Barnabas and Saul

Acts 13:2

“And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Now we see Paul become the central character of the book of Acts. So far, Peter has served in that role. Soon we will notice that Saul begins to be called Paul. Saul was his Jewish name and Paul his Roman name. The emphasis in the book will now turn toward Gentiles.

I’m impressed with the way God puts people together to labor for Him. I believe He is still doing that today. We should expect Him to do that because He knows each one of us better than we know ourselves. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses as well as all the details of our personality. He knows the kind of people that work best together and those that will struggle in their relationships.

Because of that we should be very careful how we unite with others in any effort. God calls pastors to churches and he also calls men and women to leadership positions in churches. The spiritual leaders of churches need to be careful to follow God’s direction as leadership develops in the ministry. That is also true for other ministry efforts such as seminaries and para-church organizations.

I believe God puts friends together also. He brings people into our lives that can minister to us in many ways. Our close friends can be our confidants. They are always available in time of need. Remember how Barnabas aided Saul when he first became a Christian. Friends comfort us in times of sorrow. They even rebuke us when that is necessary. Saul felt the liberty to rebuke Peter when he acted hypocritically.

Psalm 18:24 says that “there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”. I believe that friend is Jesus. He is one who never fails us, who is always available, who gives great counsel through the Bible and the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We only have access to that friendship through a personal relationship with Him; we must accept Him as our personal Savior.
I pray that you will have a close, personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.