Read the Bible in a Year (17NOV19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, November 17’s Bible reading is Acts 11-13.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, November 18’s Bible reading is Acts 14-15. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

 

ACTS MOMENT – (17NOV19) “ ‘So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?’ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life’ ” (Acts 11:17-18). Th Jews had been used to being God’s chosen people. They were the descendants of Abraham and had been the chosen ones to receive His divine blessings. Unfortunately, when Jesus came, they did not receive Him. Although the religious leaders knew the law, they did not interpret it correctly so that they would understand that the Messiah had come to fulfill the law and through Him all would be saved. They were looking to be rescued from their earthly oppressors when God had sent his Son to rescue them from sin. Therefore, when Peter, after having a vision of unclean animals, went to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile, the other believers did not quite understand. Nevertheless, Peter explained to them what God had shown him regarding the treatment of all people and that it was his responsibility to preach the Gospel to not only Jews but Gentiles. Upon hearing the testimony of Peter and how Cornelius and those who were present were saved, the believers accepted that God was also doing a work in the Gentiles as well.

Sometimes Christians can be narcissistic. We think that God cannot use anyone but us because after all, we have arrived. We tend to have this grandiose view of ourselves and forget how God took us out of the dirt-filled pit of sin, cleaned us up, and made us anew. We must be mindful, however, that Jesus came to save those who were lost, and that included US. The Bible says: “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’ ” (Luke 5:30-32). When Jesus was on earth, the religious leaders did not condone Him entertaining sinners, but they failed to realize that they too were sinners and in more need of a Savior than the ones they stood in judgment of. It is the same way today. Many Christians are failing to do the work of Christ because they sit in pious positions over the very ones that we are here to witness to. The Bible says: “Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn” (Matthew 13:30). We must be careful that we are not pulling God’s wheat by thinking that they are a tare. When in doubt, allow the Holy Spirit to do the leading and the separating before we find ourselves amongst the tares. Something to ponder….