Monthly Archives: August 2019

Peter Gives Great Revelation to the Jews (Acts 11:1-18)

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The Jews Find Out What Happened

If you have not read my previous blog post, I encourage you to do so by clicking here. There is much information from chapter ten that plays a role in chapter eleven. In the previous chapter, we learned that the Gentiles received the message of the Gospel from Peter. Additionally, Peter had a vision from God that showed that the law of Gentile’s and Jew’s dealings being separated was no longer in effect. The news of Peter teaching the Gospel to the Gentiles eventually spread to the Jews, and they were not too pleased with it (Acts 11:1-3). The Jews felt that Peter was compromising what God’s Word says, however at this point in scripture they’re completely unaware of the revelation he had received from God in his vision.

Peters Defends His Ministry to the Gentiles

In Acts 11:4-17, Peter explains to them what took place in the previous chapter when he went to Caesarea. Peter also explains the vision he had from God, which he had three times. He then explains to the Jews that the vision God gave him was to show that the law of Jews and Gentiles having no dealings was no longer in effect. He also tells them the great testimony of the Gentiles receiving the Gospel message and accepting it. I would have loved to of been there to see the facial reaction of the Jews when Peter told them all of this! In Acts 11:18 (NKJV) we find out their reaction, “When they heard these things, they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”. The Jews were first in silence because of the shocking revelation Peter taught them, then they glorified God. I think all of us who seek God daily can relate in a way to their reaction. Think about when you are reading your Bible, and then you suddenly get hit with revelation knowledge, you might first be in silence re-reading scripture, and then you become excited of what God just revealed to you.

Taking it a Step Further

Let’s look at Romans 10:12-13 (NKJV) which says, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”. Paul is telling us that there is no longer a distinction between the Greek and Jews. He is also telling us that God gives the same blessings to all believers regardless of their ethnicity. This means the same gifts of the Spirit are available to Greek and Jewish believers.

Important Revelation in Galatians

Let’s take this a step further, look at Galatians 6:28-29 (NKJV) which says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”. Paul again is confirming what he told us in Romans 10:12-13, but he is taking it a step further. He is not only saying that your background does not matter, but also your gender does not matter either. All believers regardless of where they come from or their gender have the same seed. This shows us that if we all have the same seed, then God can use anyone, in any way He wills. This also confirms that any true believer can be called into ministry, it does not matter their background or gender. Some people argue the fact of woman pastors because of what certain scripture says, I believe if you look at the Bible in its entirety a woman can be used in ministry just as much as a man can. Can there be women today in ministry who are false prophets? Absolutely, just like there are many men in ministry today who are false prophets. How do we know if someone is truly called to ministry? Well, Matthew 7:16 tells us “You will know them by their fruits…”. There are many men and women in ministry who are very fruitful, while at the same time there are many who are not fruitful. Therefore, I pray that God gives us all a discerning spirit.

God Can Use Anyone!

One last scripture I would like to point out is 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NKJV) which says, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”. Paul again is confirming that we are all one in the body of Christ, it does not matter your background. I would also like you to keep in mind that in this same chapter Paul also lists the gifts of the Spirit in verses 4-11 when you put this in context it again confirms that all the gifts of the Spirit are available to all true believers. If all the gifts of the Spirit are available to all true believers, then God can use anyone as He wills.

Final Thoughts

This was a rather short blog, post because this expands on revelation from chapter ten, in my next post I will wrap up chapter eleven in the Book of Acts. I encourage you to take some time before you begin reading your Bible and ask God to open your spiritual eyes and ask Him to reveal to you a fresh revelation. You will be amazed at what you will learn!

Important Announcement

I would also like to encourage you to check out my YouTube Channel! I will be starting a series soon on the Gospel of John, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. This series on the Gospel of John will only be available on my YouTube Channel, so be sure to subscribe by clicking here!

Acts 10: Peter and Cornelius

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In this blog post, I am going to go over chapter ten from the Book of Acts. I will be doing a good bit of paraphrasing in this post, but I will include scripture links for reference.

