WEDNESDAY, JULY 2
Scripture: Acts 13:44,45

Acts 13:44,45 says, “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.” Paul realized a lifelong dream when a whole region came together to hear the Gospel. In the process of the whole city coming together to hear the Gospel, the Jewish leaders were filled with envy and immediately began to contradict, blaspheme and oppose everything that Paul did. Isn’t it interesting how when the city came together to hear the Gospel, that opposition developed in the church? Just as Jesus was being wounded in the house of His friends, so must we face persecution today. When the Lord moved on a large group of people to come hear the Gospel, persecution developed. Victorious eschatology that takes the cross out is a form of heresy that hurts the church more than it helps. Just as Jesus laid His life down, we must be prepared to lay ours down!