“But the Word of God continued to increase and spread.” – Acts 12:24

At the time of the Apostles the Word of God increased and spread in three ways:

A. Those who were Christians already grew in their faith.

Spreading the GOSPEL in Thailand

Picture / Alan Collingwood

The Lord gave them preachers with special gifts who were able to lead them deeper into the Word of God.

B. The Word of God continued to spread among the JEWS.

In Acts 13:5,14 we are told that the messengers of the Gospel went first of all to the Jewish Synagogue when they came to a new place.

What is the meaning for us? We must pray for the Jews. Read Romans 11:25 until the end of the chapter.

C.  The Mission among the HEATHEN began.

In Acts chapter 13 at the beginning it says that Barnabas and Paul are sent off to the heathen to proclaim the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And right at the start of the missionary journey the proconsul Sergius Paulus came to a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And that was the beginning of the Mission to the heathen.

Blessed are those who help to increase and spread the GOSPEL.

It is really interesting to read what people do in order to start a new year on a clean slate.

They know that they are sinners.

As a symbol of tossing away their sin, they throw breadcrumbs into the water (river).

That is the ancient Jewish custom of Tashlich.

A Clean Slate

In the magazine Israel and Christians today, New Zealand October 2015, is a picture of UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Israeli envoy Ron Prosor casting their sins into Turtle Bay. The article is called “ECI Co – Hosts First Ever Tashlich Ceremony at the UN.”

In his book UNTO THE HILLS Billy Graham writes also about “a clean slate,” and he says that God is wiping our slate clean  when we are coming to Him and when we are confessing our sins.

In First John 1:9 the Bible says:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”