Acts 11:1-18 Many...
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Acts 11:1-18
Many by now are probably familiar with the movie End of the Spear, an independent dramatization of the real-life spearing of five American missionaries by natives of the Ecuadorian rainforest in the 1950s. This tribe, the Waodani, was once an extremely violent society with revenge killings running rampant and even threatening to wipe the tribe out altogether. Many of the villagers and other native tribes in the surrounding area avoided the Waodani like the plague because of their violent nature. If there was one group of people that would not accept the gospel, this would be it. However, because of the work of people like Rachel Saint, the sister of one of the slain missionaries, many of the Waodani have now come to know Jesus as their Savior.
Peter didn't think that a Roman could become a Christian, but when he saw the work of the Spirit in Cornelius, he knew that God could reach anyone. As he told the Christians in Jerusalem, "If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" (v. 17).
Craig K.
Acts 11:1-18
Bishop William Willimon of the North Alabama Annual Conference of the United Methodist church, tells of receiving a letter from a lay person complaining that their pastor is frequently seen leaving a bar in the community. You could understand why this would be upsetting for people inside the church -- their pastor frequenting a neighbor bar. The bishop called the pastor to see if this charge was true.
The pastor confirmed that it was true, that he and some lay people go to the neighborhood bar on Thursday and Friday evenings. Further, he explained that the church he was serving had been declining for over a decade with no new members. So the pastor and several lay people decided to go to the bar and talk with anyone who wanted to talk. As a result of this ministry the church gained ten new members all on profession of faith. This year, the pastor told the bishop, they expect to receive twenty new members. Further, the pastor told his bishop that he would only stop going to the bar when Jesus does.
The very notion of associating let alone eating with Gentiles went against everything that Peter believed. It went against his very nature. God had other plans that included all people. Peter had a dream or vision in which he was instructed to accept all people. He explained, "The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us." That notion represented a giant leap in belief -- all people were precious in God's sight. Peter was open and welcomed Gentiles into the faith.
Tim S.
Revelation 21:1-6
"Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink." This famous line is from the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In the poem, the crew of a ship is stranded at sea -- surrounded by sea water but lacking any fresh water to drink. Water is important to living things because it allows us to sustain life. Without water, we would shrivel up and die! However, we also realize that not just any water will do. We cannot drink salt water; we cannot drink contaminated water; we do not drink water that is unfiltered or muddy or full of chlorine. So when we hear about the gift of the water of life, we should not be surprised that this is a different level of water. There is water unfit to drink, water fit to drink, and water fit to be the gift of heaven. Each kind of water has its own purpose, and each is an important part of our lives.
Leah T.
Revelation 21:1-6
John's series of visions began in Revelation 19:11 and began with the "I saw" statements. The apostle sees a new world where those who have accepted Christ as Savior are drawn into this new existence with God. John applies it to the visual in verses 1-2 and to the audible in verses 3-8.
Billy Graham wrote that heaven will be the place of perfection that each person has longed for all of his/her life. Everything that has made earth ugly, unlovely, and tragic will be absent in heaven. There will be no more night, no death, no disease, no sorrow, no tears, no ignorance, no disappointment, no war, and no sin! It will be filled with health, vigor, virility, knowledge, happiness, worship, love, and perfection.
Author C.S. Lewis said, "A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christ is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next."
Derl K.
John 13:31-35
At our church, we have a family that moved to the United States several years ago from Taiwan. One of the great things about having people from another part of the world go to our church is that we get to see all the little cultural differences that not only set them apart, but also enrich the rest of us. That, and when they talk, it's hard to not know they're from another culture, as they speak in what they jokingly call "Chinglish."
As Christians, we too have something that sets us apart, something that should let people know we're different. As Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (v. 35).
Craig K.
John 13:31-35
Billie is in her 90s and recently has been reminiscing about her long life. She thinks about events from her childhood. She is thankful for parents who taught her Christian values and habits. They not only taught with words she claims but also by their actions. Her parents influenced her life through her teen and young adult years.
One question continues to come to her mind, "Will the world be a better place because I have lived or because I have died?" As she evaluates her life other questions come to mind, "Have I loved my neighbor as myself? Have I treated others as I want them to treat me?" Her definition of love is simple, respect every person and be as kind to them as you possibly can. They might not have earned your respect and may have rejected your kindness, which she discovered through experience requires that you try harder to show love and kindness to them.
"I know I have failed many times," Billie honestly reflects, "how thankful I am that God is merciful and forgiving."
To attempt to live with pure love in your heart will change individuals and ultimately society. Billie hopes that her children and grandchildren will follow her example.
The distinguishing factor in each of our lives is how we have shown our love to other people. In the Upper Room prior to his arrest and crucifixion Jesus gave the disciples and us a new commandment, to love one another. Jesus set the example as he told his friends, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."
