{"id":1641,"date":"2019-06-13T05:11:13","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T13:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1641"},"modified":"2019-06-13T05:11:13","modified_gmt":"2019-06-13T13:11:13","slug":"devotion-acts-114-18-love-then-obedience-then-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1641","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Acts 11:4-18 Love, Then Obedience, Then Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Acts 11:4-18\u00a0<\/b>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0<\/sup><\/b>Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story:<\/i><\/span>\u00a05\u00a0\u201cI was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.\u00a0I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was.<\/span>\u00a06\u00a0I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds.<\/span>\u00a07\u00a0Then I heard a voice telling me,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>8\u00a0\u201cI replied, \u2018Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.\u2019\u00a0 9\u00a0\u201cThe voice spoke from heaven a second time,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.\u2019<\/span>\u00a010\u00a0This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.\u00a0 11\u00a0\u201cRight then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying.<\/span>\u00a012\u00a0The Spirit told\u00a0me to have no hesitation about going with them.\u00a0These six brothers\u00a0also went with me, and we entered the man\u2019s house.<\/span>\u00a013\u00a0He told us how he had seen an angel\u00a0appear in his house and say, \u2018Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.<\/span>\u00a014\u00a0He will bring you a message\u00a0through which you and all your household\u00a0will be saved.\u2019\u00a0 15\u00a0\u201cAs I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on\u00a0them as he had come on us at the beginning.<\/span>\u00a016\u00a0Then I remembered what the Lord had said:\u00a0<\/span>\u2018John baptized with\u00a0water,\u00a0but you will be baptized with\u00a0the Holy Spirit.\u2019<\/span>\u00a017\u00a0So if God gave them the same gift\u00a0he gave us\u00a0who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God\u2019s way?\u201d\u00a0 18\u00a0When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, \u201cSo then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cStarting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 The writer of Acts told the whole story in the previous chapter.\u00a0\u00a0 Here he tells the story again.\u00a0\u00a0 In those days they wrote on scrolls and the scripture was written on scrolls up to about thirty-five feet long.\u00a0 Any longer than that and they became hard to handle and possibly, to protect.\u00a0 So scripture was thrifty with words.\u00a0 So why did Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tell the story twice.\u00a0 Since he had just told the story he could have just stopped with\u00a0V4<\/b>.\u00a0 Jon Courson (Applegate Christian Fellowship) offers that it is because of the importance of the subject matter.\u00a0 Family, even today, in all nations, and certainly among the most materially prosperous nations, it is easy to harden our hearts to those outside our borders, not only physical borders but the borders of our church property.\u00a0 But as many Believers still do, we reach out beyond our borders with missionaries, evangelism and by supporting God\u2019s work in other nations.\u00a0 Still, it is a lesson of vast importance.\u00a0 God welcomes all (Titus 2:11, John 3:16, Romans 10:13, 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9<\/b>).\u00a0 It is not as some suppose that God has made some to be destined for hell with no way of escape.\u00a0 The Word of God is clear, there is no favoritism as the offer of salvation through the Gospel is meant for all.\u00a0 Oh the evil doctrine that says otherwise.\u00a0 Oh the evil that it proposes to put upon the very heart of God!\u00a0 It is anathema that the Holy Spirit addressed way back then.\u00a0 Let us purge it from all Christianity.\u00a0 God welcomes all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vs 5-17<\/b>\u00a0Peter recounts what we reviewed in\u00a0Chapter 10<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u201cI replied, \u2018Surely not, Lord!<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Peter knew that He was speaking with Jesus.\u00a0 He would call no other man or being Lord.\u00a0 Only God was his Lord. So it is Jesus Himself who was expressing God\u2019s will that salvation through Jesus is offered to all men.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Spirit told\u00a0me to have no hesitation about going with them.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 The Holy Spirit is our teacher, our guide, our caretaker and helper as we walk this earth (John 14:26, Jude 1:20, Romans 8:26-27<\/b>).\u00a0 Peter clearly states that the Spirit of God told him not to hesitate.\u00a0 Yes, he talked with God.\u00a0 Family, it is a shame that talking with the Holy Spirit is so infrequently taught.