4 In reply, Kefa began explaining in detail what had actually happened: 5 “I was in the city of Yafo, praying; and in a trance I had a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came down to me. 6 I looked inside and saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, crawling creatures and wild birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Kefa, slaughter and eat!’ 8 I said, ‘No, sir! Absolutely not! Nothing unclean or treif has ever entered my mouth!’ 9 But the voice spoke again from heaven: ‘Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled back up into heaven.
11 “At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying; 12 and the Spirit told me to have no misgivings about going back with them. These six brothers also came with me, and we went into the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Yafo and bring back Shim‘on, known as Kefa. 14 He has a message for you which will enable you and your whole household to be saved.’
15 “But I had hardly begun speaking when the Ruach HaKodesh fell on them, just as on us at the beginning! 16 And I remembered that the Lord had said, ‘Yochanan used to immerse people in water, but you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh.’ 17 Therefore, if God gave them the same gift as he gave us after we had come to put our trust in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who was I to stand in God’s way?”
18 On hearing these things, they stopped objecting and began to praise God, saying, “This means that God has enabled the Goyim as well to do t’shuvah and have life!”
RG AUDIO 070915
"Never Become Silent" by Author: Paul Sheneman
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” This line points to the power of our calling as Christian witnesses and agents of God’s reconciling work in Jesus Christ. We must constantly engage the oppressive forces that would strip men and women of their God created dignity.
In Acts 11, Peter explains how he came face to face with God’s will for the world and the prejudice of God’s people. He was confronted with what matters and he made the decision to speak.
It happens in everyone’s life. A time comes when what we know is right meets what is wrong in our world. For the Christian it is where God’s justice meets the world’s ways. In those times we are to be the prophets of God’s justice. Just like Peter choosing to prophetically announce the good news that all people (Jews and Gentiles) are included in God’s work in Jesus Christ, we are called to speak. Therefore, despite the opposition we’ll experience we must proclaim God’s universal gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. May we never become silent.
Hymn for Today: "Ready" by A. C. Palmer
1. Ready to suffer grief or pain,
Ready to stand the test;
Ready to stay at home and send
Others if He sees best.
Refrain:
Ready to go, ready to stay,
Ready my place to fill;
Ready for service lowly or great,
Ready to do His will.
2. Ready to go, ready to bear,
Ready to watch and pray;
Ready to stand aside and give
Till He shall clear the way.
Refrain:
Ready to go, ready to stay,
Ready my place to fill;
Ready for service lowly or great,
Ready to do His will.
3. Ready to speak, ready to think,
Ready with heart and mind;
Ready to stand where He sees fit,
Ready HIs will to find.
Refrain:
Ready to go, ready to stay,
Ready my place to fill;
Ready for service lowly or great,
Ready to do His will.
4. Ready to speak, ready to warn,
Ready o’er souls to yearn;
Ready in life or ready in death,
Ready for His return.
Refrain:
Ready to go, ready to stay,
Ready my place to fill;
Ready for service lowly or great,
Ready to do His will.
"Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who need an advocate.
Speak up, judge righteously,
defend the cause of the poor and the needy."[Proverbs 31:8-9]
Please pray:
Please pray:
That many people in Liberia will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullnes of the Holy Spirit
____________________________
____________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment