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We Are Allowed To Express What We Truly Feel, But That Doesn’t Mean We Will Stop Trying
But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Acts 18:6-8, NKJV Paul went to Corinth and preached about Jesus Christ to the Jews. Sadly, they opposed Paul and chose not to receive…
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It’s Because Of Faith
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Acts 15:8-9, NIV The Jewish Christians were trying to impose the law of Moses on the Gentiles, which led to an argument between them and Paul and Barnabas. Peter reminded them that God purified the hearts of the Gentiles by faith and not by works. He has no favoritism. Instead, God treats His children equally. He showed that He accepted them by giving them the Holy Spirit. Peter simply acknowledged God’s unexplainable…
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Let’s Not Discredit The Works Of God In Other People’s Life
Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1, NIV A group of Jewish Christians came down from Judea to Antioch and tried to impose their customs on the Gentiles, who had a different cultural background. They don’t believe that these new believers were saved not unless they are circumcised. They wanted them to follow the customs that Moses taught. It seemed like this group of Christians discredited the grace that God poured out to the Gentiles, and they tried to insist that they should follow the law. Have…
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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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Acts 22:21, NIV
“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” Acts 22:21, NIV Jesus commanded Paul to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Our Savior didn’t only save the people of Israel, but He wants everyone to be saved, including those who are not Jews. He is a God who intentionally used Paul and other people’s lives to become a vessel of His love. And Paul responded to His call. He offered his life for the sake of preaching the good news. He sacrificed and faced the pain of persecution just to obey Jesus. Our heavenly Father loves everyone, and He will use…
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Acts 22:10, NIV
“‘What shall I do, Lord? I asked. ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ Acts 22: 10, NIV When Paul supernaturally encountered Jesus, he realized who he truly was. And that’s when he learned to submit to our Savior. He humbly asked Him about the things that He needed to do, and that’s when He was instructed to go to Damascus. There, he will know the purpose that Jesus had already orchestrated for him. You see, Paul used to persecute the followers of Jesus, but that doesn’t stop our Savior from using him for the…
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Acts 15:19, NIV
It is my judgement, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Acts 15: 19, NIV While the apostles discuss what they need to do for the Gentiles, James reminds them that they should not make it difficult for their fellow believers who are turning to God. They need to help them get closer to Him without putting on any burdens that all the Jews themselves are not even willing to carry. Let this verse remind us that God wants us to help each other. We are not here to impose rules and laws for the sake of glorifying ourselves, but we…
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Acts 15:11, NIV
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. Acts15:11, NIV Peter addressed these words to the apostles while they were talking about the Gentile’s circumcision and following the law of Moses. He reminded them that just like the Gentiles, the Jews are also saved through the grace of our Lord. They are being purified not by following the law, but it’s all about faith. It’s by grace that all of us receive the salvation that we don’t deserve. This is a great reminder for us not to put heavy burdens on our brothers and sisters that we didn’t…
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Acts 13: 47, NIV
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Acts 13: 47, NIV Jesus didn’t just give the Israelites a chance to experience eternity, but the light was also made for the Gentiles. He didn’t just desire for His promised people to be saved, but He also wanted the message to be preached to the ends of the earth. This is the reason why you are reading this right now. Jesus also wants to save you. He sent His apostles, particularly Paul, to the Gentiles so that they would also…
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Acts 9:4-6, NIV
He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:4-6, NIV Saul was one of those who persecuted God’s disciples. He threatened them. He didn’t know that he was also doing the same thing to Jesus. But despite all the things that He did, Jesus appeared to him and encountered him. He introduced Himself to this sinner and allowed Saul to meet Him in a divine moment.…
