June 19

“You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ~ Acts 13:10

1 Kings 20:1-21:29
Acts 12:24-13:15
Psalm 137:1-9
Proverbs 17:16

New Testament: Acts 12:24-13:15

Summary: Barnabas and Saul Sent Off, Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas at Antioch in Pisidia

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. ~ Acts 13:6-12

Don’t shy away from the truth.

While reading our bible today, it seems impossible to witness and teach the bible without encountering opposition. It is almost a certainty that whenever I post on message boards the truths of the Bible, someone will attempt to divert attention away from them. Most likely, you’ll hear “Do Not Judge” to silence you when you stand for the bible. Paul did not flinch and looked this man in the eye and said, “You son of the devil,…” and blinded him as well. As a result, the proconsul believed. In other words, we should keep our eyes on Jesus and preach the good news all the time, not shying away from the truth.