the Jew