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God Will Send His Help
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Acts 12:7,NIV Peter was arrested and put into prison when he experienced this supernatural moment. Who would have thought that an angel would appear and help him? This is one of the stories in the Bible that reminds us that God can do the impossible. He rescued Peter from death. He commanded His angels to help and guide Peter on his way out. At the same time, the church also prayed for him. Imagine,…
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Keep on Praying
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12: 5, NIV This happened after James was arrested and put to death by King Herod. When the King saw that what he did pleased the Jews, he then seized Peter. This moment wasn’t easy for the early church. Imagine one of your dear brothers died for the sake of the gospel. Perhaps they also felt scared by what happened because it simply meant that their lives were threatened. But then, if we try to imagine, the church must’ve also prayed for James to be saved and set free. They must’ve also…
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We Never Really Know How God Will Turn Things Around
Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. Acts 11: 19-20, NIV The death of Stephen became one of the reasons why the early Christians were scattered in different places. Even though what happened to him was a tragic event, it seems that it became a way for them to share the gospel outside Jerusalem. The bad things that happened…
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We Need To Learn How To Deal With Gossips
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. Proverbs 26:22, NIV Sometimes, people find satisfaction in spreading news that could potentially hurt others. They somehow label it as satisfying and entertaining. This is a sad truth that many of us experienced. We will meet someone who likes to talk about other people’s mistakes or weaknesses. And maybe, they think that it was normal and not really a big deal, but let’s wait until they also experience the same thing. Only then will they realize how painful it is. According to the book of Proverbs, the words of gossip are like choice morsels;…
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God Gave All Of Us The Chance To Connect With Him Through The Holy Spirit
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. Acts 10:44-45, NIV Peter visited the house of Cornelius, a centurion who lived in Caesarea. He was surrounded by Cornelius’ relatives when he started preaching about Jesus. These group of people were known to be Gentiles and Jews tend to treat them as strangers. But something wonderful happened the moment Peter wholeheartedly welcomed these people and shared Jesus to them. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard…
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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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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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Apply What You Learned From God
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. Acts 9:40, NIV Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples who witnessed so many miracles. When Jesus was here on earth, Peter, also known as Simon, was one of those followers who learned so much from the ministry of Jesus. He saw him heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. In Acts 9, Peter just applied what he had learned from His mentor. What He did was so familiar that it…
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When God Instructs Us To Take One Step At A Time
“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Acts 9:6, NIV As Saul was on a journey going to Damascus, he personally encountered Jesus. After that, He gave him a simple instruction about what to do next. He didn’t explain or gave him the assurance that we usually wanted to hear. Instead, he provided a simple step that he could follow. Sometimes, Jesus doesn’t give us the exact details about what’s going on in our lives. He doesn’t explain things to us simply because He knows what we need. We may think that we need to understand and comprehend everything before…
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When God Sends His Servants
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8:39, NIV Philip was sent by God’s spirit to a desert road to share Jesus to an Ethiopian Eunuch. When he heard the official reading the book of Isaiah, he explained to him what it truly meant. Eventually, they saw some water, and the Eunuch decided to be baptized. When he came up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away. But one of the notable things we could learn from the Eunuch…
