We move into Acts 13: the beginning of Paul’s first of “three missionary journeys.” (Later, I’ll share how a friend of mine argues that there were four, but Acts specifically refers to three.) Anyway, it starts this way:

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13.1 – 3, ESV)

Here are a few simple observations:

• There were multiple leaders at the church in Antioch. When the church started, Barnabas was sent down there from Jerusalem, and he immediately sent for Saul of Tarsus. (Acts 11.25, 26) And as part of their teaching, there were five leaders listed, called “prophets and teachers.”
• This group was apparently multi-national and multi-racial.
• God called the founding leaders to be the ones who left for an international mission trip. (How many churches do you know who could or would send their lead pastor off without skipping a beat?)

First stop: Cyprus, where there is this fascinating encounter and clash of powers (guess who wins!):

They traveled the length of the island, and at Paphos came upon a Jewish wizard who had worked himself into the confidence of the governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man not easily taken in by charlatans. The wizard’s name was Bar-Jesus. He was as crooked as a corkscrew. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul in, wanting to hear God’s Word firsthand from them. But Dr. Know-It-All (that’s the wizard’s name in plain English) stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the eye, said, “You bag of wind, you parody of a devil—why, you stay up nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. But now you’ve come up against God himself, and your game is up. You’re about to go blind—no sunlight for you for a good long stretch.” He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way. When the governor saw what happened, he became a believer, full of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master. (Acts 13.6 – 12, MSG)

“Signs and wonders” again – POWER. Tomorrow, I want to look at the rest of the chapter and the power (and content) of the spoken word.

In the meantime, I wonder how God will interrupt my “devotional time” to send me out on a mission.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles… Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (Acts 8.1, 4, ESV)