Please open your Bibles with me as I read this morning's text found in the book of

Acts chapter 13 verses 1 through 12.

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers.

Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,

Lucias of Cyrene, Manayan, a member of the Court of Herod

the Tetraak, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit

said,

Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying, they laid

their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Salusia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

When they arrived at Solomis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews,

and they had John to assist them.

When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish

false prophet named Bar Jesus. He was with the Pro Consul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence who summoned Barnibis and

Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

But Elymus, the magician, for that is the meaning of his name, withstood them, seeking

to turn away the pro-consul from the faith.

But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said,

You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.

Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the pro-consul believed when he saw what had

occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

We call this season Advent.

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