https://youtu.be/vNqsgQdh76c

Consider staying a little

longer

Acts 14:1-7 Now it happened in

Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that

a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks

believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles

and [a]poisoned their minds against the

brethren. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking

boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting

signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

4 But

the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part

with the apostles. 5 And when a violent attempt was made by both

the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone

them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe,

cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. 7 And they were

preaching the gospel there.

Paul and Barnabas have

just been pushed out of Antioch and the same thing happens in Iconium

This is because, they

command great presence, God is moving and lives are being changed,  

How many people know that no

matter the good you are doing, someone somewhere will be offended

What is keeping you here?

I ask that question because Paul

& Barnabas stayed there because they had an assignment from the Lord –

To go and spread the good news

The Jew on the other hand,

stayed as well, to cause trouble – the poisoning didn’t take a day

They were both listening to

the Word of God. But their motives were different.

What are you doing here?

What’s keeping you here?

When the politics begin, you

are too serious about this Jesus, you are judging, you are not with the times,

and soon...the unbelievers…start

poisoning the minds of everyone else

I wonder if there was a time

like that where people who have heard the Word of God would allow those who

don’t believe, to poison their minds?

But no matter what ……Vs.3 – Therefore they stayed there for a

long time.

These guys were not faced by

threats, the circumstance changed but their Faith didn’t

They spoke boldly in the

Lord because they knew, just as David wrote in the

Psalms 123:4 Yea, though I

walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; For

You are with me; Your

rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

~ We understand

that a shadow is not tangible but is cast by something that is. One can rightly

say that we face only the shadow of death because Jesus took

the full reality of death in our place. - Enduring Words

~ Death in its substance has been removed, and

only the shadow of it remains. Someone has said that when there is a shadow

there must be light somewhere, and so there is. Death stands by the side of the

highway in which we have to travel, and the light of heaven shining upon him

throws a shadow across our path; let us then rejoice that there is a light

beyond. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man’s

pathway even for a moment. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a

sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us.” (Spurgeon)

Let is not give in to fear. God

was backing them up, they stayed and He showed up.