Salvation for Every Nation #4
Part 4, Two Lessons from Peter’s Arrival at a Gentile Home
Reading: Acts 10:24-48
God brings Peter and Cornelius together, and works a tremendous outcome to the whole account!
1. A Gentile Learns that Worship Belongs ONLY to the Lord! Verse 24-28
Peter, along with the three men from Cornelius, and six others, ( 11:12,) had made their way from Joppa to Caesarea. It would have been an overnight journey, and so they arrived the next morning. (v24) A reception committee was awaiting them.
St Patrick’s Day
March 17th is the day that those who celebrate ‘Saints’ Days’ remember Patrick, the British evangelical Christian who evangelised Ireland. Many people across the wold use this anniversary as an excuse for drunken parties, many of them involving excesses of Guinness. Once wonders why.
St Patrick’s Saltire, the real flag of Patrick, and part of the British ‘Union Flag’
Here’s two related articles; on Patrick, and on Arthur Guinness, who most certainly would NOT have approved of the modern St Patrick’s Day.
As part of my ‘Brethren History’ project I’ve been looking at the life of A N Groves.
A N Groves
I’ll be publishing an article about Groves on this blog soon. I’m working on it right now. However, in preparation for that article and a potential lecture, I’ve been trying to get a clear chronology of Groves’ life. Here’s my initial draft in PDF Format…
Here’s my first reading notes: Read more…
Peter’s Vision and Response
Acts 10:9-19
In our previous study in Acts, we saw something of the man called Cornelius. We seen Cornelius characterised and described, his locality, his rank. his religion and his family life. We saw how he was called and directed. How the Lord spoke to him, and how he was concerned and directed. led by the Lord to put his concern into action by obeying the Lord. Now we see how God prepared Peter to receive the messengers that Cornelius, in obedience had sent to him! This had to happen. Peter would have had old prejudices based on his Judaism. He would have had no time for Gentiles, (Some Rabbis taught that if a Gentile woman was in distress in childbirth. a pious Jew should not give assistance, for to bring another Gentile into the world would be a great shame on a Jew), yet God was going to bring a huge harvest of Gentiles into the church. Peter was not quite ready for this! But GOD WAS READY. and Peter was about to learn this important lesson.
Pagans and Babies
In this study we will look at two really difficult issues that Christians have to face, that we may be questioned about. We have been talking about heaven and hell, and we know that when we die we will go to one or the other. Believers who rest in Christ’s finished work on the cross, with humble repentance and faith will most surely go to heaven. Those who reject the Cross, who live outside of a covenant relationship with God will die and face judgement for their unpardonable sins, and will not be able (or willing) to enter the blinding holiness of their Creator, but will be lost forever in the lake of fire, suffering eternal punishment. It is a stark contrast. But it’s not that simple is it?
1 What about the Pagans who have never heard the Gospel? Amos 3:1-2 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
How could a good God cast countless millions of innocent people into hell when he has never allowed them the opportunity to hear the Gospel or be saved? Think about this clearly…
How to Think and Speak About Hell?
Read Psalm 73:13-22
Christians are a Peculiar People, says Peter! And when it comes to their views on the end times, and on what happens after death, they sometimes have very peculiar ideas! We have seen the Catholic Church has a belief in Purgatory, and we have learned why Purgatory is NOT a biblical doctrine. But the views of many Protestants, even many evangelicals on the eternal fate of the lost can be just as unbiblical as the Catholic belief in Purgatory. On the subject of hell, many people, even Christians, have extremely peculiar views indeed.
Thinking and Speaking
So:-
1 Why Are We So Uncomfortable About Mentioning Hell? Read more…
READING IRONSIDE ON THE BRETHREN – A Commentary on His Book.
“A Historical Sketch of the Brethren Movement.”
Chapter 5. Bethesda and the First Great Division. TIMELINE: 1830-40s
George Muller and Henry Craik were Baptist pastors in Devon, when both became intrigued by the movement that had been developing without denominationalism, without clergy and with simplicity of gathering and worship, as the Lord would lead. They had met together with a few other believers in that fashion, and Craik had been offered the use of a hall in Bristol. He insisted that if he were to go, he would want his friend and fellow worker Mr Muller to go also. Muller agreed, and a brethren meeting began at Bethesda Hall in Bristol.
In 1832 the very first seven members were admitted to the fellowship, Muller at first, as a baptist pastor was concerned that some of the new members may not have been baptised by immersion, and that this would render the communion service disorderly. Robert Chapman (See separate notes) reassured him, and Muller eventually agreed that mode of baptism was not a bar to communion.*
Bristol, England. Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