About Cornelius

Let’s start by looking at Acts 10:1-2 (NKJV) which says, “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,  a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.”. Here we are introduced to Cornelius, after doing some studying, I have a few items I would like to point out about Cornelius.

  1. He was a Centurion which were well known for their strong ability to lead.
  2. He was God-fearing.
  3. He gave alms (money or food for the poor).
  4. He prayed always.

Cornelius’ Vision

If you read Acts 10:4-8 you will find out that Cornelius had a vision from God. Now I want you to take notice that Cornelius is a person who was God-fearing and always seeking God. This prompted God to give Cornelius a vision that will lead him to some great revelation. In this vision God gives him instruction to send men to Joppa to get Peter, and for them to bring Peter back so they can listen to what Peter has to say.

Peter’s Vision

Acts 10:9-15 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.  In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.  And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”. There is so much here to take away from Peter’s vision he had, but here are a few points for now:

  1. This vision conflicted with the Jewish food laws of not eating unclean animals.
  2. Peter had this vision three times, and we will see why when we get to verse 28 in this chapter!

God Commands Peter

In Acts 10:17-18, we see that the men sent by Cornelius had arrived and were seeking Peter. Then in verses 19-20, God commands Peter to accept them and to go with them as they request. The men that Cornelius sent begin to talk to Peter and tell him about Cornelius and why he sent them. So, they lodged with Peter for the rest of the day. Then, the following day we see that Peter left with them to go back to Cornelius.  (Acts 10:21-23)

Peter and Cornelius Meet

In Acts 10:24-27 we see Peter and Cornelius meet, and Cornelius shows his willingness to listen to what Peter has to say. Acts 10:28-29 (NKJV) tells us, “Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.  Therefore, I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”. In these two verses we see not only was Peter’s vision from God in verses 9-15 to show us about unclean meats, but also the rule that Jews and Gentiles cannot associate with each other, was no longer in effect.  In Acts 10:30-33 Cornelius then explains what he heard from God after fasting and shows again that he has trusted in what Peter has to say. This shows us that if we want God to give us revelation, then we must seek Him daily. Cornelius leads by example with seeking God regularly, we also find out that he had this vision right after fasting.

Peter Preaches to Cornelius’ House

Peter then does some preaching to the house of Cornelius in Acts 10:34-43. Below are a few important points from Peter’s preaching:

  1. Acts 10:34: God is no respecter of person. It does not matter what your background is, God can transform and use anyone who is willing to fully submit to Him.
  2. Acts 10:40-41: Peter also talks about Jesus being raised from the dead, but only certain people (chosen by God) were able to witness this.
  3. Acts 10:43: Peter also discusses forgiveness of sins, which is only through believing in Jesus, not a priest in an enclosed room.

The Holy Spirit

In Acts 10:44-45 we see the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, and the Jews who saw this were amazed. Additionally, Peter discusses water baptism in Acts 10:46-48. He mentions the importance of baptism as a response to converting to faith in Jesus. As we all know water baptism is only symbolic, but it simply represents the old man being done away with and the new man coming forth.

Final Thoughts

There is much to take away from Acts 10, I encourage you to take some time and read the chapter in its entirety. We see two examples of people having visions from God who regularly sought Him. Many Christians have it wrong that it just ends with being born again. (being born again is absolutely required for the start of our walk). The Holy Spirit teaches us all things as promised by Jesus in John 14:26. The Holy Spirit knows all things and leads us into all truth as written in John 16:13 and 1 Corinthians 2:10.

How Do You Know?

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Picture of John 3:16 in the Bible.

How do you know that you are truly saved? This is a very important question I felt led to address in this blog post. I was originally going to post another teaching from the Book of Acts, but God led me to post this. We all know that to be saved that you must call upon the Lord and ask for your sins to be forgiven and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart. Many people call this is the sinner’s prayer. When someone truly says the sinner’s prayer it is a very important and special moment of their life. The sinner’s prayer results in one being born again, which is the only way that you can get to Heaven. John 3:3 tells us that we must be born again, otherwise you will not see the Kingdom of God.

