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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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Persevering through Persecution: Paul and Silas in Berea
As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Acts 17:10, NIV Paul and his companions visited Thessalonica and shared the good news in their synagogue. A great number of people followed them, but a certain group of Jews persecuted them. That’s why they went to Berea since the believers in Thessalonica wanted Paul and Silas to be safe and escape persecution. However, in the second part of the verse, Paul and Silas went to the Jewish synagogue and weren’t afraid of persecution. They continued to share the gospel despite what they experienced in Thessalonica. If I…
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When We Envy Other People, We Tend To Think Of Bad Things Towards Them
But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. Acts 17: 5, NKJV When Paul came to Thessalonica, he went to the synagogue to share about Jesus. A great multitude of devout Greeks, including a few women, were persuaded. But there was a group of Jews who didn’t agree with what Paul was sharing. It was said that they were envious of what Paul and the other believers had experienced. After that, they gathered some…
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Don’t Allow The Disappointments Or Fear To Reign
Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. Acts 14:19-20, NIV Paul went through pain and persecution to preach the gospel. The Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium chased, stoned, and dragged him outside the city. Since they were thinking that he was dead, then it’s possible that the stoning Paul experienced was not an ordinary one. Perhaps his body was in pain, and his…
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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 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…
