Called by God
Good morning brothers and sisters. As I sit and listen to different people speak on the Gospel and learn from them. I notice there is still a division amongst the brothers and sisters. And God took me back to words in Acts. See in the scripture we are about to read there was a conflict over circumcision. The Jewish nation was still trying to do the law of Moses. And the disciples was trying to explain to them that the sacrificial laws had been done away with now that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice. And the Holy Spirit had come. Let's look at what it has to say. Acts 15:6-17: "Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: 'Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did us, and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.' Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, 'Men and brethren listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins. And I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things." God did first chose the Jewish nation. They were to teach us the way back to God. He chose them first. None of that is a lie. But when they rejected Him, He adopted us in. It was always the plan for the whole world to know God and live for Jesus. No one was ever excluded. Do you understand what I am saying? It was always God's plan to have the whole world know Him. So why are we fighting over stuff? We need and I include myself in this, to hit our knees, truly repent and let the Holy Spirit do what He has to do to get us on the path of following Jesus. This is the only way we stop using and misusing God's Word for our glory. The Word of God is to teach us how to live like Jesus and in turn God gets the glory. Let's get into the Word of God, study together, talk together, set our denomination aside and learn from the One who knows. Have a blessed day and rise up children of God, rise up!