\u00a0 Today when one mentions what God \u201csaid\u201d to them people think that the person who says such things is crazy.\u00a0 Even many Christians think so.\u00a0 What, talk to God?\u00a0 Yes, we talk to God!\u00a0 We carry on conversations with God.\u00a0\u00a02 Corinthians 13:14<\/b>\u00a0states \u201cMay the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Now we are quick to acknowledge that grace of Jesus applies to all of us, and that the love of God applies to us all, yet some who teach would like to erase the part about the fellowship we have with the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Family, those teaching anyone, no matter their supposed erudition, that we cannot speak with God and hear from Him, are telling lies from the devil.\u00a0 The first thing that the devil did in the Garden of Eden was to attack the communication between mankind and God.\u00a0 We would not say that we have fellowship with anyone without talking to them.\u00a0 It is absurd.\u00a0 It is a great blessing to fellowship with God the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 He \u201cmothers\u201d us.\u00a0 He gives us wise advice, steers us away from evil, comforts us in times of need, He always wants to spend time with us and He is the seal of God\u2019s love to us.\u00a0 Much of the work of God the Holy Spirit is like a mother to us, it is so kind, loving and forgiving.\u00a0 Godly mamas teach us the love, kindness and care of the God the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Now we know that mamas want to \u201cfellowship\u201d with us.\u00a0 It is a purpose and the desire of the Holy Spirit to talk with us.\u00a0 The love of God is shown to us through Jesus.\u00a0 The fellowship of God is given through the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Yet remember that God is three in one and one in three.\u00a0 No degree of separation.\u00a0 No mixing together as only one.\u00a0 Family, if we have never had a close, intimate relationship with God the Holy Spirit then we have been cheated. \u00a0Start today, He is waiting, so to speak, for the phone to ring.\u00a0 Just like our mamas always do, or did.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u201cAs I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on\u00a0them as he had come on us at the beginning.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 As previously noted in our studying\u00a0Chapter 10<\/b>, Peter now confirms that what happened to the Apostles and disciples at Pentecost happened to the Gentiles.\u00a0 God gave these gentiles the same power to be His witnesses as He gave the Apostles.\u00a0 Family, the Apostles who wrote the scriptures were a unique group.\u00a0 But God did not empower them to minister and then leave us to do it on our own (Zechariah 4:6<\/b>).\u00a0 He also gave us the Holy Spirit.\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s fellowship with Him daily and let Him guide and empower us to live the life that God has crafted for us as individuals and as members of the Body of Christ.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, \u201cSo then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.\u201d<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Peter did as God told him to do.\u00a0 He gave the Gospel to the Gentiles and taught that they are full recipients of it.\u00a0 This Jewish man overcame false teachings of his family and religious beliefs to fully embrace the Truth of the love and full acceptance of all who come to God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 As we read the Word of God, as we do so while in full fellowship with the Holy Spirit of God, He will reveal God\u2019s Word to us and then let us embrace the Truth of it and let that Truth forever change our lives to lead lives of God\u2019s love, which is the basis for any walk with Christ.\u00a0 Family, fellowship with the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Let Him teach, guide and prepare us.\u00a0 Who but God knows how He will use us?\u00a0 What a great adventure!\u00a0 Oh the mysteries and wonders of God! God is good all the time and He loves us!<\/span><\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Acts 11:4-18\u00a0\u2013\u00a0\u00a0Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story:\u00a05\u00a0\u201cI was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.\u00a0I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was.\u00a06\u00a0I looked into it and saw four-footed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,129,100,2188,94,90,17,10,2036,105,874],"class_list":["post-1641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-corinthians","tag-john","tag-jude","tag-micah","tag-peter","tag-psalm","tag-romans","tag-timothy","tag-titus","tag-zechariah"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1641"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1642,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1641\/revisions\/1642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}