26/05/2021 - A DIFFERENT KIND OF MINISTRY

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But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Acts 9:27

The world could have lost one of its greatest ministerial blessings if it weren’t for Barnabas’ love. As soon as he heard that one of the Church’s greatest enemies had left the path of evil and converted to Christ, he decided to check it. Once he verified that Paul had really accepted Christ, Barnabas took Paul with him and presented him to the apostles. May God raise other “Barnabas”! That way, more valuable souls will be rescued to the kingdom.

It is always worth it to rescue someone who was wicked but was changed by Jesus. As the mastermind of the work, God knows how to prepare people to be a part of His ministry. One example was when the Master prepared Levi, a publican who was serving the Roman Empire, collecting taxes from the Jews. Although the people hated him, Levi was loved by Jesus and chosen to participate in a closed group of disciples (Mark 2:13-15).

Paul’s courage surprised people. Even though there was a risk of death, he would go to the most dangerous places at the time to preach the Truth. He was beaten many times (2 Corinthians 11:25), but persisted in preaching about the One who saved him from perdition. Paul was a great apostle, but we have a lot to learn from people like Barnabas, who preferred to be a servant of the Lord instead of being the main person in the work. We lack missionaries with that kind of heart nowadays!

Imagine if he walked alongside Paul, did a great work but clashed with the apostles! Barnabas would never prosper because ideas that don’t come from God don’t prosper. The fact is that Barnabas didn’t think about his own ministry. He guided Paul to the fathers of the Church and, in submission, allowed them to interview Paul and say yes or no. The Holy Spirit was speaking to their hearts.

First, he certified that Paul had really accepted Jesus, as a chosen vase to take the message of salvation to the world and the words of Jesus to the Church – words that the disciples didn’t receive when Jesus was on Earth because the Holy Spirit hadn’t come down yet. His presentation was directed by the Lord, because soon enough they allowed Paul to tell the people what he had received; he revealed the true Messiah to them through the Scriptures.

Barnabas described how Jesus spoke to Paul and Paul’s answer to the Savior. We should always verify the facts before endorsing someone who’s preaching. If they turn out to be fake, they will cause much loss to the saints (1 Timothy 5:22). The apostles listened to Paul because it was guaranteed to them that Christ spoke to him. If they approved him, Paul could initiate his ministry.

Barnabas told the disciples that in Damascus, right after his conversion, Paul spoke boldly in the name of Jesus. That’s the kind of “business man” we need. We also need the kind of servant Paul was; he was never afraid of promoting the good news. Hallelujah!

In Christ, with love,

Dr. Soares