“Faith doesn’t always mean that God changes your situation. Sometimes it means He changes you.” – Steven Furtick
Steven Furtick is an American Baptist evangelical Christian pastor, author and award-winning songwriter of Elevation Worship. He is the founder & senior pastor of Elevation Church, based in Charlotte, NC.
“God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Paul & Barnabas Visit Lystra & Derbe
Acts 14:8-20 NLT
“While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed.”- Acts 14:8-9
Following the Lord’s leading, the Apostles went straightaway to Lystra to preach the gospel. There is a rather curious reason why the natives of that town lavished gifts upon Paul & Barnabas. Zeus & Hermes were two well-known and popular Roman gods. The people of Lystra claimed both Zeus & Hermes once visited their city. During this visit no one but an elderly couple offered hospitality to the gods, which angered them so much so that killed every inhabitant of the city of Lystra save the elderly couple. The miracles the Apostles performed in the name of Christ caused the people of Lystra to assume they were the gods returning and to avoid another slaughter, spared no expense on the Apostles. Upon seeing this Paul & Barnabas tore their clothes in dismay, saying they were only human like them and not gods as they supposed.
It was about this time that some Jews from Iconium came and turned the crowd against both Apostles. While they were unable to stone Paul in Iconium, this time they whipped the crowd into a frenzy, stoning Paul and leaving him for dead outside the city limits. When the new believers surrounded Paul he became revived and went back into town to preach. If nothing else Paul was a man of intense commitment. The following day both Paul and Barnabas left for Dernbe,
Our lesson for today is that we are to be committed to the Lord and no one else. Do not allow yourself to be swayed by public opinion, for there is no benefit to doing so. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory.
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible
Paul & Barnabas Visit Iconium
Acts 14:1-7 NLT
“The same thing happened in Iconium.[a] Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.” - Acts 14:1
The same reaction was seen by the Apostles. Those who weren’t willing to accept that which is being taught in the name of Christ, became violent and threatened both Paul and Barnabas. The same has been seen in this age. The three towns of Iconium, Lystra and Derbe were located in the southern region of Galatia. After they left this area is the time Paul may have written his letter to the church in Galatia. The disbelieving Jews were zealously defending their traditional Judaic beliefs to the point of wishing to do harm to the Apostles. In spite of this treat, it says they stayed a long time, though it is not specific.
During their stay in Iconium they showed the people God’s power by performing many “miraculous signs and wonders”. Even with God’s power on display, many still refused to accept Christ. Some of us would love to perform miracles in the name of Christ, however, this example right here should help you see that it is not in the miracles that God saves, it is a heart, soul and spirit that is willing to be molded into something brand new. All the miracles in the world will not save a single soul, except, of course, for the miracle of salvation which is truly the only miracle necessary to bring about God’s saving grace.
In spite of the miraculous signs, the crowds ended up being split, a large group becoming believers in Christ and another large group stirring up trouble against Paul and Barnabas. The agitators wished to attack and stone the Apostles; therefore they fled the area to the nearby towns of Lystra and Derbe.
The lesson we can learn here is to leave the convincing regarding the validity of the gospel to the Holy Spirit. We are called to share the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We plant, the Spirit waters and God brings in the harvest. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
[a] Iconium, Lystra & Derbe were all towns in what is now Turkey.
Paul Turns to the Gentiles
Acts 13:44-52 NLT
“The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said.”- Acts 13:44-45
The message the Apostles were to share was to go first to the Jews. Why is that? According to Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” It was God’s intention to work his plan of salvation through the Jewish nation, however, many Jews refused to recognize Jesus as the awaited Messiah. They also didn’t grasp the idea that God was offering salvation from sin to everyone in creation, both Jew and Gentile (or non-Jew).
The sad commentary of the event that took place in Antioch of Pisidia was that the Jews bristled at the disturbing truth that they were the ones who had rejected Jesus as Messiah. They were challenged in their beliefs, and it caused the Jews to revolt in anger, tossing Paul and Barnabas from the town. The Apostles took this persecution in stride and even rejoiced that they were worthy of such treatment in Christ’s name.
