<html><head></head><body><div><div><div>Acts 15;22-35<div><br></div><div><b>22. &nbsp;Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. &nbsp;They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,</b></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;with the following letter: “The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting.</b></div><div><b>24. &nbsp;Since we have heard that some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,</b></div><div><b>25. &nbsp;it has seemed good to us in assembly to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,</b></div><div><b>26. &nbsp;men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.</b></div><div><b>27. &nbsp;We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.</b></div><div><b>28. &nbsp;For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:</b></div><div><b>29. &nbsp;that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is strangled and from unchastity. &nbsp;If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. &nbsp;Farewell.”</b></div><div><b>30. &nbsp;So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.</b></div><div><b>31. &nbsp;And when they read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation.</b></div><div><b>32. &nbsp;And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words and strengthened them.</b></div><div><b>33. &nbsp;And after they has spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brethren to those who sent them.</b></div><div><b>34. &nbsp;But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Please note that the letter from the brethren in Jerusalem, (the Jewish-Christian Church), call the Gentile Believers “<i>Brethren”. &nbsp;N</i>o distinction is made of some ‘second-class’ status for Gentile Believers, all are equal&nbsp;in standing before the Lord.</div><div><br></div><div>Second, the exhortation letter&nbsp;causes joy. &nbsp;It was not burdensome.&nbsp;Good theology is never burdensome, it rejoices the heart because it only confirms&nbsp;the desire of God and the truth of God&nbsp;ALREADY at work by the Holy Spirit within them.</div><div><br></div><div>Thirdly, Judas and Silas are called ‘prophets,’ in verse 32. &nbsp;They are also called ‘leaders,” verse 22.</div><div>What has become of the office of prophet in today’s church? &nbsp;I believe the gift of prophet still exists in today’s Church, but we no longer call those who have this gift prophets. &nbsp;Instead, they are recognized a leaders who instruct. &nbsp;They have a desire to teach,&nbsp;evangelize, and instruct so that the Church is strengthened in faith and faithfulness. &nbsp;Strengthened for <i>“walking by the Spirit.” &nbsp;</i>(Galatians 5;16-18)</div><div><br></div><div>Finally, notice how it is the Holy Spirit who is the true authority at work in the Church. Notice verse 28,</div><div><i>“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit…”</i>. The early Church maintained an intimate communion with the will of God through the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;The Holy Spirit indwells the Church and leads the Church with&nbsp;the sacrificial love of God,&nbsp;the peace of God, and the Word of God. &nbsp;Where the Spirit of God is reigning, the fruits of the Spirit abound, (see, 1 Corinthians 13;22-25)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant that we find the joy and delight&nbsp;you have for us as we walk the paths of righteousness with&nbsp;the Holy Spirit in humble faith. &nbsp;Grant us wisdom to discern that your Word of life reveals to us&nbsp;those&nbsp;paths to us. (Psalm 119;105)&nbsp;&nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div><br></div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively (reading through the scriptures), transforms us. &nbsp;The&nbsp;living Word and the Holy Spirit is our habitation.”<br><br><img title="Inline image" alt="Inline image" src="cid:8bd06db5-d52a-b9dd-cc2c-190e65e9a7c0@yahoo.com" draggable="false" data-id="<8bd06db5-d52a-b9dd-cc2c-190e65e9a7c0@yahoo.com>"><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>

Acts 15;22-35
22.  Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.  They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,23.  with the following letter: “The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting.24.  Since we have heard that some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,25.  it has seemed good to us in assembly to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,26.  men who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.27.  We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.28.  For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:29.  that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is strangled and from unchastity.  If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.  Farewell.”30.  So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.31.  And when they read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation.32.  And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words and strengthened them.33.  And after they has spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brethren to those who sent them.34.  But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Please note that the letter from the brethren in Jerusalem, (the Jewish-Christian Church), call the Gentile Believers “Brethren”.  No distinction is made of some ‘second-class’ status for Gentile Believers, all are equal in standing before the Lord.
Second, the exhortation letter causes joy.  It was not burdensome. Good theology is never burdensome, it rejoices the heart because it only confirms the desire of God and the truth of God ALREADY at work by the Holy Spirit within them.
Thirdly, Judas and Silas are called ‘prophets,’ in verse 32.  They are also called ‘leaders,” verse 22.What has become of the office of prophet in today’s church?  I believe the gift of prophet still exists in today’s Church, but we no longer call those who have this gift prophets.  Instead, they are recognized a leaders who instruct.  They have a desire to teach, evangelize, and instruct so that the Church is strengthened in faith and faithfulness.  Strengthened for “walking by the Spirit.”  (Galatians 5;16-18)
Finally, notice how it is the Holy Spirit who is the true authority at work in the Church. Notice verse 28,“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit…”. The early Church maintained an intimate communion with the will of God through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit indwells the Church and leads the Church with the sacrificial love of God, the peace of God, and the Word of God.  Where the Spirit of God is reigning, the fruits of the Spirit abound, (see, 1 Corinthians 13;22-25)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant that we find the joy and delight you have for us as we walk the paths of righteousness with the Holy Spirit in humble faith.  Grant us wisdom to discern that your Word of life reveals to us those paths to us. (Psalm 119;105)  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor
“A chapter a day, every day, progressively (reading through the scriptures), transforms us.  The living Word and the Holy Spirit is our habitation.”



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