{"id":1783,"date":"2019-08-29T14:15:31","date_gmt":"2019-08-29T22:15:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1783"},"modified":"2019-08-29T14:15:31","modified_gmt":"2019-08-29T22:15:31","slug":"devotion-acts-1522-35-love-first-everything-else-follows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=1783","title":{"rendered":"Devotion Acts 15:22-35 Love First, Everything Else Follows"},"content":{"rendered":"
Acts 15:22-35\u00a0<\/b>\u2013<\/i>\u00a0<\/sup><\/b><\/span>\u201cThen the apostles and elders,\u00a0with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch\u00a0with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,\u00a0men who were leaders among the believers.<\/i><\/span>\u00a023\u00a0With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria\u00a0and Cilicia: Greetings.\u00a0 24\u00a0We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.<\/span>\u00a025\u00a0So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul\u2014<\/span>\u00a026\u00a0men who have risked their lives\u00a0for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/span>\u00a027\u00a0Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas\u00a0to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.<\/span>\u00a028\u00a0It seemed good to the Holy Spirit\u00a0and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:<\/span>\u00a029\u00a0You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.\u00a0You will do well to avoid these things.\u00a0 Farewell.\u00a0 30\u00a0So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.<\/span>\u00a031\u00a0The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.<\/span>\u00a032\u00a0Judas and Silas,\u00a0who themselves were prophets,\u00a0said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.<\/span>\u00a033\u00a0After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace\u00a0to return to those who had sent them.<\/span>\u00a034<\/span>\u00a0But Silas decided to remain there.\u00a035\u00a0But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached\u00a0the word of the Lord<\/span><\/i>.<\/span>\u201d<\/div>\n

\u201cThen the apostles and elders,\u00a0with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch\u00a0with Paul and Barnabas.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Suddenly, after Peter, Paul and James spoke, the council of leaders were at peace. Even those who had vehemently taken the stand that the gentiles should be circumcised were now at peace that gentile circumcision was not a requirement.\u00a0 After all the turmoil there was peace among the leaders.\u00a0 Strong disagreements were gone.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 The wisdom of God had been spoken to men with humble and sincere hearts.\u00a0\u00a01 Corinthians 12:8<\/b>\u00a0declares that there is a gift of the Spirit, a manifestation, identified as \u201c\u2026<\/i><\/span>To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom\u00a0\u2026<\/span><\/i>\u201d One of the manifestations of this gift of supernatural wisdom is that it can bring peace to situations where there seems to be no way to peace.\u00a0 No one has the answer.\u00a0 We may have not recognized it as this gift, but it is probable that we have all seen it.\u00a0 When contesting people are getting deeper into their position and there seems to be no answer that will bring everyone to peace and unity.\u00a0 Then someone stands up and speaks, perhaps almost the same exact message that has already been stated, but is then said in a way that suddenly breaks the ice and peace and unity prevails. That person may wonder themselves at the effect of what they said.\u00a0 It worked because it was a message from God, the great Peace Maker, and came with the authority of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 They, in the first generation church needed that gift and Family, we are no different.\u00a0 Again, let\u2019s not despise the gifts of the Spirit, but welcome them.\u00a0 They were gifts from God to the past generations of Believers and are gifts to us in our generation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why didn\u2019t they just send Paul and Barnabas back to share the message?\u00a0 It is most likely that some from Jerusalem were sent with them as a type of verification to the Gentile believers that what Paul and Barnabas were to report was indeed the decision of the Jerusalem church.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,\u00a0men who were leaders among the believers.<\/i><\/span>\u201d\u00a0 Judas Barsabbas and Silas were selected to travel with Paul and Barnabas to support their delivering of the Jerusalem Council decision.\u00a0 Both of these men are identified as prophets in\u00a0V32<\/b>. So here is another proof that the original twelve apostles were not the last to have these spiritual gifts, as some today falsely assert.\u00a0 Also, these were men who walked the walk.\u00a0 They were respected as believers and leaders.<\/p>\n

In these verses we see the veracity of the old saying \u201cIn essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things clarity.\u201d\u00a0 The foundation of our faith is that we are saved by grace, offered through Jesus and that in no way are we saved by works (by what we do).\u00a0 We can do nothing to add or supplement our salvation.\u00a0 To teach that is to deny that what Jesus did was the full work of God.\u00a0 Also, if we must do something to keep our faith then works is part of our salvation.\u00a0 That is heresy!\u00a0 But things such as smoking, seeing movies, types of worship music, the use of visual aids during the message are not essentials.\u00a0 Certainly there is wisdom and preference, but not essentials.\u00a0 Even the gifts of the Spirit, though certainly highly valuable and great blessings, are not essentials.\u00a0 All Believers have the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 All!\u00a0 But the gifts are not proof of salvation, knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord, including no works, is what includes us in the family of God. Unfortunately, some who are supposedly wise, will write books and tear down those with differing opinions in front of the world, and these being other believers.\u00a0 That is not expressing the love of God and not heeding the Word of God (1 Corinthians 6:1-6<\/b>).\u00a0 Those Believers who fight in public are doing something shameful!\u00a0 We are to be known by our love for one another (John 13:35<\/b>).\u00a0 It is arrogance that is behind those who are divisive.\u00a0 One thinks he knows something that another does not.\u00a0 And vice-a-versa.\u00a0 So they write books denigrating another Brother, they do so on radio, or television, or video.\u00a0 They do this in front of the world who is looking for something different but instead see Believers acting no different than the world.\u00a0 How is that drawing those in darkness to the light?\u00a0 Family, if we disagree, let\u2019s talk with each other and pray for God to bring us to an answer.\u00a0 If it is a non-essential let love, peace and unity rule the day.\u00a0 The essential is not to express our own non-essential doctrine, no matter how resolutely we believe.\u00a0 Our doctrine is not what we are to share.\u00a0 What we are to share is the Gospel.\u00a0 What we are to share is the love of God.\u00a0 If anyone does not agree on these priorities, they are walking in darkness, no matter the level of their scholarly achievements.\u00a0 God wants achievement in getting out the Gospel and showing His love to the world and not in proclaiming one\u2019s pride in their scholarly endeavors.<\/p>\n

Yes, we will be known as disciples of Christ by our love and not by bickering over non-essential doctrine.\u00a0 If we are not known by our love for another, we are not legitimate children of God (1 John 4:7-8<\/b>).\u00a0 This is what the Word of God says.\u00a0 Let\u2019s love and support each other.\u00a0 Let\u2019s love all the people of the world, as God does.\u00a0 Let\u2019s share the love of God that is expressed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Let\u2019s be right before God.\u00a0 Let\u2019s love.\u00a0 And always, in everything we do, let us give praise, gratitude and glory to our holy and loving God.\u00a0 Amen!\u00a0 Praise God!<\/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 15:22-35\u00a0\u2013\u00a0\u201cThen the apostles and elders,\u00a0with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch\u00a0with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,\u00a0men who were leaders among the believers.\u00a023\u00a0With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in…<\/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":[82,129,100,94,17],"class_list":["post-1783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-corinthians","tag-john","tag-micah","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783","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=1783"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1784,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783\/revisions\/1784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}