RISKING THEIR LIVES FOR CHRIST

“Men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 15:26 NKJV).

This verse is a summary of the ministry of the apostle Paul and Barnabas in Iconium. Here the consecration, courage, and confirmation of their ministry is described.

After the Jerusalem council settled the matter of Gentile converts eating meats sacrificed to idols, and clarifying that keeping the law was not a part of salvation, they sent delegates from the conference to tell the churches of their decisions. Two of the delegates sent were the apostle Paul and Barnabas. In sending these two men, a letter of recommendation was given. Part of the letter is recorded in our verse for today. It said that the apostle Paul and Barnabas were men who risked their lives for the cause of Christ. This speaks of their dedication and devotion.

Dedication – “Men who have risked their lives.” There is no greater dedication than to lay one’s life on the line for some cause. This kind of dedication will remain faithful through thick and thin, through good times and bad times. Those with this kind of dedication can be counted on to do their job all the time. We could use some of this kind of dedication in our churches today since not many folks are willing to lay down their lives for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many church members are not willing to sacrifice their Sunday pleasure trips for the cause of Christ, let alone to sacrifice their life. In fact, these members are not going to give anything that requires much of any sacrifice.

Devotion – “For the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Dedication is important but devotion is also important. Devotion tells us to whom and to what we are dedicated. Many risk their lives for the unimportant things of this life. But the apostle Paul and Barnabas risked their lives for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who you are willing to risk your life for tells us a lot about your character and your values. Those who risk their lives for worldly achievements and fame do not show a very good sense of values. But those who risk their lives for the Lord Jesus Christ show a great sense of values. To whom are you devoted to?

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him!”

Charles Thomas (C.T.) Studd (1860-1931)

English missionary to China, India, Africa

Word Study

Fell upon / gripped

In Luke 1:12 we read, “And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him” (NKJV).

“Fell upon / gripped” is the Greek word epipíptō (ἐπιπίπτω = ep-ee-pip'-to). It is made up of two Greek words: “epi” which means upon, and “pipto” which means to fall. Literally, the word means to fall upon (someone) or to press against (Mark 3:10). The word is used to describe falling upon in order to embrace, as when the father embraced his repentant prodigal son (cf. Luke 15:20). Here in Luke 1:12, epipíptō is used figuratively of fear “falling” on someone.

Did You Know…

According to 1 Kings 4:22-23, Solomon’s provision for one day consisted of “thirty kors [about 5 1/2 ton or 11,000 lb.] of fine flour, sixty kors [about 11 tons or 22,000 lb.] of meal, 23 ten fatted oxen, twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fatted fowl.”

Bible Quiz

According to the Book of Hebrews, why should a person “not forget to entertain strangers?”

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

What was the initial reaction of the church in Jerusalem to Peter’s visit to the house of Cornelius? They criticized him (Acts 11:1-3).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

The Blood: The life of the Flesh - Prefigures the Lord Jesus Shedding His Blood for Sinners (Lev. 17:11; Matt. 26:28; Mark 10:45)

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:11 NJKV).

This verse is one of the key verses in the Book of Leviticus - it explains the principle of blood atonement that was divinely ordained by God as the remedy for the problem of sin. Indeed, the Scriptures insist that forgiveness for sin is not possible apart from the shedding of blood (cf. Heb 9:22). And so, the Biblical emphasis upon the blood of the sacrifice, and ultimately the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, is symbolic of the giving of the life of an innocent victim to atone for the guilty. The blood poured out emphasized the sacrificial nature of the death, but it was only a foreshadowing and could not take away sins (cf. Heb10:4). It provided a covering for the time so that God might pass over their sins (Rom. 3:25; Heb 9:15). And so, when the Lord Jesus began His ministry, John the Baptist introduced Him not as the Prince of Peace or the Messiah of Old. He introduced Him as the “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Then, at the institution of the Lord’s Supper, we hear the Lord Jesus saying, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). And when the Lord Jesus died on the cross, the life-giving blood drained from His body, providing forgiveness and life to all who believe.

Did You Know – Christian History

Macrina the Elder was born before A.D. 270. She was the mother of Basil the Elder, and the grandmother of Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Peter of Sebaste, and Macrina the Younger.

The region occupied by Turkey used to be called Asia Minor and the church flourished there. A preacher named Gregory the Wonder Worker led many people to Christ before his death in 270. Two of those converts were a woman named Macrina and her husband. However, life in the Roman Empire was not pleasant for Christians. From time to time, Christians were viciously persecuted. During one of these persecutions, Macrina the Eder and her husband had to flee from their home in order to escape from imperial soldiers. For seven years they went cold and hungry, eating wild plants that they found among the trees. Finally, when the persecution died down, they came home. But their peace did not last long. The Empire confiscated their house and belongings, and they were left with nothing. Despite these trials, Macrina the Elder and her husband remain devoted to the faith that Gregory had taught them. After the persecution finally ended, Christians honored the two as confessors of the faith.

Macrina the Elder and her husband had a son named Basil. He was father to ten children, three of them, Macrina the Younger, Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, became exceptional Christians of that era. Macrina the Younger became a great student of the Bible. She founded a female monastery. Her brother Basil founded a monastic order and encouraged the monks to enjoy art and beauty as well as feeding the poor and tending the sick. Basil and his brother Gregory of Nyssa were also prolific writers. We owe much of our knowledge of the early Eastern Church to their books. Both wrote about their grandma, Macrina the Elder. Basil praised her for teaching him to love the Christian faith from the time he was small.

Not many people can lay claim to as many prominent Christians as Macrina the Elder and her husband. What blessings the world would have lost, if this godly couple had not been faithful. Macrina the Elder was later named a saint by the church and her feast is on January 14. By her example and teaching, Macrina Elder passed her faith on to her descendants.

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A Little Humor

The collection plate was passed around, and a little boy put in a note. It said: “I gave last Sunday. Love, Timmy. PS: Tell Jesus.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“At the end of your rope? God will catch you?”