Christian

Acts 11:21

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

Stephen's stoning acted as an agent of change. Feeling no longer safe, the believers scattered to different locations. One might think that this separation would weaken the strength and will of the believers, but it did not! When the hand of the Lord is with you, it doesn't matter what man will do to you. Today there is much persecution of the church in other countries. I wonder if it is spreading the gospel, and if so why? Of course it is God who determines and orchestrates. But does seeing people love Jesus so much that they are willing to endure all manner of persecution make a difference? Does this degree of persecution make the church that much stronger because they are calling out to Him constantly?  Nothing about life is assured to them, only God.  

As the gospel was shared, more Gentiles came to the Lord. The gospel and the Holy Spirit acted irrespective of ethnicity. When the report of this new activity reached Jerusalem, they dispatched Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived, his heart was joyous at seeing the grace of God at work. He encouraged them to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose. That simple phrase says it all. The calling of a Christian is for faithfulness and for purpose. It is not just a willy-nilly go about my way kind of thing. It is life and death commitment. No baling aloud! It demands faithfulness to Jesus even in the face of persecution or death.

Since all was as it should be and many souls were being added daily, Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Paul and bring him back to Antioch. For a year they met with the church. Imagine what that was like! What a meeting! No time for hypocrisy here! And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. And the name came about and has endured for all these years. The sad thing is that today in America the name Christian is so watered-down. People use it synonymously with being an American or belonging to Protestantism. It is neither of those things. Christian is the name for all those who love Jesus to the point that they would sacrifice all for Him. Christian is the name for all those who love His word and live in obedient surrender to Him. I am one of those people. I am a Christian!

Father,

Infuse in me Your strength and grace so that I might be strong and outspoken for You. Thank You for calling name to be a Christian.

In His name,

Amen