“When they [the Jewish Christians] heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
Breaking through racial and cultural barriers is never easy. Thankfully, God's Spirit doesn't let us settle comfortably into our prejudices. Instead, we are challenged, led, and pushed to break through racial hatred and cultural ignorance. Let's be the kind of people who rejoice and praise God as every barrier dividing people falls.
Let's press on until the triumphant promise of the Gospel is fulfilled: "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians — you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). In doing this, we anticipate the incredible chorus of heaven that praises God with folks from every language, tribe, people, and nation (Revelation 7:9-11).
John 11:21
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
If you have ever stood at the grave side of a loved one, this thought probably crossed your mind, too — if you had only been here, Lord! Where is Jesus when we hurt? Why couldn't he be here to help us? There are a couple of crucial answers to remember. First, Jesus is with us in our moments of loss and grief. The Church is Jesus' Body and every act of kindness, support, comfort, and help is Jesus working to alleviate our grief.
Second, while he may not have kept our loved one from passing from this life to the next, he has been the abiding and unbroken presence for each Christian who has died physically. Paul reminds us that when a Christian dies, he or she goes to be with Christ (2 Cor. 5:6-7; Phil. 1:21-23) and God's loving presence is never lost to him or her (Rom. 8:35-39)!
Acts 11:24
“He [Barnabas] was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.”
Barnabas was a good man! Why? For many reasons. But, the key reason was that he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. This shouldn't surprise us. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, he is at work producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and conforming us to the character of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). No wonder Barnabas' influence was so great on the lives of those who lived in Antioch; his life was under the influence of God's Spirit!
Breaking through racial and cultural barriers is never easy. Thankfully, God's Spirit doesn't let us settle comfortably into our prejudices. Instead, we are challenged, led, and pushed to break through racial hatred and cultural ignorance. Let's be the kind of people who rejoice and praise God as every barrier dividing people falls.
Let's press on until the triumphant promise of the Gospel is fulfilled: "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians — you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). In doing this, we anticipate the incredible chorus of heaven that praises God with folks from every language, tribe, people, and nation (Revelation 7:9-11).
John 11:21
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
If you have ever stood at the grave side of a loved one, this thought probably crossed your mind, too — if you had only been here, Lord! Where is Jesus when we hurt? Why couldn't he be here to help us? There are a couple of crucial answers to remember. First, Jesus is with us in our moments of loss and grief. The Church is Jesus' Body and every act of kindness, support, comfort, and help is Jesus working to alleviate our grief.
Second, while he may not have kept our loved one from passing from this life to the next, he has been the abiding and unbroken presence for each Christian who has died physically. Paul reminds us that when a Christian dies, he or she goes to be with Christ (2 Cor. 5:6-7; Phil. 1:21-23) and God's loving presence is never lost to him or her (Rom. 8:35-39)!
Acts 11:24
“He [Barnabas] was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.”
Barnabas was a good man! Why? For many reasons. But, the key reason was that he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. This shouldn't surprise us. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, he is at work producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and conforming us to the character of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). No wonder Barnabas' influence was so great on the lives of those who lived in Antioch; his life was under the influence of God's Spirit!
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