The Gentiles, upon hearing that salvation was available to them as well, were very grateful and thanked the Lord for this message. The Lord’s message spread throughout that region as the Gentiles became believers and began spreading the gospel. The Jews undoing was their pride and arrogance that created the perception that they were superior to others and the only ones who had a right to know their God. In spite of Israel being the chosen ones of God, obviously, not all will enter into heaven by their own doing. Pride and arrogance are dangerous traits to have. They must be shed like a snake sheds its skin. They have no place in a believers life.
The lesson we can learn here is that whenever God’s Spirit points out to us needed changes needed in our lives, we must listen to him, or we eventually may become deaf to the sound of the Spirit as it attempts to lead and guide us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you." - C.S. Lewis
“If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look ‘little’ or ‘big’.” – Elisabeth Elliot
So in times of trouble, don't give in to your natural reflex to worry. Instead, condition your reflex to pray. - Greg Laurie
Paul Preaches in Antioch
Acts 13:13-43 NLT
“Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. But Paul and Barnabas traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia.”- Acts 13:13-14
In speaking at the synagogue in Antioch, Paul shared a brief history of God’s promise to provide a Savior. He spoke about several historical events that led up to King David, making the point that one of David’s descendants was Jesus of Nazareth. Paul pointed out that it was this Jesus that was sent by God to save the world of their collective sins. Scripture shows that “God-fearing Gentiles” were at the gathering as well as Jews. Paul spoke of John the Baptist, who came preaching repentance from sin and turning to God.
Paul made a specific point of saying that the people of Israel and their leaders didn’t recognize Jesus to be the long awaited Messiah. They saw him as a heretic and condemned him to death without any legal justification to have him executed. All the prophecies regarding the coming Messiah had been fulfilled in Jesus, even up to and including his being placed in tomb cut from a large rock. His crescendo was in saying that Almighty God raised Jesus from the dead, as evidenced by the many people whom he visited and spoke to.
Paul concluded by saying, “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness of sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God.” And there you have it. The gospel message in two sentences. Forgiveness available not just to the Jews, but to Jews and Gentile alike. This is monumental, for originally, the Jews thought of themselves as the only ones chosen by God to live a covenant life with him. Not so. Due to the Jews rejection of Jesus as the Christ, which was foreseen by God from the foundation of the world, the gift of forgiveness was made available to Gentiles, aka, all non-Jews. The fatal flaw of some Jews was their misunderstanding of who the Messiah would be. Many expected a military King who would grind Rome under their heel. This was obviously man’s thinking and not the Lords.
The apostles were asked to speak again the following week and after the week had passed, they urged the Jews and new converts to continue to rely on the grace of God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
Paul’s 1st Missionary Journey
The Book of the Acts of the Apostles, as it is sometimes referred, starts placing its focus on Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles and the spread of the gospel around the world as it was known at that time. This portion of the book runs from Acts 13:1 thru to the end of the book (Acts 28:31). Paul goes on 3 missionary journeys during this time and ends up being put in jail in Jerusalem, where he is then transported to Rome. The Book of Acts ends rather abruptly, telling us that the story of the Christian church is not yet complete. We are all a part of the sequel that is still ongoing....
There were several prophets and teachers in the Antioch church in Syria. There was Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul/Paul. The Spirit of God spoke to the church telling them to dedicate Barnabas and Saul for a special work the Lord had for them. So without hesitation, after fasting and praying, the church leaders laid hands on both men and sent them off to do the Lord’s bidding.
It was then that the apostles went to the seaport of Seleucia to sail to the island of Cyprus. Once there they went to the Jewish synagogues in the town of Salamis to preach the word of God. John Mark, missionary-in-training, had gone along with them as an assistant.
