Acts 13:1-12 says,

1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 While they were ministering to the Master and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” [The Holy Spirit will give us our direction when we fast and seek Him in prayer.]

3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their 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 When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of Elohim in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Joshua,

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of Elohim.

8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,

10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Master?

11 Now, behold, the hand of the Master is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. [When we are filled and sent by the Holy Spirit, we are then positioned to hear His voice accurately and can be used in the kingdom as witnesses to His truth.]

12 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Master.

As we keep reading through Acts 13 they continued to preach and teach Yeshua; however, they were not received everywhere they went. This is the chapter that Paul, after the rejection of Yeshua by the Jews, is sent to the Gentiles.  This is the beginning of the prophecy concerning the “Fullness of the Gentiles.”  HalleluYah!! Below we will read what happened and their response to it.

Acts 13:44-52 says,

44 The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Master.

45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.

46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of Elohim be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

47 For so the Master has commanded us, ‘I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Master; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

49 And the word of the Master was being spread through the whole region.

50 But the Jews incited the  devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

51 But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.

52 And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas had a great response to the persecution for the sake of the gospel; they left it behind them, they moved on and as a result they were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.  This is a pattern for us, when the truth is rejected and refused, we must “shake the dust off of our feet”, in other words, move forward, lest we get bogged down in despair and then become hindered or even stopped in our callings. Choose to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit and we will continue to move forward.

Have a blessed and shalom filled day!!

Tammy

Courtesy of
River of Life Tabernacle
Tammy McLendon
Great peace have they who love Your law. Psalm 119:165a