"I WONDER???"

Acts 13:1-3                  (ESV)
"1 Now there were in THE CHURCH at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 While they were WORSHIPPING the LORD and FASTING, the HOLY SPIRIT said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
3 Then after FASTING and PRAYING they laid their hands on them AND SENT them off."


Most know that Psalms 46:10 is a special verse to me,  "Be Still, and KNOW that I am GOD" is something our society fails to grasp much anymore.  Our lives are lived at such a frenetic pace that we don't THINK we have time to "BE STILL" any longer.  We are DRIVEN BY THE DEMANDS PLACED ON US by the world we are living in, instead of the world we are PREPARING TO GO!

The scripture above speaks to me in a few different ways. Number one, THE CHURCH in Antioch was not the First Baptist Church of Antioch, or the First Methodist, or First Presbyterian, and any other divisive wall.  "The Church" is believers in JESUS CHRIST being GOD INCARNATE, or GOD becoming flesh!  The divisions we currently allow, while well intentioned, are not supported by scripture.  I am pretty sure there will not be a FIRST _ _ _ _ CHURCH in Heaven.  All of our boundaries will be "burned up" with all of the "wood, hay, and stubble"!

The next thing I see is "THE CHURCH" was "WORSHIPPING" the "LORD" and "FASTING" and "PRAYING".  Modern day Christians have an idea of what they THINK is worship, but we give GOD two or three hours on Sunday and consider ourselves "HOLY" before a GOD who proclaimed "Thou shall have NO other God's before me"! (Exodus 20:3).  And Heaven forbid if a Sports contest should happen to occur during the time we are having NO other god's before HIM!

And finally, in verse three, AFTER fasting and praying (putting the physical behind the spiritual), the sent them (Barnabas and Saul) off to proclaim JESUS CHRIST to those in their paths.  They waited, fasted and prayed, until the Holy Spirit said it was time for them them to go, and then they went. They did not wait until everything was "smooth sailing" and their journey was easiest.  Saul (later known as Paul) spent many years is prison for being a believer that JESUS CHRIST was GOD INCARNATE!  Today, the church has become who has the grandest sanctuary or most ornate decorations, not growing the KINGDOM OF CHRIST!

I wonder if JESUS were to come back today if HE would approve of how WE spend HIS money?  I wonder how many modern day Christians would "consider it pure joy" (James 1:2) to be imprisoned for the cause of CHRIST!  I wonder if I would even be accepted as a member of THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH?..........I WONDER?????