As we were finishing up Chapter 14 in our exploration of the Book of Acts, I kept thinking about some verses of challenge.

Acts 14:21-28 tells of Paul and Barnabas teaching and preaching the Gospel.  These two evangelists had traveled to Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, and Antioch.  Not only was a crippled man healed, but churches (faith fellowships) were established.

The teachings were to the new believers in all these cities and the preaching was to the unbelieving and heathen of the population.

Verse 22 uses the phrase, “Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them…”

Think about that statement, “Confirming the souls…”  Paul was setting the example of the importance of the local church!

Notice Paul gives us three insights into the position and power of the local church.

1.   Paul is very honest with the new Christians.  It would not be easy and they would go through many difficulties in their walk of faith.  Paul was acting on the principal that Jesus had come, not to make life easy, but to make men great!

2.   Christianity must be lived in fellowship.  People are not to be left alone or isolated.  John Wesley said, “No man ever went to heaven alone.”

3.    Paul and Barnabas carefully gave all the glory to God for the miracles and good works.  They regarded themselves as fellow-laborers with God.

We are in the walk of faith together!

Let’s strengthen our family of faith and grow our community of support and prayer, confirming the souls of our loved ones!

You are loved,

Pastor Ralph

Not long ago, Archaeology Magazine carried an article about the recent discovery of this “grafted-in” symbol.  

An old religious hermit in Jerusalem shared with the editor a cache of artifacts he had found.  During the six day war this man had secretly done excavation on Mount Zion.

Many of the pottery shards, oil lamps, and stone pieces were engraved with a symbol that had not been seen before.

This unknown symbol was made up with a menorah on top, a Star of David in the middle and a fish on the bottom. 

These pottery shards are connected with the first followers of Christ. From the 2nd century AD, early Jewish believers in YESHWA that tied their traditions and faith into a growing Messianic Community used this symbol.

This symbol illustrates the great truth of Romans 11:17-19, which speaks of being GRAFTED-IN.

Acts 9:20 declares that Paul preached that Christ is the Son of God. Some Jews didn’t want to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, some did; they became the first Christians while the others were rejected or were cut-off. 

Some branches (some Jews) were broken off, while we Gentiles were “grafted-in”.  Together we make up the followers of Jesus.  The first century Christians used this symbol to show their heritage of faith.

The menorah on the top of the symbol represents the Torah, the covenant promises of God to Abraham and the Jewish people. 

The “Magen David” (Star of David) is a symbol of the kingdom and a reminder that the son of David, Jesus, Yeshua the King will sit on the throne of David.

The fish is a symbol of a Christian in the early church and is used until this day.  The Greek word for fish, ICHTHYS, was used as an acronym for “Yeshua, Son of God, and Savior”. 

You can see that these elements of the symbol are made as one unit.  The middle wall of partition in the Temple is broken down!  Both the Jew and the Gentile can now come to the Lord.  The debt of sin has been paid by Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah.

All believers have been grafted-in to the side of our Savior.  He gave himself that we could be free!  He died that we could live!

We know from the Word of God, the Spirit of God and even modern Archaeology that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah! 

You are loved, 

Pastor Ralph