Barnabas and Saul, also known by his Roman name Paul, went from town to town preaching until they came to Paphos, where they met a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus. This evil man had latched onto the governor and had an ungodly influence on him. The governor, whose name was Sergius Paulus, wished to hear the word of God, however, Bar-Jesus told him not to listen to what the apostles would say to him. Then Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, pointed at the sorcerer, and said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? Watch now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” (Acts 13:10-11 NLT) It was right than that the man’s eyesight was clouded over making him completely blind. When the governor say what the Lord had done he accepted Christ, for he was not only astonished by the teaching he had heard, but the miracle he had witnessed firsthand.
The lesson to be learned here is that it is never wise to stand in the way of that which the Lord is doing. Christians can be duped into blocking the word of God from going forth by not understanding the true meaning of a passage or portion of scripture. They then present an alternate version that seems more correct to them. They do a disservice to the kingdom when they do not do their homework, investigating the cultural and/or regional information readily available to help decipher scripture’s accurate meaning. Be careful and if you are unsure, say nothing. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
Barnabas, Son of Encouragement
Have you ever had someone encourage you when you were down or discouraged? I have, and so has Mark, whom we spoke of yesterday. The early church had such a person in a man named Joseph. Being an encourager is a spiritual gift and Joseph’s was such that it earned him the nickname “Son of Encouragement” or Barnabas. The interesting thing about him was that he was led by the Holy Spirit to believers who needed to be encouraged. His encouragement was done publicly, which caused non-believers to be drawn to Barnabas to receive Christ.
There is no doubt that we should thank Barnabas for much of the New Testament being written as he had a relationship with both Paul and Mark at different times. Imagine what would have happened if both men didn’t have an encourager like Barnabas with them as they went about ministering the gospel to the peoples of various countries foreign to them. Ministry can be very difficult, very trying at times and everyone needs encouragement from time to time. Thank God for the Barnabas’ of the world.
Sadly, in seems that we have the tendency to criticize rather than encourage those down because of discouraging blows to their work for the Lord. We need to invoke words of encouragement as a means of edifying our brethren. We need to encourage thru prayer in their presence, rather than in our prayer closet. Human touch can be vital in cases such as these. Ask the Lord to allow his presence to be felt in a real way to accentuate the words being spoken.
Barnabas was a great man of God who was one of the 1st to sell his possessions to help the believers back in Jerusalem. He was the 1st to travel with Paul on his missionary trip. Because of his God given encouraging nature, Barnabas was one of the most influential people in the early days of the Christian church.
The lesson we can take from this story about Barnabas was that encouragement is one of the most effective ways to help others. There is always someone who needs encouragement. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
John Mark, Missionary in Training
Acts 12:25-13:13 NLT
John Mark is the man who wrote the Gospel of Mark. John Mark was immature as a believer and made his fair share of mistakes, yet it is not the mistakes themselves but rather what is learned from those mistakes that is important. It is said that John Mark was a very good learner, he just needed time, experience, and encouragement. John Mark traveled with Paul and Barnabas, the latter of whom was his cousin.
After his first missionary trip accompanying Paul and Barnabas, he inexplicably decided to return to Jerusalem. There are scholarly speculations, but nothing factual is available. John Mark’s actions angered Paul so much so that he wouldn’t allow him to come along on another journey, accusing him of lacking courage and commitment. Two years later, Paul and Barnabas planned their 2nd missionary and Barnabas suggested John Mark come along, but Paul flatly refused. Because of their difference of opinion regarding the young disciple, Barnabas took Mark and went on their way.
Barnabas showed patience with Mark and his investment of time and encouragement was rewarded over time. Barnabas played a key role in the young man’s life. Despite his failures, Barnabas worked with Mark, which the young man appreciated. There were life lessons that Mark learned from being treated with patience. It is said that personal maturity can come from a combination of time and mistakes. As I stated earlier, it is not the mistake itself but what we learn from that mistake that matters the most. Effective living isn’t measured by what is accomplished in this life, but by what we have overcome in order to accomplish that which we have done. Encouragement can absolutely change a person’s life. These factors played a role in Mark becoming a person Paul ended up respecting and actually became a close friend of. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
The Death of Herod Agrippa I
Acts 12: 18-25 NLT
“At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.”- Acts 12:18-19
It appears that for reasons unknown to the reader, Herod Agrippa was irate with the two coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. Being aware of his anger, both cities sent a delegation to appease the King. They were granted an audience with Agrippa. When the day arrived the King donned royal robes, sat on his throne, and make a speech to them. The delegation feigned praise for him, giving the King a great ovation, shouting “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!” (Acts 12:22). Because the praise apparently pleased Herod and didn’t cause him to reject such an honor, noting that praise of that magnitude belonged only to Almighty God, an angel of God immediately struck him with a dreadful sickness which resulted in a horribly painful death. Herod Agrippa I was literally eaten alive from the inside out by worms.
