Acts 10:9-48

Did you know that God keeps all His promises? "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." (2 Corinthians 1:20). God promised that He would send a deliverer, and He did. Jesus came to save all of us! God's plan of redemption is for all His creations, which are also waiting for the return of Jesus. (See Romans 8:19-23)

But to us, Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Regardless of who we are or where we are from, God's call to us is universal and personal. He invites us to receive the gift of eternal life that He paid for by His death on the cross. None are without the hope and opportunity to come to Jesus. That is why we are not just called, but empowered and entrusted, to go into all the world and make disciples of all the whosoevers.

John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

References:

Matthew 6:6–7

2 Co 11:14–15

1 John. 4:1-6

Deuteronomy 18:21-22

Romans 2:11

Romans 3:21–26

Romans 3:27–30

Acts 17:26a

Acts 10:17-28

You and I are commanded by God to go into all the world and make disciples. (See Matthew 28:18-20) This assumes we will, in the power of the Holy Spirit, come into contact with all the ethnic cultures of the world. (See Acts 1:8)

However, this was not the default thinking of the early church leaders. They were surprised when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Samaritans. Now, after almost a decade, it is time for the good news of Jesus to go beyond ethnic divides. For the promise of a Savior is for the whole of creation.

We have a holy responsibility to tell others about the love of God. even if we don't like them much. Jesus teaches us, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven..." (Matthew 5:43–45a)

How important is it that we are telling others about the hope of Christ and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God? "Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? (Proverbs 24:11–12, also see James 4:17)

Also consider, Ezekiel 3:18–19, "When I [YHWH] say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

Why does it seem so hard to do things the way God instructs us to? He has made it clear, right? He has given all of creation His general revelation. That is God’s self-disclosure and self-communication in the universe and created world and reigns as King of all. (See Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:20) In other words, creation itself declares God exists. Humanity's moral code is part of our designs.

But God has also given us Special Revelation. Special revelation is when God reveals Himself through miraculous means. These include God's physical appearance, dreams, visions, the written Word of God, and, most importantly, Jesus Christ.

The Bible records God appearing in physical form many times (Genesis 3:8, 18:1; Exodus 3:1-4, 34:5-7), and God speaking to people through dreams (Genesis 28:12, 37:5; 1 Kings 3:5; Daniel 2) and visions (Genesis 15:1; Ezekiel 8:3-4; Daniel 7; 2 Corinthians 12:1-7).

The reality is that any revelation of God leads to a paradigm shift or an affirmation. A paradigm is a standard, perspective, or set of ideas. We might call it the grid or lens that we process what we see, hear, and/or experience. Our paradigm is often passed on to us from others. It is the way we process our world and all that is in it. For example, having a Biblical worldview is a paradigm.

A paradigm shift is not just a change in our perspective, it's a transformative journey that can profoundly impact our lives and the lives of those around us. This shift allows us to see things in a new, hopeful light and can open new opportunities and possibilities. By the way, you and I make these kinds of shifts all the time and may not even realize it.

References for this week:

Ephesians. 2:14–16

John 10:14-16

1 Corinthians 12:13-14

Gal. 3:28

Col. 3:11

1 Cor. 12:13

Eph. 2:14–22

Ephesians. 3:14–15

1 Co 14:32–33

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Romans 8

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One of the most profound forms of hypocrisy is when our external facade, the image we project to the world, starkly contrasts with our internal reality. We meticulously polish our words and actions to appear as devout Christians, yet our minds are often filled with thoughts that lead to secretive, ungodly behavior. This discrepancy between our public image and our private thoughts is a form of hypocrisy that Jesus Himself warned against.

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. (Matthew 23:25–26)

Jesus calls them to an internal transformation, not just a reformation of external behaviors that conflict with the inner man. For example, we say we forgive someone because we know that is what we are called to do, but the reality is that we still have hate in our hearts for them. Jesus calls that murder. (See Matthew 5:21-45)

John writes, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:15). We need a change of nature that comes from being born again, not just a behavior change. Even though we may do and say all the right things, we may be missing something in our lives: the Lordship of Jesus.

References:

John 9:28-33

Jeremiah 14:11–12

Isaiah 59:1–2

Hebrews 4:13

John 6:28b–29

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Exodus 7:13-8:15

References: Matt. 5:44

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In the New Testament, persecution of Disciples was never, always, and everywhere. There were pockets and seasons just like in the world today. Therefore, we should remember to pray for those believers who are suffering for their faith even as we gather for worship week by week.

In Hebrews 13:3, we are urged to ‘Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.’ This underscores the unity of the Body of Christ, the universal church composed of all Jesus's loyal disciples, who are bound together by the Holy Spirit. (See John 17:1ff)

Even though the disciples of the first century were still being moved around because of religious persecution, circumstances seem to have changed, with a pause in the aggressive persecution, enough to give the early church and leaders a chance to grow and flourish.

When Peter ventures out to check on the believers, he becomes a vessel for God's miraculous works, which, in turn, lead others to Jesus. This serves as a powerful reminder that the wonderful works of God are indeed transformative. They are His alone, and He deserves all the Glory. If this is not the case, something is amiss.

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Exodus 6:28-7:13

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Paul was a menace to the early church. But after his debilitating encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, things for Saul changed. They will continue to change as Saul is more and more conformed to the image of Jesus as a disciple. The Holy Spirit will fill and empower him for his new life.

Like many of us, Paul carried the scars and baggage of his old life, a life that was a far cry from the faithful disciple he was becoming. Despite the transformation, remnants of his past lingered, tarnishing his witness. It is a reminder that our faith changes us, but it is our steadfast loyalty to God over time that truly reveals our transformation to others.

For many of us, it has been years, even decades, since we began our journey with Jesus. Yet, some people still struggle to see the new life we are striving to live, choosing to judge us based on our past. But we are not defined by our past. We are, by faith, children of God, and as such, we are heirs to all His promises. And His promises, every single one of them, are 'yes' and 'amen'.

As the apostle Paul, Saul wrote to the churches in Galatia, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26–29)

Can we look beyond someone's past and help them into their future? They are different from what they were but are still growing into what they shall be in Jesus Christ.

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