The Truth About Water Baptism

Many people confuse the subject of being born again for something else when reading the Bible. John 3:5 (NKJV) says “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”. There is a large denomination of Christianity that believes the water in this scripture means that a person must be baptized in water when they are born, which results in them being born again. The practice of this is nothing but false doctrine straight from hell. If you take the time to study the Bible, you will see that the water it is referring to in this scripture is the amniotic fluids from birth. As we all should know water baptism is only symbolic after one says the sinner’s prayer. However, since water baptism is only symbolic it is not required to enter Heaven, but I strongly encourage it.

‘The Sinners Prayer’

Romans 10:13 (NKJV) tells us, “For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”. Many people will think that saying the sinner’s prayer one time is all you need, and you don’t need to go to church anymore, read your Bible, pray, fast, and worship God. Some people even think that saying the sinner’s prayer gives you a free pass to sin all you want. However, if you know what God’s Word says, when we become born again we should have a strong desire to go to church every week, read the Bible daily, pray daily, worship daily, and even fast (if you can). How can you expect God to work in your life if you only pray to God when there is a problem? We should be praying to God daily regardless if life is going good or bad. If the only time you read your Bible is when you are following along with your pastor in church, then how will you be prepared to proclaim God’s promises over your life when the enemy comes to attack. The sad truth is many people are claiming to be Christian, but the way they live their life is like unbelievers.

The Old Man vs. The New Man

It is time we know truly how Christians ought to be. Ephesians 4:20-24 (NKJV) tells us, “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:  that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,  and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”. When we become born again, our sinful habits should begin to dwindle. Our sinful habits won’t go away instantly, but as we seek God continually, they will. Therefore, we need to get the Word in us daily, along with prayer and worship. I accepted Jesus at a young age, however, I lacked getting in the Word. I thought reading through a devotional that had scripture in it and reading Books of the Bible inconsistently was good enough. It wasn’t! Until over a year ago I started getting more deeper into the Word of God, and then God started speaking to me and revealing things to me. I wish at a younger age I would have put down those devotions and would have read the Bible more in its entirety and consistently. Don’t get me wrong devotionals can be great, but you will get closer with God when you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Don’t just read it once, read it as many times as you can.

Ask God to Search Your Heart

So, my question to you is how do you know you are truly born again? Is it just because you said the sinner’s prayer, or is it because of the transformation that has taken place in your life since you said the sinner’s prayer? This is something we all need to think about because sometimes we can fall into many traps that will hinder us from getting closer to God. I encourage you to take some time this week and ask God to help search your heart and reveal to you what areas in your life that need to be put away for the new creation you are in Jesus Christ.  

God’s Ways

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walking path with sun shining on it in wooded area.

Here is something that God put on my heart to share with you! This is a very short message that was put on my heart from the Lord, but I feel strongly that many people need to hear this!

Often in life when we are asking God for a breakthrough, we are asking it with our human standards. We might want it to happen in a certain way, order, or time. Maybe you are asking for a financial breakthrough, and nothing has happened yet. Maybe God has a different plan for your breakthrough than what you are specifically asking for. Maybe He wants to teach you to better manage your finances first before the breakthrough comes.

Maybe you are asking for healing to take place. You might think it needs to happen instantly or in a certain way based off how the doctors explained your condition. Instead of asking God to heal you a certain way, ask Him to heal you in His way. The healing might not come instantly as we all would like it to. But it might take some time, and over that period God will reveal certain areas of your life that need correcting or even emotions that need healing first. Then as you are seeking Him you will see the healing manifest more and more.

It is time we stop asking God to meet our needs with human standards but in His ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV) tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”.  As we are praying for a breakthrough, we must remember that our ways are not God’s ways. Gods ways are always better than our ways. In this life, we are so focused on everything happening instantly and in a certain way.

I encourage you to ask God to reveal to you any distractions in your life that need to be removed.  Distractions on this earth come to us in many forms from poor habits, negative people, and poor time management. Colossians 3:2 (NKJV) tells us, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”. So, is your mindset more focused on the things of this earth or the things of God? If we want to see God working in our lives, we must set our minds on Him and Heaven and not this world.

God Bless!

Zachary Murphy
Evangelical Blogger