Dear Lizzie Mae,

"When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts." -- Acts 11:23

"Evidence of the grace of God," here appears to suggest certain and specific evidence of the work and manifestation of God in the church.

The person in this passage is none other than Barnabas, described as a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith. It was Barnabas who was happy and "encouraged" them. His real name was Joseph. He was of the tribe of Levi and grew up on the island of Cyprus. The apostles themselves gave him the name, Barnabas. The name means, "Son of Encouragement." Doubtless the apostles saw in this man the marvelous gift of encouraging others, and so gave him the name by which he would be remembered.

What evidence of grace do you suppose made this encourager glad? Greeks -- non-Jews -- were being brought into the church! For a Jew, and at this moment in church history, this was astounding news. Interestingly enough, this passage follows Peter's experience with Cornelius, the Roman centurion -- a concurrent but completely unrelated event.

Apparently, wholly independent of Peter's experience, a group of Barnabas' fellow Cyprians and some friends from Crete decided to share Christ with some gentiles at Antioch. These were people who had been scattered throughout the region due to the persecutions provoked by the testimony and martyrdom of Stephen. To their amazement, these gentiles believed! When the apostles at Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to check it out. There he found gentile men and women worshiping the Lord Jesus. What a find!

Saul (Paul the apostle), was alerted and he and Barnabas labored in the ministry to these people for an entire year. Through their efforts the term, Christians, was born in this place.

Evidence of the grace of God is a cause for happiness. There is no small wonder in the discovery that God has been at work. We believers see too much of the world's pain. The footprints of grace across the sands of life are a wonderful cause for celebration.

-- PDM

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