Repentance leading to Life!
Scripture reading for April 28th: 1st Samuel 15-16, 1st Chronicles 1, Psalm 39, Acts 11
Acts 11: 13-18 “And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter: he will declare to you a message by with you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the Word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same Gift to them as He gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.””
The early church leaders, being trained as Jews, often had trouble grasping God’s plan to save Gentiles. They had been taught that they must avoid the Gentiles because they were ‘uncircumcised’ and ‘unclean’. God had to give Peter a vision of a sheet with unclean foods on it coming down from heaven with the command to eat. He then instructed Peter to go to Cornelius’ house and Peter obeyed, taking other Jewish believers with him. When Peter shared the Gospel there, God poured the Holy Spirit out with the evidence of speaking in tongues. This silenced the resistance and broadened the Jewish believers understanding of God’s heart to reach both Jew and Gentile! He hears all cries for help and salvation!
Psalm 39:12-13 “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not Your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your patience and care for all people, regardless of nationality or social status. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to pray and praise Your Name and share the Gospel message. Thank You for bringing repentance leading to eternal life to me and all who will receive the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
1st Samuel 16:6-7 “When they came, he looked on Eliab and though, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.””
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