Pride is a very serious sin. It’s kin, arrogance is also very much a sin. It flies in the face of our need to be selfless and humble. Those who allow pride and arrogance to tamp down their work for the kingdom shall not enter into God’s kingdom, unless forgiveness is obtained. One must make sure the heart is in it’s proper relational status with the Lord, thus allowing their motivation to be pure. Here we see that God punished Herod’s sin at the exact moment it was committed. He doesn’t always do that. We know evil is allowed to exist in the world for a time, but we can be assured that all evil will be dealt with at the precise moment that it needs to be. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible
Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison
Acts 12:6-19 NLT
“The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.”- Acts 12:6
Tyranny comes in many forms. In this section of scripture we see King Herod Agrippa I, a tyrant in his own right, who appeared fixated on doing away with Christianity entirely and sought to take down its leadership. There was no justice meted out, no fairness, no abiding by the law; Herod wanted them gone and went about making it happen. The one thing he didn’t realize was that anyone who rises up against Almighty God shall be destroyed. If you doubt that go back to the Book of Exodus and see what happened to Pharoah, who sought to destroy Moses and the Jewish people. It didn’t go well for him.
In this accounting of Peter escape from prison, we must remember there were 16 soldiers commissioned to guard him. Peter was shackled with two chains between two soldiers while the others stood guard at the prison gate. A bright light appeared in the prison cell, and an angel stood before a sleeping Peter. The angel nudged him and told him to get up. Peter got dressed and followed the angel as he led Peter out of the prison and down the street. The angel disappeared, leaving Peter to go to Mary’s house, who was the mother of John Mark.
It is interesting that though the believers at Mary’s house were praying for Peter’s safety, when Peter knocked on the door seeking entrance they told the Rhoda, a servant who came to open it, that she was crazy when she told them Peter was outside. Not exactly a shining example of faith in action. Peter continued to knock until someone finally opened the door, letting him in. All were ecstatic to see the apostle in the flesh.
What is not mentioned is the apparent fact that the guards were either asleep when the angel came or God made them unable to see what was happening, but the bright light, the appearance of the angel, Peter getting dressed and walking out of the prison with no one seeing him is indeed pretty miraculous.
The tyrant Herod Agrippa I was obviously livid, although it isn’t said. The 16 soldiers would be punished. Roman law states that the punishment the escaped prisoner was to suffer was now placed upon the soldiers. The King had plans to execute Peter, therefore, since the apostle couldn’t be found anywhere, the soldiers were all executed instead. God cannot be defeated. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
Herod Agrippa I - His story
Did you happen to know that there were 4 generations of the Herod family that ruled over the Jewish people on behalf of the Roman Government? There was Herod the Great, who was Agrippa’s grandfather; Herod Antipas, who was Agrippa’s uncle; then there was Agrippa I and finally Agrippa II. Each one had a perpetual effect on the one succeeding them, as they all left their own distinct mark on the peoples they ruled against.
Herod the Great was the King who had all of Bethlehem’s baby boys murdered in an effort to keep the Messianic child from being born. His plan failed, although it wrought evil upon a whole grouping of people who watched as their innocent sons were slaughtered for no reason other than a King’s vanity and paranoia. Herod Antipas was not only involved in the trial of Jesus but was responsible for John the Baptist’s execution. We are seeing what Herod Agrippa I was involved in as his had the apostle James murdered. Finally, we come to Herod Agrippa II was one of the apostle Paul’s judges.
