Verse of the Day: “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.” (Acts 10:34-35)
These chapters focus on God accepting Gentiles into His kingdom.
Cornelius was a devout, God-fearing man, who gave alms generously and prayed constantly. One day as he prayed, an angel appeared and told him to send to Joppa for Peter. He immediately sent two servants and a devout soldier.
The next day, Peter was on the housetop praying while they were preparing food He had a trance and saw a sheet let down from heaven with all kinds of unclean animals, reptiles, and birds in it. A voice from Heaven said, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” Peter replied, “Not so, Lord; I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” The voice said, “What God has made clean, you must not call common.” This happened three times.
While Peter was pondering this, the three Cornelius sent arrived, and the Spirit told Peter to go with them without doubting, for He had sent them. So, Peter went, taking six men from Joppa with him.
Arriving in Caesarea, Peter found Cornelius had an audience of his household and friends to hear what Peter would say. He began, “You know it’s unlawful for a Jew to associate with Gentiles, but God showed me I shouldn’t call anyone unclean. May I ask why you sent for me?” Cornelius explained about his vision and said, “We’re here to listen to all you have to say.”
Peter said, “I now understand God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does right is acceptable to Him.” He continued by preaching Jesus’s gospel.
The Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, and they spoke in tongues. Peter asked, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these who received the Spirit as we have?” He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus.
Back in Jerusalem, Peter was accosted by circumcised believers who charged, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” Peter explained, beginning with his vision and the Spirit telling him to go with those at his door. He pointed to the six brothers from Joppa who went with him and could vouch for what they heard in Caesarea, including the Gentiles speaking in tongues. He then asked, “Who was I that I could hinder God?”
“And they praised God, saying, ‘Then God has given Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
When Jerusalem heard of some preaching in Antioch, they sent Barnabas there, “When he saw the grace of God, he rejoiced.” He went to Tarsus to find Saul and brought him to Antioch where for a year they taught many people. “In Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”
Prophets from Jerusalem came; Agabus prophesied a severe famine that happened in the reign of Claudius. “The disciples determined each would send relief to the believers in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.”
These were Gentile disciples sending relief to Jewish believers.
Have we ever considered sending relief to Jews?
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PRAY FOR YOURSELF
Father, I rejoice with the Jerusalem church that God accepts Gentiles into repentance that leads to life. Without that acceptance, we would not have the privilege of serving Him. I thank You, Lord, that you planned things so that this would happen. This is my prayer in the name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, who gave everything for me, AMEN!
MY PRAYER FOR YOU (and for me)
Father, I pray for all who may read these words, and for myself, that we may become more committed to benevolent concerns. Most who read this have wealth far beyond that of most of the people on earth. We need to do more to bless the poor, whom God loves. Solomon said, “He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay” and You, Father, always repay Your promises. Help each of us to be more benevolent to those who are in need, is my prayer, in the name of Jesus, who separated the sheep and goats based on how we treated His needy brethren, AMEN!
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