David CM Bell Leadership Blog

  Acts 14:5-28 It’s not going to be easy. Spiritual warfare is a manly business. It’s not for the faint of heart. Our enemies are spiritual creatures, demons, and the devil himself. But make no mistake, the devil uses people to do his bidding. Wicked people. They are constant liars. They are masters of spin. Twisters of the truth. Spiritual warfare isn't a common or well-understood topic. Yet it is a constant thread in the New Testament. We can learn from the example of the apostles and disciples in the Acts Church. We see the need for spiritual covering over Paul and Barnabas as they go on this important mission. And we see the repeated theme of fasting and prayer (I tend to do little of either). We must be alive to the fact it is a battle - and remember, we are well armed. We have Holy Spirit gifts and tools. There is nothing stronger. The word of God is powerful. The message of God’s grace, love for all people, and forgiveness of sin is excellent news. ...

  Acts 14:1-7  - Preach the Good News           Paul and Barnabas faced opposition on their mission to share Christ’s message. We see a pattern: success and fruit - and severe resistance. It wasn’t all roses in Cypress. Nor in Perga. Nor in Antioch of Pisidia. Almost the entire city showed up to hear them in Antioch, but they were slandered, and people argued against the message of God. Such opposition has been a constant for 2,000 years. The influencers and local power brokers often stir up mobs against Christians. The Gospel is an afront - it takes the focus from earthly gain, things of this world, to eternal treasure. The Crown of Life will always be a challenge to those who seek to gain the whole world. I wonder if it’s even possible for the millionaire preacher to make a real impact. Can those so invested in the world lose their grip on it to hold tight to God? I suppose anything is possible with God. But when you face these col...

  Acts 13:13-52 National Gallery, London Paul had the Holy Spirit’s power to speak out against the sorcerer and the devil. Almighty God has control and supremacy over all such forces of evil. Genuine m en of God speak the truth, for the Holy Spirit grants us such authority. Don’t demand an audience and a pulpit. But be prepared, like Paul and Barnabas, to share God’s message of hope, life, and encouragement when you are asked to speak. This passage explains the Good News, the life-changing message of salvation for the sons of Abraham and God-fearing Gentiles (i.e., all people). This passage is essential for every person to understand. First I’ll summarize, then we will go into a little more detail. There is nothing more important than understanding Acts 13.          Here is the summary. Jesus is God’s promised Saviour of Israel. He is the One every prophet spoke about. God raised Jesus from the dead. Many witnesses saw the resurrected Je...

  Acts 13:4-12 Sweet Briar College, 5k Always major in the New Testament and minor in the Old Testament. Never the reverse. The New interprets and explains the Old. God never changes. All Scripture instructs and gives us insight and perspective into God’s character, but we are flooded with revelation and the answers to ancient mysteries in the New Testament. We are servants of the Most High. Jesus, His name above all others, instructs us, and we are to follow. If the Holy Spirit says to dedicate men, as is shown in this passage, then with fasting and prayer, we must dedicate men. And send them off with God’s blessing. It is God’s will that governs. Never our plans and our will. Notice that Barnabas and Paul went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. Their preaching, town by town, was effective. So much so that the Governor heard about it and wanted to hear directly from them. There is an eternal impact when we preach the word of God - the Old and ...

  Acts 13:1-3 Downtown Lynchburg, Virginia. Time together. That’s what faithful Christians spend. We do life together. This passage shows that the Acts Church had prophets and teachers scattered and headquartered out of Antioch. This included Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul. They ate, fasted, prophesied, taught, prayed, and worshiped together. They did life together.              When was the last time you heard of a great ministry team? An effective ministry team? If you look back at your life, some of your fondest memories are when you served with friends or worked together in a team setting. This chapter shows us what happens when whole regions and nations are won for Jesus Christ. This occurs when Christian men, led by the Holy Spirit, do what God asks them to do.                Seek brothers in Christ (if you are a man) or sisters in Christ (if you are a woman). It t...

  Acts 12 It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that wicked men are emboldened by praise. They feed on it. Sadly, the public pours it on. Every evil act seems to be applauded, turning a pebble into a cascading boulder of malicious schemes. Not much seems to change. King Herod Agrippa is the evil schemer of this story. He’s an early example of nepotism at its worst—a multi-generational silver Spooner.  A grifter of grifters. Sadly, we have such schemers in our time, inside the Church and out. Herod Agrippa had an excellent scheme cooked up. He would “take care” of Peter as he did the apostle James, John’s beloved brother. What an evil, wicked man. He had the trap set. A show trial was planned after all the pretentious, pretend Passover rituals were completed. First, the religious show, then the wicked deeds. Sound familiar? Little did Agrippa know that he’d soon be on trial by the Judge of Judges, the King of Kings. He’d be caught in his trap of lies and cr...

  Acts 11:19-30 When people believe and turn to God, there is evidence of God’s blessing; fruit, if you will. You will know it if you see it. As sure as you’ve seen the sun rise and set, you’ll know a person’s life’s been transformed into a new creation in Christ. We certainly can attest to this in what’s happened in our lives. As men and women full of the Holy Spirit, we feel a pang of remorse for sin. We are more patient and understanding. We care for children and the elderly and see the needs of those around us. And we are self-controlled, more and more so as we grow in God. We think of what God wants us to do rather than what we want to do. And we immediately see the benefit of acting God’s way. The fruit of the Holy Spirit, a God-led life, fills us with something the world can’t give. It’s satisfaction; more than that, joy. It’s an incredible privilege to partake in the growth of God’s Kingdom. It is a privilege to gain knowledge, understanding, and instruction (...

  Acts 11:19-26 From the beginning, Jesus planned to rescue people from our evil world. God's Plan A has always been forgiveness of sins and eternal life through the Cross of Jesus Christ. God does things His way. We have free will, but God orchestrates situations for men and women to do his will. That's Providence. The exciting part of it all is that he chooses to use us, His children through faith, to act as His ambassadors. What a privilege.               God's qualification is that we are believers in Jesus Christ. So why does the modern Church make a cottage industry of M. Div. degrees and legalistic ordination processes? I think a lot of the rot is due to our desire for power and control. And our fears and insecurities about messing up. And a default tendency to legalism rather than freedom in Christ. Each of us ought to be able to share the hope that we have and to explain what Jesus has done for us. Our testimonies mu...