Devotional
Whosoever will
Acts 10: 1-48
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Whosoever will - Acts 10: 1-48
 
Scripture
For God so loved the world that He gave Hisone and onlySon, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal Life. For Goddid not sendHis Son into the world to condemn but to savethe world through Him (John 3:16,17 NIV.)

 
Devotional
The Christian faithis God’s message for all people. Christianity is a world faith. It cannot be confined to one people, one race or one culture. It embraces the world. It speaks to the person in the great metropolis or the child dying in abject poverty in the Sudan. It is good news for the whole world. It brings light and hope in our world of pain and strife. The Christian faith is the message of Jesus Christ. Its banner is; "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life.”

 

The first followers of Jesus were Jewish men and women. For many years the gospel was confined to the Jewish nation. If this continued the church faced the possibility of being just another Jewish sect. The command of Christ was that the gospel be taken to the gentiles - to the world at large. Yet, the barriers between Jew and gentile seemed to prevent this from happening. Then came the Cornelius' experience which forever changed the character and destiny of the church. The Gospel was brought to the Gentile World. Acts chapter ten give the account of the conversion of a Roman centurion named Cornelius. This would mark the beginning of a new day for the Christian faith. The era of world evangelization was about to begin. The story of Acts recounts how a devout gentile name Cornelius had a vision from God. He was told in the vision to summon a man name Simon who is called Peter. He would be found in the nearby city of Joppa. This man would show Cornelius how to find the way of salvation.

 

The record in Acts ten tells us that at the same time, Peter also received a vision. It was rather strange. He saw something like a sheet coming down from heaven. It contained all kinds of animals, even reptiles and birds. Peter was commanded to get up, kill and eat what was on the sheet. He refused. Some of these animals were considered unclean by the Jews. Peter would not violate the Jewish laws concerning unclean food. But he is told three times to arise and eat. It was at this moment that men arrive from the house of Cornelius to ask Peter to come to the home of Cornelius. Ordinarily, Peter would not do this. Jews did not enter the homes of gentiles. But the vision of the unclean food changed all this. Peter learned his lesson. God had shown him that he should call no person impure or unclean.

 

Peter came to the house of Cornelius and he brought with him the message of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Now for the first time the Gospel would be preached among gentiles. The Scripture would be fulfilled which declared that Christ was a light to the gentiles - the peoples of the world. The gospel had moved from being merely the faith of the people of Israel. It was for all people. It could now be said that in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor gentile. The faith of Christ removes all barriers and unites people of different races and various cultures into a new people - the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The story of the conversion of Cornelius brought the gentile world into inclusion in the church of Christ. Thank God, the Gospel cannot be confined to one group or culture. It is for all people. The message of Christ’s redemptive love is extended to all the world. You and I are included. The Gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ comes to us. No matter what our background might be. We all can know the redeeming power of the cross. We can all become a part of a new creation in Christ.

 
Prayer
Heavenly Father thank you for loving us so much that you would send your Son to save us and give us Eternal Life. Forgive me to day of all my sin against you and make me your child .Help me to spread the message of your wonderful salvation to my neighbour. Amen
 
Meet the Author.

Rev. Ronald Osmond is a pastor with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Nfld.Some of theplaces he pastoredare Corner Brook and St John's, Newfoundlandas well as Vancover, British Columbia. He is a pastor and teacher as well as a radio speaker. Ronald and his wife Betty have five children all of whom are ministering with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and the Assemblies of God,U.S.A. They are now retired and live in St.John's, NL. They may be reached at Ronosmond@aol.com


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Guilt

Psalms 31:22

For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

Psalms 138:8

The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Isaiah 44:22

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

Isaiah 54:4-10

Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

Romans 7:18-25

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 8:1, 2

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 14:22

Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philippians 3:13, 14

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 10:17

And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Jude 1:24,25

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

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