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When People Lack Self-Control
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. Proverbs 25:28, NIV A city with broken walls has no defense. It means that the enemy could potentially attack and destroy it anytime. It has no stability, and the sad thing about it is that it can’t protect the valuable things inside. This is what it feels like when people lack self-control. They are like cities that don’t have security. Any time, there’s a possibility that the valuable things that they keep will be eventually destroyed and shattered. Sometimes, we think that if we keep on doing the things that we want without thinking of the…
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We Are Commanded To Testify about Jesus And Become His Witnesses
He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. Acts 10:42, NIV Peter said these words while he was in the house of Cornelius, a centurion man who lived in Caesarea. He proclaimed the gospel in front of Cornelius’ family and relatives. In this particular verse, it is important to note the words that Peter used. He said that Jesus commanded his disciples to preach to the people and to testify that He is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. In other words, sharing the…
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We Believe In A God That Does Not Show Favoritism
Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34, NIV Peter realized that God did not show favoritism the moment he met Cornelius. God used this centurion man to break Peter’s mindset. Before, he met Cornelius, he treated the Gentiles as unclean and unholy. But God taught him how to respect and accept others especially those believers who came from different nations. He realized that God accepts those who fear him and does what is right regardless of their ethnicity or different backgrounds. Sometimes,…
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We Are God’s Vessel
As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” Acts 10: 25-26, NIV Cornelius treated Peter with so much honor to the point that he fell at his feet in reverence. This is his expression of honoring Peter as a man of God. And Peter responded by asking Cornelius to get up. He reminded Cornelius that just like him, he was only a man. It seems like Peter humbly pointed out to him who he is. He knew that he was just a vessel of God. And the…
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What It Means To Be Wise
Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise. Proverbs 19:20, NIV Wise people know how to listen. Sometimes, others would only consider someone as wise if they could figure things out on their own. They somehow believed that wisdom only comes from within. But according to proverbs, people who are counted as wise are those who listen to advice and accept discipline. This means they don’t just rely on their own understanding. Instead, they treat other people’s advice as important to them. We are living in a world where people would rarely listen. It is sad to say that some of…
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God Can Change Your Perspective
Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. Acts 10:23, NIV God instructed Peter to welcome some men whom he sent. Now, these men weren’t Jews. They were Gentiles who happened to believe in God. In the past, the Jews were very strict in terms of dealing with the Gentiles. They somehow treat them like strangers and unclean. You would rarely see a Jew engaging with Gentiles. They don’t normally welcome them in their homes because they were careful not to associate themselves with their Pagan gods. Peter was so strict with his beliefs and customs, but God did something that changed his perspective. He saw…
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When God Gives Instructions
While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” Acts 10:19-20, NIV God instructed Cornelius to send men to Joppa. He didn’t really explain everything that would happen to him. Instead, He merely gave him a simple instruction. Without a doubt, Cornelius followed what the Lord said. And true enough when his men went to Peter. God already instructed him to welcome and go with them. He already prepared everything ahead. Indeed, it was the Lord who spoke to Cornelius simply…
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A Heart That’s Willing To Trust In God’s Word
When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. Acts 10:7-8, NIV Cornelius unexpectedly received an unusual instruction from God. He called him by name and asked him to send some men to Joppa and bring back Peter. Now, this centurion doesn’t know Peter. But without any doubt, he followed the voice of God. There are times when we are given instructions by the Lord and tend to doubt or hesitate to obey Him. Maybe this is because we don’t have faith…
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God Looks At The Heart, And He Saw What We Are Doing For Others
One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Acts 10:3-4, NIV Cornelius was known to be a centurion. According to some commentaries, a devoted Jew wouldn’t normally like him since he was an officer of the Roman army. The Romans believed in many gods but Cornelius believed in the God of the Jews. In Acts 10:2, it says there that he…
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The People That Jesus Treated As Family Are Those Who Obey God’s Word
He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” Luke 8: 21, NIV Jesus said these words when His mother, Mary and His brothers came to see him. Someone told him that his earthly family was there waiting for him, but then Jesus said that those He considered as family are the ones who hear God’s word and put it into practice. Many of us would think that Jesus would give special privileges for His earthly family but in His eyes, the people that He treated as family are those who would obey God’s word. Being close to God isn’t just about…
