Read Part One HERE
A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS
PART X - VI
"I, Peter, and some of my fellow believers from Joppa had another amazing day today.... As expected, we arrived in Caesarea at lunchtime... We then went straight to the home of Cornelius.... He is a deligthful man... So humble and kind... He even wanted to fall at my feet... But I prevented him from doing so... After all, I am only a frail human being as I know from experience... Cornelius then shared the details of his vision with us...After he had done so, he asked me to share with him and those with him what the Lord had put on my heart....So I began to preach the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ with them...Everyone listened intently... It was clear that their hearts were being touched... For they learned that Jesus had died for their sins... So they could be forgiven and become children of God...While I was still preaching, something unusual happened.... For these men and women began to speak in tongues... And they began to praise God....God poured out His Spirit on them.... Just as He had done on us on the Day of Pentecost... Do you now understand why today was such an amazing day for me?".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Peter's discovery that God loves all people and wants all people to come to Him....
ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS
PART X - VI
Having heard Cornelius' vision, Peter began to preach the gospel to Cornelius and those with him as you can read in Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter began to speak, "I now realise how true it is that God does not show favourtism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."
He explained to them the facts about the Lord Jesus' death and resurrection as you can read in Acts 10:37-40
"You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached - how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with Him. We are witnesses of everything He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed Him by hanging Him on a tree, but God raised Him from the dead and caused Him to be seen."
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came upon the people present, as you can read in Acts 10:44-47
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
As Peter was preaching the gospel to Cornelius and those he had invited, the Lord baptised the people with the Holy Spirit. The reason the Jewish believers could recognise that this was so because the evidence was the same as it had been for them on the Day of Pentecost: The people there began to speak in tongues and praise God. These people obviously believed the gospel message as it had been presented to them by Peter. At that moment they were born again and the Lord then baptised them with the Holy Spirit to empower them for the task that He had for them.
What an amazing day it was, not just in the life of Cornelius and those with him. No, it was an amazing day in the lives of Peter and the other Jewish believers with him as well. In fact, it was an amazing day in the life of the Church for it started a new chapter in the life of the Church. The question is: Was the Church prepared for that new chapter?
No comments:
Post a Comment