DAILY MANNA - SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2018

CHRISTIAN: A NAME OR LIFE?
TEXT: ACTS 11:19-30.

🔑KEY VERSE "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (ACTS 11:26).

The persecution that arose about the death of Stephen scattered the believers everywhere such that they traveled as far as Phenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. At Antioch, the brethren preached and the hand of the Lord was with them so that a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. According to Matthew Henry, "What was meant to hurt the Church, was made to work for its good. The wrath of man is made to praise God".

The news of the growth of the Church reached the apostles at Jerusalem as they sent Barnabas, a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and faith. His visit to Antioch brought further growth to the Church because he was dedicated to preaching the true gospel. The believers' lifestyle was also noticed by the inhabitants of the town, which they identified as an attribute of Christ. They were called Christians, that is, little Christs. The Christlikeness was also evident when the church at Antioch sent relief to brethren in Judea during the famine.

Many people today call themselves Christians but live their lives carelessly, without thoughts of whose name they bear or whose ambassadors they are. The Christian is admonished passionately to "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children... But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as it becometh saints... for because of these things, cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience" (Ephesians 5:1-6).

We are reminded that our calling is not an ordinary one - we are "called to be saints". Therefore, our walk, behaviour and lifestyle should match the calling of God. Our walk should be saintly, like Christ's and not like the people of the world.

✍THOUGHT FOR THE DAY A true Christian bears the name and lives the life.

COVER TO COVER: LUKE 22. JOHN 13.