Tim S.
Many by now are probably familiar with the movie End of the Spear, an independent dramatization of the real-life spearing of five American missionaries by natives of the Ecuadorian rainforest in the 1950s. This tribe, the Waodani, was once an extremely violent society with revenge killings running rampant and even threatening to wipe the tribe out altogether. Many of the villagers and other native tribes in the surrounding area avoided the Waodani like the plague because of their violent nature. If there was one group of people that would not accept the gospel, this would be it. However, because of the work of people like Rachel Saint, the sister of one of the slain missionaries, many of the Waodani have now come to know Jesus as their Savior.
Peter didn't think that a Roman could become a Christian, but when he saw the work of the Spirit in Cornelius, he knew that God could reach anyone. As he told the Christians in Jerusalem, "If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" (v. 17).
Craig K.
Acts 11:1-18
Bishop William Willimon of the North Alabama Annual Conference of the United Methodist church, tells of receiving a letter from a lay person complaining that their pastor is frequently seen leaving a bar in the community. You could understand why this would be upsetting for people inside the church -- their pastor frequenting a neighbor bar. The bishop called the pastor to see if this charge was true.
The pastor confirmed that it was true, that he and some lay people go to the neighborhood bar on Thursday and Friday evenings. Further, he explained that the church he was serving had been declining for over a decade with no new members. So the pastor and several lay people decided to go to the bar and talk with anyone who wanted to talk. As a result of this ministry the church gained ten new members all on profession of faith. This year, the pastor told the bishop, they expect to receive twenty new members. Further, the pastor told his bishop that he would only stop going to the bar when Jesus does.
The very notion of associating let alone eating with Gentiles went against everything that Peter believed. It went against his very nature. God had other plans that included all people. Peter had a dream or vision in which he was instructed to accept all people. He explained, "The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us." That notion represented a giant leap in belief -- all people were precious in God's sight. Peter was open and welcomed Gentiles into the faith.
Tim S.
Revelation 21:1-6
"Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink." This famous line is from the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In the poem, the crew of a ship is stranded at sea -- surrounded by sea water but lacking any fresh water to drink. Water is important to living things because it allows us to sustain life. Without water, we would shrivel up and die! However, we also realize that not just any water will do. We cannot drink salt water; we cannot drink contaminated water; we do not drink water that is unfiltered or muddy or full of chlorine. So when we hear about the gift of the water of life, we should not be surprised that this is a different level of water. There is water unfit to drink, water fit to drink, and water fit to be the gift of heaven. Each kind of water has its own purpose, and each is an important part of our lives.
Leah T.
Revelation 21:1-6
John's series of visions began in Revelation 19:11 and began with the "I saw" statements. The apostle sees a new world where those who have accepted Christ as Savior are drawn into this new existence with God. John applies it to the visual in verses 1-2 and to the audible in verses 3-8.
Billy Graham wrote that heaven will be the place of perfection that each person has longed for all of his/her life. Everything that has made earth ugly, unlovely, and tragic will be absent in heaven. There will be no more night, no death, no disease, no sorrow, no tears, no ignorance, no disappointment, no war, and no sin! It will be filled with health, vigor, virility, knowledge, happiness, worship, love, and perfection.
Author C.S. Lewis said, "A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christ is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next."
Derl K.
John 13:31-35
At our church, we have a family that moved to the United States several years ago from Taiwan. One of the great things about having people from another part of the world go to our church is that we get to see all the little cultural differences that not only set them apart, but also enrich the rest of us. That, and when they talk, it's hard to not know they're from another culture, as they speak in what they jokingly call "Chinglish."
As Christians, we too have something that sets us apart, something that should let people know we're different. As Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (v. 35).
Craig K.
John 13:31-35
Billie is in her 90s and recently has been reminiscing about her long life. She thinks about events from her childhood. She is thankful for parents who taught her Christian values and habits. They not only taught with words she claims but also by their actions. Her parents influenced her life through her teen and young adult years.
One question continues to come to her mind, "Will the world be a better place because I have lived or because I have died?" As she evaluates her life other questions come to mind, "Have I loved my neighbor as myself? Have I treated others as I want them to treat me?" Her definition of love is simple, respect every person and be as kind to them as you possibly can. They might not have earned your respect and may have rejected your kindness, which she discovered through experience requires that you try harder to show love and kindness to them.
"I know I have failed many times," Billie honestly reflects, "how thankful I am that God is merciful and forgiving."
To attempt to live with pure love in your heart will change individuals and ultimately society. Billie hopes that her children and grandchildren will follow her example.
The distinguishing factor in each of our lives is how we have shown our love to other people. In the Upper Room prior to his arrest and crucifixion Jesus gave the disciples and us a new commandment, to love one another. Jesus set the example as he told his friends, "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."
Tim S.