As the early church was growing with the addition of new Gentile converts, persecution kicked into overdrive. We’ve already seen that James was murdered and Peter was imprisoned, which cause Herod Agrippa I to find a measure of favor with the Jewish people. However, Agrippa made a monumental error that resulted in his immediate death. While visiting Caesarea, the people called him a god and his accepted this praise. Now God is a jealous god, not willing to share glory with anyone, so once Agrippa allowed himself to be verbally exalted as god, he was instantly struck with a very painful disease. He died within a week. “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else, nor share my praise with carved idols.” (Isaiah 42:8 NLT)
So what can we say about Herod Agrippa I in summation: He was a capable administrator & negotiator, managed to have reasonably good relations with the Jews and with Rome. His mistakes are mentioned above; murder, unjust imprisonment & stealing praise from Almighty God. What lessons do we learn from Agrippa I: Never set yourself in opposition to God, for you are doomed to failure before you even start; Realize the grave danger of accepting praise that belongs to God and him alone; and family traits can influence children to do either great things or evil things. Live a righteous life that is pleasing to the Lord, and you will be fulfilled and blessed. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
James is Killed & Peter is Imprisoned
Acts 12:1-5 NIV
“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.”- Acts 12:1
Herod Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great. He was half Jewish, having a Jewish grandmother (Marianne) of royal blood, therefore the Romans appointed him to rule of the territories of Galilee, Perea, Judea, and Samaria. His reason for bringing persecution against the Christians was to win favor with the Jewish leaders. Because of his Jewish roots this allowed the people to accept him, albeit grudgingly.
James was one of the original disciples called by Jesus. The King saw fit to kill him with a sword. Seeing how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also had Peter incarcerated. This was the life of a Christian back at this time in history. Although preaching and teaching with the boldness and authority of the Holy Spirit, they lived with the constant threat of beatings, imprisonment, and/or death for their faith. While this still happens today in some portions of the world, in America, we live a blessed life, allowed to worship as we please with little to no persecution. The price we pay for being a follower of Christ in practically nil when you compare it to those of the time period we read about.
The believers reaction to the act of capturing and imprisoning the apostle Peter is one that we must emulate today and in most cases, I would imagine, we do. There were 16 Roman soldiers placed to guard Peter while in prison. When the news of Peter’s arrest was made known to the church, they prayed earnestly for him. The word “earnestly” was used to describe the way that his fellow believers prayed for him. That means their prayers were “sincere, serious, and determined”. Imprisonment was no small matter and though it appeared to take place often, the one incarcerated found joy in suffering for the sake of Christ and those in the church had their back, so to speak, as they diligently prayed for God to move on the jailed person’s behalf. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible
The pain that you've been feeling can't compare to the joy that's coming. (Romans 8:18)
The Church in Antioch of Syria
Acts 11:19-30 NLT
“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.”- Acts 11:19
The death by stoning of the apostle Stephen seems to have been a catalyst that helped spread the gospel outside of Judea. The persecution that preceded and followed the death of Stephen had the believers scattering to other towns and cities where they boldly preached of Jesus Christ...his ministry, his death, and his resurrection.
Some of those believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus began preaching to the Gentiles there. The Lord used them mightily and a great number of those there that day believed and turned their lives over to God. Word got to the church in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas to visit Antioch. When he arrived he could immediately see the evidence of God’s power at work. This filled him with joy. Barnabas began encouraging the new believers to stay true to what they have been taught. Antioch is the place where followers of Christ were first called Christians.
The joy Barnabas experienced he wished to share with brother Paul, who was currently in his hometown of Tarsus. Barnabas went and brought Paul back and both of them staying in Antioch for a year preaching and teaching the word of God.
There were some prophets who came to Antioch from Jerusalem. One, Agabus, stood in one of their meetings and prophesied that a great famine would come upon the entire Roman Empire. This would certainly effect the Jewish believers in Jerusalem, so the brethren in Antioch collected monies and sent it with Barnabas and Paul who then left for Jerusalem to give to their brothers and sisters in Christ there.
