The year before Paul’s missionary journey.

Acts 12:25- 13:3

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.” Acts 12:25

This verse reminds me of a song we sung in Sunday school over 50 years ago,

“You’ve got to roll the Gospel chariot along,
Come on and roll the Gospel chariot along,
You’ve got to roll the gospel chariot along,
And we won’t lag on behind.

If my brother’s in the way,
We will stop and pick him up…

If my sister’s in the way,
We will stop and pick her up…”

Meanwhile, Barnabas and Saul [Paul] had been in Antioch at Syria when they were chosen by fellow Christians to deliver food aid to those in the Judea region as described in Acts 11:25-30. Jerusalem was within the Judea region. They returned to Antioch at Syria after delivering aid and being in Jerusalem. When they returned to Antioch from Jerusalem they brought John Mark with them [Mark being his surname]. He assisted Paul and Barnabas. John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas, Colossians 4:10. Later on, John Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark and is first mentioned in Acts 12:12 as the son of a woman named Mary, whose house was being used as a place for believers to gather and pray.

On the map below, Jerusalem is towards the bottom and Antioch at Syria is towards the top. After being in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Saul [Paul] returned to Antioch.

“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” Acts 13:1

The prophets and teachers were quite a born-again bunch. Manaen was brought up with Herod, and Herod is the one who beheaded John the Baptist. Simeon was called Niger, which means “black” because he had black skin. Lucius of Cyrene was from a place where modern day Libya is. Saul [Paul] persecuted the way of Jesus Christ and voted for their killing. Barnabas was known as a good man full of faith in God. In Jesus Christ, we are made one through Him in the presence of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

In Acts 11:25-26, it is written that Barnabas and Saul [Paul] remained in Antioch at Syria for a whole year and taught a great many people. This is one year before they were called by the Lord to begin the missionary journey. The Holy Spirit is letting us know that before we are chosen to a specific ministry, we may be waiting some time. This is a time of realizing who we are in Jesus Christ and becoming familiar with the character of the family of Christ. Even so, during that waiting period, we actively share our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ written on our heart. After all, whatever ministry the Holy Spirit leads us into, it’s still the ministry of sharing the Good News, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

Today, the beast that gives people what to speak, do, think, and feel intends to exterminate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all of Christianity. The spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been put in chains, but the Gospel has already reached every continent across the globe. Our Lord Jesus said that the night would come when no one would be able to work to spread His Good News, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4

“It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:7-8 The “him” in this verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

“As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” Acts 13:2-3

That verse is the calling of the Lord to set Saul [Paul] on the course of his missionary journey, which is the subject of the book of Acts from Acts 13:4 through the last chapter of Acts 28.

Every single believer has the calling of the Holy Spirit to share our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart. Noy everyone is called to do what Paul and the Apostles have done. God equipped them to spread His Gospel to all the world, and today that mission has been accomplished. Although we will never have the opportunity to do what the twelve Apostles have done, reaching just one individual for Jesus Christ is just as important, “So [Jesus] spoke this parable to them, saying: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15:3-7

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11