G-“Then the Jewish leaders… incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and went on to the city of Iconium.”Acts 13:50,51

R- So Paul and Barnabas are out preaching the word and what happens? They get attacked by a mob and ran out of town. Would that discourage you? It would discourage me. I mean here I am doing God’s work when out of nowhere  people just start getting angry at me for it and literally run me out of town. I would probably get sad and feel sorry for myself and maybe even question my mission. Not these guys. They just shook the dust of their feet and went on to the next town knowing that the next town needed to hear God’s word too. When we face persecution and our mission gets shut down by others, we need to persevere and always be thinking, whats the “next town”.

O- Oh Lord, help me to have that eternal mindset and always be thinking about the next town that you have for me. Do not let me get discouraged or defeated by persecution and suffering , but instead help me to remember that this Good News I have to share needs to be preached.

W-I am going to make a better effort to preach in the “town” I am in now, and if it doesn’t work out, Oh well, on to the next “town”.

THink about it!

G-“And as they stoned him… he fell to his knees, shouting “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!”. And with that he died.” Acts 7:59, 60

R-Wow, talk about forgiveness! Stephen SO loved these people enough that as they were throwing stones at him, he cried out to God to forgive them, because he wanted to see them saved. And eventually at least one was, Paul! Who knows maybe it was this experience(along with seeing Jesus himself) that got Paul to a place where he could receive salvation. All I know is this Stephen “SO” loved the message of God enough to want to see it spread even as a stone was smacking him in the side of the head. Think about that for a minute. Think about what being stoned is like, having a butt load of rocks thrown at you full force, being hit in the back face side, the…umph…groin(yiokes!), but still SO loving those people enough to ask for forgiveness for them. WOW! and i complain when people say mean things about me, or want to ask God to bring hell, fire, and brimstone on people who are rude to me. I have a long way to go till I  SO love the world that much.

O- Lord give me the love for others to reach out to them, where they are at, even if it means persecutiuon. I need your love in me so that i can give it to them. Let me SO love you that I can SO love them.

W- I am going to do something nice for someone that wrongs me or that I feel is not nice to me. I am going to go above and beyond to shaw that person love.

THink about it!