When the body of Christ is in need, what attitude do you have toward that need? Are you glad to share if you are able? Do you give out of a sense of obligation? Do you make a show of it so others know you gave? Be mindful of this: It is not so much the giving that is important, as much as the motivation of one’s heart. That is what matters the most to the Lord. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
Peter Explains His Actions in Caesarea
Acts 11:1-18 NLT
“Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God” - Acts 11:1
After the amazing happenings at Cornelius’ home in Caesarea, Peter left to return to Jerusalem. The news of what had taken place there had preceded Peter’s return. When he had gotten back to Judea he was confronted by the Jewish believers who began criticizing him for what had transpired. Mainly it was that in their eyes Peter had marginalized the laws of Judaism by entering the home of a Gentile and staying there for several days. The Jews had the belief that while Gentiles could become redeemed, they must first adhere to Jewish law prior to salvation. Peter, following God’s direct instructions, did as he was told in spite of the laws edicts.
Peter defended his words and actions in Cornelius’ home by recounting all that had taken place prior to his meeting the Gentile Centurion. Once he shared both his vision from the Lord and the visitation Cornelius had with an angel of God, the once critical Jews praised God that he had seen fit to open salvation up to the non-Jew. All the issues hadn’t been cleared up and would rear their ugly head further down the road, but for now the conversion of Cornelius was accepted by the Jewish believers.
It was a critical next step in the development of the early church. The Jews initially thought they were the only ones to whom redemption would be offered due to the fact that the Mosaic Law was given to them and no one else. But they were found to be wrong since the message of freedom from sin was now being made available to all, regardless of race, creed, or color. Do you have a problem accepting someone who is not like you into the family of God? Do you feel everyone must believe exactly the same as you? God is One who makes each of his creation unique in every way. We are to accept all, even as God accepts all and while we should never alter our beliefs based on a popular or traditional thought or teaching, we must be open to alternate ways of looking at the same belief. Many times our differences may just be a matter of semantics. * Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament.
* The meaning or the interpretation of a word, sentence, or other language form; [American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011)].
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
Acts 10:44-48 NLT
“Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.”- Acts 10:44
One of the greatest barriers to the spread of the gospel in the earliest days of the church was the conflict that existed between the Jews and the Gentiles. The thought of mingling with non-Jews was appalling to the Jewish people. This was remedied when the Lord gave Peter a vision regarding the co-mingling of clean and unclean animals. God had and has declared that everything and everyone is clean and should not be shunned or avoided. This was accentuated by Peter visiting the Roman Centurion Cornelius in Caesarea, and entering his home to teach both he, his family, and friends.
Peter’s sermon to Cornelius’ grouping was powerful in that he gave a clear, concise statement of the gospel message: the perfect life of Jesus as servant, his gruesome death on a cross and his resurrection to new life. Peter stressed that Jesus’ life and death fulfilled the Old Testament scriptures. He also showed the necessity to have a personal, intimate faith driven relationship with Christ. A sermon need not be wordy, but rather Spirit-led and to the point, making Christ the center of it. Without Christ’s death on the cross there is no salvation.
Once Peter was through preaching the Spirit of God fell upon all those who were in attendance. Those accompanying Peter were amazed that the Gentiles were filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit as evidenced by their all speaking with other tongues and praising God. After their infilling, Peter asked if anyone could possibly deny their being water baptized. With no dissenters, all were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Knowing he was much in need of further teaching regarding the things of the Lord, Cornelius asked Peter to stay a few days longer to which Peter agreed. Are you hungry for the word of God? Do you wish to represent Christ in your daily life, if you do not already do so? Seek the depths of wisdom that can be poured out unto you by God’s Holy Spirit. Use your time wisely, for our days are numbered and soon enough the end of time will come. Perhaps in our lifetime, perhaps not, but we are to embrace Christ with all our being and seek to serve him in every way possible. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
The Gentiles Hear the Good News
Acts 10:34-43 NLT
“Then Peter replied, ‘I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.’”- Acts 10:34-35
As you will recall, Peter had visited Caesarea to meet Cornelius, the Roman Centurion. Cornelius and his friends and relatives were anxiously awaiting the word from God that Peter would share with them all. Peter didn’t disappoint as he launched into a brief synopsis of Jesus life and ministry. The apostle made of point of saying that God never shows any favoritism towards one racial group over another. He was setting the stage for the truth that Gentiles were to receive God’s salvation message just the same as the Jews. This was initially difficult for Peter to accept, but since God was telling him this he fully accepted it and began preaching to Gentiles as well as Jews.
Peter stressed the fact that not all were privy to the fact that Jesus had been raised from the dead, only the hand chosen apostles. These chosen men were commissioned to spread the gospel message that Jesus saves throughout the world as they knew it. The message was a simple one, all who believed in Jesus Christ will have their sins forgiven through his name.
There is a general misunderstanding of this statement based on the entirety of scripture, which tells us there is something more to becoming a follower of Christ than simply “believing”. “Then Jesus called the crowd and his followers to him. He said, “Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me and for the Good News will save it. It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost.” (Mark 8:34-36 ERV) That is more than just believing. Many have been caught up in the deception that simply believing in God and/or Jesus earns you entrance into heaven. Not so. There needs to be a 180 degree turn away from your former life. “Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:14b-15, 17 NLT) Once saved we are a new person in Christ. Our lives are no longer our own. We are called to no longer conform to worldly standards, but to the standards God has laid out in his Word. This is message Peter is sharing with the crowd in Caesarea. This is God’s message to us as well. Shed your old skin and live life anew. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament.
Note: ERV = Easy to Read Version
Peter Visits Cornelius
Acts 10:9-33 NLT
“The next day as Cornelius’ messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon....” - Acts 10:9
When the messengers arrived at the house of the Tanner, they asked someone if it was where Simon Peter was living? Peter had just had a vision from the Lord regarding the coexistence of clean and unclean animals, which was to say that Peter was to go against what he had been taught. The vision entailed a large sheet coming down from heaven. On the sheet were many animals, some ceremonially clean and the other ceremonially unclean. Traditionally Jews were not to eat animals that were deemed unclean, and they were certainly not to eat with Gentiles. God told Peter to kill and eat. Peter balked at this instruction, stating that according to Jewish law, he has never eaten anything impure and unclean. God told Peter not to call anything unclean when he himself had made it clean. Two other times the Lord told Peter to kill and eat. Then the Holy Spirit told Peter that 3 men had come looking for him.
These men were Gentiles, yet after asking the homeowner’s permission, Peter invited them in asking them why they had come. The messengers relayed the story regarding Cornelius; therefore, this was obviously the reason God revealed his vision about clean vs. unclean. Then God told Peter to go with the three men “without hesitation”, Peter had them stay the night and along with six men from the Joppa brethren, Peter left to visit Cornelius in Caesarea the very next morning.
It took them all until the next day to trek the 30 miles to Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. Once Peter met the centurion, he promptly told him that Cornelius no doubt knew it was against Jewish law to enter or associate with a Gentile man, but because God had told Peter that he should no longer think of anyone as unclean or impure, he would enter his home. Cornelius had invited relatives and friends to his home to hear what the Lord would say to them thru the Apostle. The centurion expressed deep appreciation for Peter to come and that both he and the others there were to hear from God.
It was stated by scholars that while Cornelius had a heart after God, prayed and gave to the poor, that perhaps he hadn’t received salvation yet. That would be the reason Peter was sent to Cornelius’ home, to lead both he and his relatives and friends to a relationship with the Lord.
Is there anyone who are prejudice against, perhaps a race, sexual orientation, foreigners and so on? Scripture lets us know that God created all peoples and has pronounced all of his creation clean and pure, fit to associate with. We must rid ourselves of any and all preconceived notions and / or prejudices, for they are distasteful to God and do nothing to help us become more like Christ in our thought, words, and deeds. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In his name & for his glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible; Expositor's Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament
